The First Inaugural Address

By: Samira, Katerina, Rachel, and Ryan

● Initially 3 parties running for office, National Democratic Party, Constitutional Union Party, and Republican party

● The national Democratic party was considered the strongest

● They could not decide on a candidate, so split

● 4 parties for which you can cast a vote, Northern Democratic Party, Southern Democratic Party, Republican Party, and Constitutional Union Party

● Each had a different view on the issue of slavery

Election of 1860

● Abraham Lincoln was the candidate

The Republican Party supported● free soil principles (free soil for free men, opposition of

slavery)

● They didn’t want slavery because it undermined the ability of poor whites to gain wealth.

● They supported Fugitive Slave Act

● They wanted to preserve the Union

The Republican Party

● Candidate was John BellPlatform which was what they believed in:

● preservation of the Union● enforcement of Laws● believed good politicians only enforced laws and preserved the

Union● believed the best way to deal with issues was not to talk about

them● had no view on more complicated matters such as slavery

Constitutional Union Party

● Stephan Douglas was the Candidate for this partyPlatform:● Did not oppose slavery● believed in popular sovereignty● Warned North that if they continued to have the

North be a place for freedom for slaves, there would be many negative consequences for white labor

The Northern Democratic Party

● John Breckinridge was candidateplatform:

● did not believe in popular sovereignty● felt as if all people had the right to settle in new

territories with their property● wanted to make a federal making slavery legal

everywhere

Southern Democratic Party

● Popular vote: Lincoln 40%, [Douglas 29%, Breckinridge 18%] Bell 13%

● Electoral Vote: Lincoln 180 Breckinridge & Douglas 84

Lincoln did not appear on the ballot in most Southern States.

Even though the Democratic Party (North & South) received 47% of popular votes, they would not have won the elections even if they had not split. Together they had only 84 electoral votes

The fact that Lincoln could win the election without winning a single Southern state again shows the political power of the North coming from increasing population.

Election Results

Map Of Parties:

● Lincoln’s victory caused the South to panic● Southern states began to secede● Feared that their way of life would be threatened

through the rise of a Republican president● South was losing congressional power● Afraid North would overpower them in Congress

and abolish slavery● 1860 Census: North 47% increase, South 27%

increase● South carolina seceded six weeks after the

election followed by six other states

Time between election and Inauguration

Secession Map:

● Let people know what his role is as president● Make a legal case against secession so that secession is illegal● Promise to follow Constitution

● Address each group: Southern states, Border states, Abolitionists and Free Soilers

Goals of the Inaugural Address

Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address

● Union is central. ● feels it is his duty to follow the constitution on all matter

concerning the country

He says: “I SHALL TAKE CARE, AS THE CONSTITUTION ITSELF EXPRESSLY ENJOINS UPON ME, THAT THE LAWS OF THE UNION BE FAITHFULLY EXECUTED IN ALL THE STATES. DOING THIS I DEEM TO BE ONLY A SIMPLE DUTY ON MY PART; AND I SHALL PERFORM IT”

Role of President according to Lincoln

A photo of PresidentAbraham Lincoln, the16th president of the U.S.

Lincoln says “the Union of States is perpetual” Perpetual means something that goes on and onThis means Union cannot be terminatedPerpetuity is “fundamental law of all national governments”

No government ever had a law in its Constitution that would make it legal to end the government.

This means that secession is ILLEGAL. South cannot secede.

Secession is Illegal

● tells Southern states that they do not need to have “apprehension” that he will abolish slavery, because he doesn’t have the “lawful right” nor the “inclination” to do so

● promises not to interfere with slavery in the states where it already exists

● Lincoln wants to allow all states to control their “own domestic institutions”(slavery)

● promises to uphold the Constitution and thereby promises to uphold the Fugitive Slave Act and the Three Fifths Compromise.

Lincoln and the Southern States

The Constitution:

● Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri.

● important because of geographical position; between free states and slave states

● had an economy that depended on both the North and the South

● had “divided sympathies”● promises to follow the constitution and reminds

them that they should not fear him as a Republican president.

Lincoln and the Border States

● Lincoln talks about rights of free African-Americans in all states

● Right after saying that he will enforce the Fugitive Slave Act, he says it is equally important that free African- Americans are not treated like slaves and accidentally captured and taken to the South.

● He says he will maintain the rights of free African-Americans because it is in the Constitution

Lincoln and the Abolitionists

Lincoln strongly opposed the spread of slavery in the Western territories. Slogan “Free Speech, Free Homes, Free Territory”

In his speech, Lincoln addresses the concerns of the Free Soilers when he focuses on issues for which the Constitution has no clear answer.He says that he understands no document can ever answer all the questions that arise in a country. He says “may Congress prohibit slavery in the territories? The Constitution does not expressly say. Must Congress protect slavery in the territories? The constitution does not expressly say”

He is reassuring the Free Soilers that he will oppose the expansion of slavery in the Western Territories and that he will not allow each state (popular sovereignity) to decide if they want to be free or slave state.

Lincoln and the Free Soilers

● Lincoln hoped that there would not be any war between the North and the South.

● The speech tried to assure all the groups in America that he will follow Constitution

Lincoln’s Hope For Unity

Lincoln woke up the next morning and was told of problem of Fort Sumner

This was a fort which was being occupied by the North.

It was on an island near South Carolina. South Carolina had seceded before the Inaugural Speech and the speech did not convince them to come back to the Union.

Confederates wanted the fort.

Fort Sumner was the start of the Civil War.

Did the First Inaugural Speech hold the Union together

Ted Wilmer, et al: “Lincoln Addresses the Nation”

Harold Holzer: “America’s Oddest Election”

Albert Marin: Commander in Chief Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War

Oscar and Lilian Handlin: Abraham Lincoln and the Union

and Benjamin B. Thomas, Abraham Lincoln a Biography

Credits to: