37B
37b - explain the debate over secession in Georgia and the role of Alexander Stephens
Secession in Georgia
The presidential election of 1860 was the "Final Straw". After Lincoln won the election, Georgia started to talk of secession. Georgia was mainly for the Union, but they still wanted states' rights. Many Georgian people found themselves in the midst of a bitter split. |
Alexander Stephens
Alexander Stephens and Robert Toombs had previously passed the Georgia Platform which declared that support for the Compromise of 1850 would only be given if the Fugitive Slave Act was passed. After Lincoln's election, he opposed Georgia's secession from the Union. He said that Lincoln's election didn't have to lead to secession. He called for caution and full support of the US Constitution. He stated that if the South seceded, there would a "War Between the States", and there would be many deaths. His foreshadowing proved to be faithful. After the South seceded, he was elected as Vice President of the Confederate States of America. |