1860-1877 Revolution Due to Social Developments
Throughout American history, many have worked to make constitutional and social equality for all
Americans, slave and free, black and white. Between 1860 and 1877, America had gone through civil war
and reconstruction, from destructive to constructive. Hence, there had been many factors that attributed to
constitutional and social developments in America history, but the main reasons for the change could attribute
to the economic rivalry between the industrial North and the agricultural South and the pivotal gap concerning
slavery and the political reconstruction.
The United States experienced a great period of constitutional developments from 1860 to 1877 due to
the civil war, Emancipation Proclamation, three civil rights bills, and the reconstruction. However, slavery
became the dominant issue in splitting the North and the South. The presidential election began in 1860. It
was apparent that most Northerners refused to accept leadership by a Southerner; and it was also clear that most
Southerners would not accept a leadership from the antislavery Republicans in the North.(History Textbook P.
369) Southerners even threatened to secede if a Northerner was elected. On Election Day, Lincoln received
39 percent of the popular vote and 180 electoral votes and won the election. (History Textbook P. 370) As a
result, the country quickly moved toward disunion. South Carolina seceded from the Union shortly after
Lincoln’s election. On December 24, 1860, the South Carolina Declaration of Causes of Secession stated: “By
the United States Constitution, certain duties were imposed upon the several states, and the exercise of certain
of their powers were restrained, which necessarily imperiled their continued existence as sovereign states.”,
which stated in Document A. Over the following weeks six additional southern states left the
Union —Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. On
Americans, slave and free, black and white. Between 1860 and 1877, America had gone through civil war
and reconstruction, from destructive to constructive. Hence, there had been many factors that attributed to
constitutional and social developments in America history, but the main reasons for the change could attribute
to the economic rivalry between the industrial North and the agricultural South and the pivotal gap concerning
slavery and the political reconstruction.
The United States experienced a great period of constitutional developments from 1860 to 1877 due to
the civil war, Emancipation Proclamation, three civil rights bills, and the reconstruction. However, slavery
became the dominant issue in splitting the North and the South. The presidential election began in 1860. It
was apparent that most Northerners refused to accept leadership by a Southerner; and it was also clear that most
Southerners would not accept a leadership from the antislavery Republicans in the North.(History Textbook P.
369) Southerners even threatened to secede if a Northerner was elected. On Election Day, Lincoln received
39 percent of the popular vote and 180 electoral votes and won the election. (History Textbook P. 370) As a
result, the country quickly moved toward disunion. South Carolina seceded from the Union shortly after
Lincoln’s election. On December 24, 1860, the South Carolina Declaration of Causes of Secession stated: “By
the United States Constitution, certain duties were imposed upon the several states, and the exercise of certain
of their powers were restrained, which necessarily imperiled their continued existence as sovereign states.”,
which stated in Document A. Over the following weeks six additional southern states left the
Union —Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. On