As the U.S.

Grew, the North-South Dispute over

Slavery Led to Civil War

"'A house divided against itself can not stand' I believe this government can not endure permanently, half slave,

and half free ... I do not expect the Union to be dissolved - I do not expect the house to fall; but I do expect it

will cease to be divided." - Abraham Lincoln’s December 1857 notes for what would become the "House

Divided" Speech of 1858.

1. Read Abraham Lincoln’s notes to his “house divided” speech above. What is Lincoln talking about when he
mentions…

a. The “house” - ​The house of representatives

b. “I do not expect the house to fall; but I do expect it will cease to be divided.” - ​The house
won’t be demolished, but the house will be divided to free and slave states.

Slavery? Just don't talk about it

The period leading up to the Civil War is known as antebellum. For most of this era, differences between the

North and South were not hostile. Legal slavery existed only in the Southern states, but whites in both the

North and South shared beliefs of white supremacy. They also shared a reluctance to discuss the slavery

question. There were bitter conflicts over business, political parties and religion. But these conflicts divided

Americans along religious, ethnic and social lines, not strictly between North and South.

2. What does it mean to say that the antebellum period between the north and the south was not hostile? ​The

arguments and beliefs they had didn’t become violent.

3. Where was slavery legal in the United States during the antebellum period? ​Southern states.

4. Were whites in the North and South more similar or different? Explain using evidence from the text? ​They

were both pretty similar in terms of that they “...shared beliefs of white supremacy”

5. What does the word “reluctance” mean when it came to discuss the slavery question in both the North and

the South? ​Whenever the slavery question comes up, things get heated.

This period of U.S. history has often been told as the South always advocating for state's rights, and the North

fighting for a stronger federal government. This was not always the case, however. People in Wisconsin and
Vermont fought for state power, while Mississippians demanded a stronger federal government. Members of

the Democratic Party from Maine to Louisiana railed against economic measures like a National Bank.

Meanwhile, members of the Whig Party protested the actions leading to the Mexican-American War.

Methodists in Georgia felt closer to Methodists in New York than to their Roman-Catholic neighbors. Yet when

war came in 1861, it pitted the North against the South. The chief difference between these two sections of the

country was slavery. How did slavery, of all the points of conflict, become the issue that would split the nation

in two?

Slavery grows: What about the new territories?

One aspect that increased the conflict between the North and South was the growth of slavery itself. In just two

generations, the number of slaves exploded from 800,000 to 4,000,000. Most worked on farms, but slaves

were also employed in factories and mines. The enormous wealth of the Southern states depended on slave

labor. In the North, many people benefited from crops and goods produced by slaves. As a result, white

Americans across the country were too dependent on slavery to want to talk about it.

6. What were some of the tasks slaves were forced to do? ​Work on the farms, mines, and factories.

7. At the end of the paragraph, it says “white Americans across the country were too dependent on slavery to

want to talk about it.” Explain what this means and how it shows the attitude of the country about slavery.

This means that even though they are fighting against slavery, they sometimes need it in terms

of food, production, etc. This shows hypocrisy in the country.

This changed as the United States began to expand to the west. Settlers moved into new land west of the

Appalachian Mountains, which became part of the United States. People were forced to debate whether slavery

should be allowed in the new territories. As the 1850s progressed, white Northerners and Southerners came to

great disagreement over the issue. However, pro-slavery forces seemed to be gaining the upper hand. The

spread of slavery looked as though it would be almost impossible to stop.

8. At which point (like after what events) did the North and South really start to disagree about slavery? ​After

new states came into the United States, they were diagreeing if they should be a free state or a

slave state

The rise of Lincoln and the South's new demands

The growing power of the Southern states started to trouble people in the North. The Republican Party became

popular by warning of the dangers of a "Slave Power" South. Republicans argued that Southerners were trying

to take over the federal government and spread slavery. Illinois Whig Abraham Lincoln was attracted to the

Republican Party because it reflected his own desire to see slavery end. He eventually became a leading

member of the party.

Meanwhile, white Southerners demanded greater federal protection for slavery. Their demands split the

Democratic Party just in time for the 1860 presidential election. Southern Democrats insisted that the

government allow slavery in all new United States territories. But Northern Democrats supported popular

sovereignty, which would let people living in each territory decide whether or not to allow slavery. The party

split. This virtually assured that Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate for president, would win.

9. Which party was the supporter of slavery and which party was against slavery?

10. The Republicans stance on slavery is a united one (meaning they are all on the same page) but the

Democrats were in different situation. Explain their situation in your own words (not copying and pasting).

11. Explain why was Lincoln guaranteed to win the election against any of his opponents?

Slave states break away

Lincoln was running on a platform that included halting the spread of slavery. Southern states warned that if

Lincoln won they would leave the Union. When Lincoln won the election of 1860, seven states from the Deep

South broke away to form the Confederate States of America.

12. What did the South threaten if Lincoln became president?

13. Did the South follow through with their threat?

The slave-holding states of the Upper South, which were Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas and Tennessee,

chose not to leave the Union. Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri also chose to remain. However, the

Upper South promised to side with the Confederacy if the federal government coerced the slave-holding states.

Abraham Lincoln took office right during a stand-off between North and South.
14. There were many “upper southern states” that chose to remain as part of the Union. Then the paragraph

says that “the Upper South promised to side with the Confederacy if the federal government coerced the

slave-holding states.” Explain what the Upper Southern states are trying to tell the Union.