Lesson Title: Election of 1860 and Secession Lesson Authors: Kevin Bartell Key Curriculum Words: John C. Breckenridge, Stephen Douglas, John Bell, Abraham Lincoln, secession Grade Level: 6 th Grade Time Allotted: 80 min. Enduring Understandings: 1. What was the biggest issue of the election of 1860? 2. Why did Abraham Lincoln win the election of 1860? 3. Did the southern states have a good reason and the right to secede? Key Concepts/Definitions of this Lesson: 1. John C. Breckenridge was a lawyer, U.S. Representative, Senator from Kentucky, Vice President of the United States, Southern Democratic candidate for President in 1860, a Confederate general in the American Civil War, and the last Confederate Secretary of War. 2. Stephen Douglas was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. He lost to the Republican Party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln, whom he had defeated two years earlier in a Senate contest following a famed series of debates. He was nicknamed the "Little Giant" because he was short but was considered by many a "giant" in politics. 3. John Bell was a U.S. politician, attorney, and plantation owner. A wealthy slaveholder from Tennessee, Bell served in the United States Congress in both the House of Representatives and Senate. He began his career as a Democrat, he eventually fell out with Andrew Jackson and became a Whig. In 1860, he was among a group of Presidential candidates defeated by Abraham Lincoln in a bitterly divided election that helped spark the American Civil War. 4. Abraham Lincoln The 16th President of the United States (1861-1865), who led the Union during the Civil War and emancipated slaves in the South (1863). He was assassinated shortly after the end of the war by John Wilkes Booth. 5. Secede to withdraw formally from an alliance, federation, or association, as from a political union, a religious organization, etc. Purpose/Rationale for teaching this Lesson (So what?): The Civil War is one of the major events that greatly shaped the country into what it is today. Understanding the issues of the election of 1860 is vital to understanding why the southern states eventually seceded. Knowing which states seceded and at what time is also important for helping students build a time line of events leading to the War Between the States. Appreciating the political conflict of the early 1860s and seeing the results effect on the country is vital to understanding the beginnings of the Civil War.
Background Paragraph for this Lesson (How does this lesson fit within a unit of study? What came before this lesson, and what will come after this lesson?) Ever since the founding of the country, slavery was an issue that divided the nation. As the nation moved into the 1800s, the country began to divide over sectional lines on a wide variety of issues including slavery, the national tariff, and states rights. By 1860 these issues had reached a boiling point, and when Abraham Lincoln was elected several southern states seceded from the United States and formed a new nation. The Civil War officially began when southern soldiers attacked Ft. Sumter and after several more states seceded when the United States deployed troops into the Confederate States. This lesson would be the third in a ten day unit and would be followed a fourth lesson on the important leaders of the Civil War. Virginia Standard of Learning Objective (Unpacked) USI.9 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the causes, major events, and effects of the Civil War by c) identifying on a map the states that seceded from the Union and those that remained in the Union (Essential Knowledge and Essential skills as written in the Virginia SOL Curriculum Framework for the grade level.) Essential Knowledge Essential Skills States that seceded from the Union Alabama Arkansas Florida Georgia Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Analyze and interpret maps to explain historical events. (USI.1f) States remaining in the Union Border states (slave states) Delaware Kentucky Maryland Missouri Free States California Connecticut Illinois Indiana Iowa
Kansas Maine Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota New Hampshire New Jersey New York Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont West Virginia (Western counties of Virginia that refused to secede from the Union) Wisconsin NCSS Themes associated with this lesson/explaining statement NCSS Theme X Civic Ideals and Practices An understanding of civic ideals and practices of citizenship is critical to full participation in society and is a central purpose of the social studies. Students expand their ability to analyze and evaluate the relationships between ideals and practices. Understanding the candidates, issues and outcomes of the election of 1860 is an important part of understanding the buildup to the Civil War and politics today. Guiding Questions--Student Questions that will Guide Your Teaching: Who were the candidates in the election of 1860? What were the main issues of the election of 1860? In which order did the southern states secede from the Union? Which slave states remained in the Union? Facts/Concepts you want students to learn in this lesson: The candidates in the election of 1860 The issues of the election of 1860 The outcome of 1860 The states that seceded from the Union The states that remained a part of the Union Skills you want students to learn in this lesson: How to read and interpret primary sources and maps. How to chart the issues and outcomes of presidential elections How to list the chronology of states seceding from the Union
