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IsabelleHart
Mr.Fronk
HonorsWorldGeography9
May10,2016
LibertyorDeath:JustificationsforSouthernSecessionReadingQuestions
1. TheSoutherneliteledchargeoftheSouthernsecession.TheSouthhadbeenpersuaded
bytheelitetosecedesothattheelitecouldremainincontrolandmaintaintheSouths
wayoflive.Theyhadpersuadedboththeslaveownersandthenonslaveownersto
secedefromtheUnitedStatesofAmerica.TheSouthwantedtosecedebecausetheelites
claimedtheUniondidnotrepresenttheSouthsinterestsandelitesfromtheSouthhad
convincedthecitizensoftheSouththattheyhadtoleavetheUnitedStatestomaintain
theirownlifestylestomaintainthepeopleslifestyles.
2. TheSouthernelites,whoweretheminorityofthepeoplelivingintheSouthheldFederal
GovernmentpositionsintheSouth.
3. TheSouthernpopulationfeltthattheseelectedofficialsweretoosnobbyandtoowealthy
soingeneralthemajoritypopulationoftheSouthhatedtheelites.Afarmerin
Greenville,Tennessee,namedWilliamBaab,hadsaidinastatementabouttheelite,
thoughtthemselveselevatedabovethelaboringclassofpeople.Manysouthernershad
acommonopinionthattheelitehadunfaireconomicadvantagesandbecauseofthatthe
elitehadseparatedthemselvessocially,economically,andpoliticallyagainstthenon
slaveownersintheSouth.


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4. WiththecollapseoftheKnowNothingPartyin1856,theelitesnowrepresentedthe
SouthintheFederalGovernment.ThisimpactedtheDemocraticparty,whowasthe
majoritypartyoftheSouth,becausetheyhadnocompetitionanditallowedtheeliteto
influenceandbecometheleadersoftheDemocraticparty.Withtheeliteinchargeofthe
partytheycouldeasilyswaythepublicsopinionwithasecession.
5. ThesubculturesofTexasaretheLowerSouth,theUpperSouth,thewesternEuropean,
andtheMexican.TheLowerSouthculturehadsupportedslaveryandthesecessionof
TexasfromtheUnitedStates,
6. TheDemocraticpartywasswayedtobelievethemanyoftheidealsoftheLowerSouth
Culture,whichsupportedtheinstitutionofslaveryandalsosupportedthemovementof
secession.TheybelievedthattheFederalgovernmentnolongerrepresentedtheneedsof
theSouth.
7. TheDemocraticpartywaspersuadedbytheLowerSouthCulturetoembracetheidealof
secession.BeforetheimpactoftheLowerSouthCulture,thestateofTexasbecauseit
wasprofederalgovernment,however,itchangedtoabeliefinsecession.
8. TheimpactoftheTexassubculturesonstayingorbreakinghadalargeimpactonTexas
futurebecauseitdecidedtosecedefromtheunion.TheLowerSouthculturespecifically
persuadedtheTexanpopulationagreewiththeDemocraticpartyviewstoleavethe
Union.Hence,TexaswenttowaragainsttheUnion.
9. TheKansasNebraskaActrepealedtheMissouriCompromise,whichoutlawedslavery
abovethe3630parallelintheLouisianaterritory.ThenewActdividedthenewterritory


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intotwo,KansasandNebraskaandallowedtheseterritoriestovoteonwhethertheywere
freeorslaveryterritories.
10. TheSouthernelitewerehappywiththisactbecauseitopenedupthepossibilitythat
slaverycouldexpandinthewesternterritoriesanditchangedthebalanceofthepowerin
theHouseofRepresentatives.
11. TheKansasNebraskaActspurredtheabolitionistintoaction.Thiswasthebirthofthe
RepublicanParty,whichhadaplatformofantislaveryandrepealtheKansasNebraska
Act.ActTheRepublicanpartywasestablishedbecauseofthisActandtheystoodfor
antislavery.ThenewleaderofthispartywasAbrahamLincoln.
12. In1860theREpublicanpartytookcontroloftheexecutiveandlegislativebranchesof
thegovernment.ThisupsettheSouthernelitebecausetheywouldrepealtheKansas
NebraskaActanditwouldstriptheSouthernelitespowerandinfluenceoverthecentral
government.
13. TheSouthernelitesclaimediftheKansasNebraskaActwasrepealedtherewouldbeno
possibilityofequalrepresentationintheSouthinthegovernmentandtheywouldalso
becomeapermanentminorityinAmerica.TherepealofthisActwoulddestroythe
Southernlifeandeconomy.
14. TheSouthernelitesfloodedtheSouthwithpamphlets,editorials,articles,andclaimed
thatprevailingsocialorderoftheSouthshouldbecherished.Alsopoliticalleaderswere
vocal.


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15. TheNorthernandRepublicanrhetoricfueledtheSouthssecessionbecauseitisnowpart
ofthegovernmentsystem,sotheynolongerrepresenttheSouthernwelfare.
16. SomeeconomicpoliciesandbeliefsfromtheNorththeSoutherneliteswantedtokeep
outoftheSouthwasthedifferentpoliciesrelatedtogoverningthewealthy,the
civilization,andthenationalexistenceoftheSouth.
17. TheSouthernelitesalsowantedtokeepouttheNorthslaborpracticesbecausetheSouth
wasbasedofhardworkingagriculturework,wheretheworkersandfarmers
independentlyworked.TheNorthwasamarketbasedeconomythatsupportedthe
conceptofwagelabor,whichisthesystemwheretheworkersellstheirlaborundera
formalemploymentcontract.TheNorthernersviewedwagelaborasawaytoimprove
theworksystemofsociety.TheSouththoughtthatwagelaborwastheenslavementof
whitesandthatwouldcausethebalanceinsocietytocollapse.IntheSouthsperspective
wagelaborwasadependentsystemthatinsteadofbeingyourownboss,youhadaboss
thatpaidyouhowwellyouworkedandsupervisedyou.AlsotheSouthernelitewould
sufferfromthissystembecausethenonslaveownerswouldbecomemorewealthyand
theelitewouldnothaveasmuchcontrol.
18. TopersuadethepeopleoftheSouth,thesouthernelitesclaimedthattheFederal
Governmentwascorrupt.TheeliteshadsaidbecauseofthiscorruptiontheSouthwhich
hadenteredintotheUnitedStatesundertheConstitutionwasdifferentnow.Asan
exampletheelitesusedthestockmarketschemeduringPresidentJamesBuchanan's
Presidency.Buchananssecretaryofwar,JamesFloyd,hadcrookedbusinessdealswith


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WilliamRussell,whowasabusinessmanwhosuppliedthearmyswesternsoldiersand
forts.JamesFloydpaidforRussellsdebtswiththecreditoftheUnitedStates
Government.TheygotcaughtonDecember22,1858andBuchananurgedFloydto
resignbuthedidnothavethepowerandauthoritytodoso.Thisscandalhadportrayed
theFederalGovernmentascorrupt,andtheloyalpeopleoftheSouthwereswayedby
thisandtheythenstartedtoSupporttheideaofasecession.
19. AlloftheseclaimsbytheSoutherneliteswereusedtoswaytheSouthsmajorityofthe
populationandtheirmaingoalwastocausetheSouthtoseparatefromtheUnionofthe
UnitedStates.Thissecessionwouldpreservetheeliteswayoflife.
20. Theauthorofthisarticlewasaneducatedprofessor.