States’ rights was not a new idea by 1860, the States had made many decisions for themselves already. The founding fathers were forced to compromise with the States when creating the constitution. The debate of states’ rights leading up to the civil war began when the issue arose if slavery would be allowed in the new territories in the west. The Missouri compromise temporarily solved this issue, but the North and South were still heated in debate. Then, in the 1850’s, the Southern states stated that they could cancel the agreement they made when they ratified the constitution. There were many attempts made to satisfy the Southern states, but the Southerners argued that the laws created favored the north. When Abraham Lincoln was elected president, the Southerners felt the only way to protect themselves was to leave the United States.
|