The Proverbial Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back

The Proverbial Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back
           The election of President Abraham Lincoln signaled a threat as the Southerners perceived him as a spirited man determined to abolish slavery. Southern secession ensued to shield from his eminent anti-slavery policies, but this move divided Americans further leading to a bloody Civil War in 1860 (American Yawp, n.d). The election of 1860 became a proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. While Lincoln thought that it was time for the United States to end slavery, he felt that slavery could still thrive in the deep Southern states that practiced it. Nevertheless, Lincoln exercised much power in appointing Supreme Court judges, a fact that outraged the Southerners. The 11 states or the Confederate States of America in the Deep South seceded or withdrew formally from the Union between 1860 and 1861. However, during his inauguration in 1861, Lincoln emphasized the importance of the Union to strengthen and protect the United States from vulnerabilities. This paper discusses three major events leading up to the secession and the reasons behind the South's secession following the Republican Party's victory in 1860.
           One of the major events leading up to the Southern secession is the explosion of a sectional crisis into a national crisis. The 1856 election darkened the Americas’ mood with voter fraud cases reported in Kansas. While Kansas had voted to join the Union as a slave-free state, early efforts by Missourians dating back to 1854 ensured that the elections were sham (NPS.gov). Consequently, the federal government recognized sham election outcomes supporting pro-slavery laws in Kansas and thus heightened the crisis from sectional to the national level. Efforts to uphold slavery were revamped during Buchanan’s administration when the Supreme Court decided in Scott v. Sandford that black Americans were not eligible as citizens of the United States (American Yawp, n.d). The decision indicated the commitment of the federal government to extend slavery in the country. Dred Scott’s case decision moved the issue of slavery from the state of Missouri to the level of national interest. While this appeared to be a forward development, it exacerbated the matter, leading to the secession and Civil War. 
           The execution of John Brown, a leader of a revolting group, and the election of President Lincoln into office were also major events that sparked the Southern secession. Brown, in a company of other abolitionists, was highly opposed to slavery and actively coordinated revolts aga...