The Confederacy: The "Cornerstone" of Rebellion

Target: I can compare the U.S. and Confederate Constitutions to determine the true motivation for the creation of the Confederacy.

Key Vocabulary

• Confederacy: The government formed by the 11 Southern states that seceded from the Union.

• Supremacy: The state of being superior or higher in power and status than others.

• Subordination: The act of being placed in a lower rank or position.

• Cornerstone: The first stone set in the construction of a foundation; the most important part of a belief system.

Part 1: Do Now (5 minutes)

Directions: Read the prompt below and write a 5-8 sentence response.

Prompt: Imagine you are rewriting the Student Handbook for our school because you feel the old rules were too vague and open to interpretation. You want to make sure there is absolutely no confusion about what is allowed. In a complete paragraph, explain: Why is it important to be specific when writing rules? If you leave a rule vague, what problems might happen later? Give an example of a rule that needs to be crystal clear.

Sentence Starter: It is important to be specific when writing rules because... If a rule is vague, people might... For example, a rule about ______ needs to be clear so that...

Part 2: Analyzing the Sources

Directions: Analyze the two documents below and then answer the questions that follow.

Source 1: The Confederate Constitution, Article I, Section 9 (Adapted Excerpt, 1861)

Original Text	Simplified Text
"No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law denying or impairing the right of property in negro slaves shall be passed."	"The government cannot pass any law that denies or hurts the right to own 'negro slaves' as property."

Source 2: Alexander Stephens, "The Cornerstone Speech" (Adapted Excerpt, March 21, 1861)

Original Text	Simplified Text
"The new constitution has put at rest, forever, all the agitating questions relating to our peculiar institution—African slavery as it exists amongst us..."	"Our new constitution has settled the argument about slavery forever..."
"Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea [of the U.S.]; its foundations are laid, its corner-stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition."	"Our new government is built on the exact opposite idea of the United States. Our foundation—our 'cornerstone'—is the truth that Black people are NOT equal to white people. Slavery (being beneath the superior race) is their natural and normal condition."

Analysis Questions

Directions: Answer questions 1-2 on your own. Then, work with a partner to answer question 3.

1. The U.S. Constitution never actually uses the word "slave." Look at Source 1. How is the Confederate Constitution different? Why did they feel the need to be so specific?

   
   

   Sentence Starter: The Confederate Constitution is different because it explicitly uses the phrase... They likely did this because they wanted to ensure that...

   
   

2. Look at Source 2. According to Vice President Stephens, what is the "great truth" or "cornerstone" that the entire Confederate government is built upon?

   
   

   Sentence Starter: According to Stephens, the "cornerstone" of the Confederacy is the belief that... He claims that for Black people, slavery is...

   
   

3. (Work with your partner) Many people later claimed that the Civil War was only about "States' Rights" and had nothing to do with slavery. Based on Alexander Stephens' own words in 1861 (Source 2), how would you prove them wrong?

   
   

   Sentence Starter: I would prove them wrong by pointing out that Stephens explicitly stated... This proves the war was about slavery because...

Part 3: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Directions: Answer the following prompt in a complete paragraph (5-8 sentences).

Prompt: Vice President Alexander Stephens called slavery the "Cornerstone" (the most important stone in a building's foundation) of the Confederacy. In a detailed paragraph, explain what he meant. Why is it significant that the leaders of the Confederacy explicitly stated that inequality was their goal?

Sentence Starter: When Stephens called slavery the "Cornerstone," he meant that... This is significant because it proves that the Confederacy was formed specifically to... Unlike the U.S. Declaration of Independence, which said all men are equal, the Confederacy believed...