Civil War in Missouri
The turmoil experienced during the years prior to the Civil War didn’t end there. Americans were torn over how their country should exist, whether there should be a strong central government or more power given to the states. Should the Southern States be allowed to secede from the Union? These were the questions on everyone’s mind during the presidential campaign of 1860.
The 1860 election was fought for by four primary candidates. The Democratic party was severed in two at its national convention in Charleston in April due to the issue of slavery spreading into the territories. The regular Democrats nominated Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois as their presidential candidate. Douglas ran on a platform of popular sovereignty. The other part of the Democrats chose Vice-President John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky and urged acceptance of the Dred Scott decision and it’s support of slavery. The recently-formed Republican Party nominated Abraham Lincoln of Illinois on a platform insisting the territories to be free. The American Party renamed itself the Constitutional Union Party and nominated Senator John Bell of Tennessee on a vague platform calling for maintenance of the Constitution, the Union, and the laws.
Missouri was signified as a “border State” in the initial days before the war. It was located between the North and the South but was also a slave state. As a border state, Missouri was allowed to keep its slaves and remain in the Union. Eleven states left the Union and joined the Confederate States of America. Those states were slave states, including Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Some Missourians wanted to leave the Union and join the Southern states in their fight. Missouri’s governor, Claiborne Fox Jackson was one of those wishing to secede. Yet, others wished to remain in the Union. The large population of German immigrants in St. Louis and the central part of the state wanted Missouri in the Union.
The Confederate and Union supporters fought to decide who would run the state. Union soldiers went to Jefferson City and Governor Jackson was force to vacate the capital city. Union supporters established control of the state and chose a new governor in place of Jackson. Jackson didn’t give up his position easily, though. He would set up a pro-South government in Neosho, in southwest Missouri.
Missouri stayed in the Union but Missourians would fight on both sides. Many Missourians joined the forces of the North, including some African Americans. Other Missourians joined the Confederate forces or served as vigilantes, bushwackers, marauding the countryside and wreaking havoc on Union sympathizers. Because of Missouri’s divided interests, often there would be members of the same families fighting on opposite sides of the battle.
The 1860 election was fought for by four primary candidates. The Democratic party was severed in two at its national convention in Charleston in April due to the issue of slavery spreading into the territories. The regular Democrats nominated Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois as their presidential candidate. Douglas ran on a platform of popular sovereignty. The other part of the Democrats chose Vice-President John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky and urged acceptance of the Dred Scott decision and it’s support of slavery. The recently-formed Republican Party nominated Abraham Lincoln of Illinois on a platform insisting the territories to be free. The American Party renamed itself the Constitutional Union Party and nominated Senator John Bell of Tennessee on a vague platform calling for maintenance of the Constitution, the Union, and the laws.
Missouri was signified as a “border State” in the initial days before the war. It was located between the North and the South but was also a slave state. As a border state, Missouri was allowed to keep its slaves and remain in the Union. Eleven states left the Union and joined the Confederate States of America. Those states were slave states, including Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Some Missourians wanted to leave the Union and join the Southern states in their fight. Missouri’s governor, Claiborne Fox Jackson was one of those wishing to secede. Yet, others wished to remain in the Union. The large population of German immigrants in St. Louis and the central part of the state wanted Missouri in the Union.
The Confederate and Union supporters fought to decide who would run the state. Union soldiers went to Jefferson City and Governor Jackson was force to vacate the capital city. Union supporters established control of the state and chose a new governor in place of Jackson. Jackson didn’t give up his position easily, though. He would set up a pro-South government in Neosho, in southwest Missouri.
Missouri stayed in the Union but Missourians would fight on both sides. Many Missourians joined the forces of the North, including some African Americans. Other Missourians joined the Confederate forces or served as vigilantes, bushwackers, marauding the countryside and wreaking havoc on Union sympathizers. Because of Missouri’s divided interests, often there would be members of the same families fighting on opposite sides of the battle.