Oklahoma Social Studies 8.C.12.1

8.C.12.1 is a cluster heading. These are the individual standards under it.

• 8.C.12.1.A

  Describe the fragmentation of the national party system during the election of 1860 and its role in sectional division.

• 8.C.12.1.B

  Identify President Lincoln’s stance on slavery and intention of preserving the Union, as stated in his Cooper Union Address.

• 8.C.12.1.C

  Explain slavery as the central factor for the secession of southern states by examining passages from state secession declarations.

• 8.C.12.1.D

  Describe tensions over the strategic and internally divided border states.

• 8.C.12.1.E

  Trace the formation of the Confederate States of America under the leadership of Jefferson Davis.

• 8.C.12.1.F

  Describe how the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter ignited armed civil conflict.

01

What Students Need to Do

Students explain how the divided parties shaped the 1860 election. They compare Lincoln’s position on slavery’s expansion with secession declarations that name slavery as a reason for leaving the Union. They trace the formation of the Confederacy, the border states’ divided loyalties, and the attack on Fort Sumter.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

A student can name the four candidates and explain the Democratic split over slavery in the territories. They can use a secession declaration to explain slavery’s role, name Jefferson Davis as the Confederate leader, and place Fort Sumter after secession. They can explain why Maryland mattered to both sides.

03

Common Misconceptions

Some students think Lincoln ran on ending slavery everywhere, rather than stopping its spread into federal territories. Others say secession was only about taxes or states’ rights, despite what secession declarations say about slavery. They may think every slave state joined the Confederacy or that fighting began when Lincoln won.

04

How to Assess It

Exit ticket: Give students an 1860 electoral map and Mississippi’s statement, “Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery.” Ask how the election and Mississippi’s stated reason help explain secession.

1. 01

   Give pairs candidate cards and an 1860 electoral map; have them color each candidate’s wins and circle states where slavery remained legal.

2. 02

   Read a Mississippi secession excerpt beside a Cooper Union excerpt; ask students what each says about slavery and keeping the Union together.

3. 03

   Run a timeline card sort: Democratic split, Lincoln elected, secession, Davis chosen, Fort Sumter; have partners explain each placement.

4. 04

   Hand out a map marking Washington and the Ohio River; have students explain why Maryland and Kentucky mattered to both sides.

• 8.C.6.1

  Explain issues surrounding the electoral process of the presidential election of 1800, its resolution by the 12th Amendment, and the significance of a peaceful ...

• 8.C.11.2

  Analyze the impact of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the growing tension, and inevitability of a civil war.

• 8.C.12

  Analyze the course and consequences of the Civil War.

• 8.C.13.2

  Analyze the impact of state and federal legislation following the Civil War.