KEY TERMS Key Terms and People to Know for the Regents Exam
Slavery and States’ Rights
At the time of the Civil War, two major issues dividing the North and South were states’ rights and the status of slavery in the West. Before the Civil War, many Southern political leaders supported states’ rights (like the “right” to use slave labor).
Lincoln’s Election / Southern Secession
After Lincoln was elected in the divisive election of 1860, several Southern states seceded (broke away) from the Union to form the Confederate States of America.
Lincoln’s Main Goal
Lincoln did not want slavery to expand into the West, but in his first inaugural address and at the start of the Civil War, Lincoln stated his main goal for the nation was to preserve the Union (keep the country together), NOT to end slavery.