Values/attitudes associated with this lesson: Citizenship understanding the issues that go into an election will help students be better informed and active citizens Lesson Objectives: 1. Students will know the candidates, issues, and outcomes of the election of 1860. 2. Students will be able to list the states that seceded from the Union and in which order. 3. Students will be able to list the states that remained in the nation. Materials/Resources/Technologies: Candidate information for the election of 1860 Secession map activity Question sheet for notebook assignment Procedures/Process/Activities used to teach lesson a. The hook the 5-7 minute high interest lesson introduction that connects this lesson to previously-learned content The teacher will lead a discussion on the material leading up to the election of 1860 and students will be allowed to ask any questions they have about the previous days information. b. Lesson activities (what you do, and what students do. Include all handouts and/or outlines of your notes, Power Points, etc.) The teacher will distribute information on one of the presidential candidates to each pod (seating group) of students. Each pod of students will read their information and formulate a speech about their candidate and choose one student to deliver it. The four representatives will deliver their speech explaining why they should be elected president in a debate style presentation. The class will then discuss the actual outcomes of the election of 1860. The teacher will then distribute a blank map with instructions on how to color it to indicate which states seceded from the Union and which remained. c. Lesson Closure (how you appropriately end the lesson) The teacher will distribute and explain the student question sheet that will go in the students interactive notebooks and be completed for homework. The students will begin work on their notebook assignment and have the opportunity to ask any questions they have. Differentiation strategies meeting diverse learner needs A. No curriculum differentiation B. Instructional differentiation Linguistic intelligence students will be asked to speak, write, and listen about the topics of the lesson Logical-mathematical intelligence students will be shown the issues and effects of presidential elections on the country and history Visual-spatial intelligence images and maps will be used to enhance activities and give students a different perspective
Interpersonal intelligence the class will be given opportunities to work in groups and ask questions about the information throughout the lesson Intrapersonal intelligence students will be asked to consider what certain things make them think of and how they understand topics C. No assessment differentiation Assessment Strategies Informal Teacher s observation of student work during The Hook and other class activities Teacher s observation of students participation in class activities and discussion Assessment Strategies Formal Work in students notebooks (station note sheet, cause and effect chart activity) will be graded at the end of the unit
Candidate information for the election of 1860 John C. Breckenridge: Southern Democrat Former U.S. Representative and Senator Former Vice President to James Buchanan As leader of the Senate was known for being fair and dignified Supported by President Buchanan Pro-slavery Said no power in the federal or state government could restrict slavery in any territories Said secession was a right
Stephen Douglas: Northern Democrat Called the Little Giant because he wasn t very tall, but was a great (giant) politician Defeated Abraham Lincoln in the 1858 U.S. Senate race Largely responsible for the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act Supported the Dred Scott decision Strong believer in democracy the will of the people should decide Said slavery was something that should be decided by the people believed in popular sovereignty Attacked disunion and secession
John Bell: Constitutional Union Party/Whig (helped form the party) Supported by Southern Whigs in boarder states More moderate than the other candidates Former U.S. Senator Supported slavery Always placed the Union first Said Congress could restrict slavery supported the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act
Abraham Lincoln: Republican helped to form the party Common" man with humble origins in the west Was involved in state politics from the age of 23 and was a U.S. Representative Opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act and popular sovereignty Strongly believed at the Union should be preserved at any cost Had moderate views on slavery really only opposed to its spread Had some southern tied relatives in the south Believed there would not be a civil war
Secession map activity Name: Directions: On the map below color the states and territories following the instructions Free states in the Union: Blue Slave states in the Union (boarder states): Purple First group of slave states in the Confederacy: Orange Second group of slave states in the Confederacy: Red Territories supporting the Union: Green Territories supporting the Confederacy: Yellow
Question sheet for notebook assignment Directions: In the left side of your notebook answer the following question in a short paragraph of at least FIVE sentences. 1. How would you feel if you were an average citizen living in a southern state in 1860? Would you support slavery? Would you want to secede from the Union? Who would you support in the presidential election? Why? Etc.