Short answer
What did Lincoln mean when he called secession "the essence of anarchy"?
-"the essence of anarchy" was much like a metaphor described by Lincoln when referring to the secession movement lead by the Southern confederate leaders. That the South saw the secession movement as a legit legal process to secede from the Union and develop their own separate nation. But according to the Republican party and most other politicians, even some southern democrats saw the secession as a rebellion, which according to the constitution is rebellion.
What role did the Haitian Revolution play in the secession commissioners' arguments?
First off, the Haitian Revolution was a civil revolution that took place in the period of 1791-1804 that involved shifting alliances amongst Haitian slaves, British colonists. Pretty soon the Haitian slaves began revolting and killing their masters and government officials in a very blood "civil war." The biggest reason this influenced the secession leaders was the fear of the idea that this "civil uprising" would occur amongst their own slaves in the deep south. I think also the population of the slaves to white slave-holders in the deep south that caused panic amongst the slave holders that were a part of Secession leaders, making their arguments. The SC's made the case that a "Black Republican" president would destabilize the South and cause an apocalyptic race war. The Haitian Revolution was their prime example of what would happen. Slaves revolting against their owners and destroying the South.
What were John Brown's motivations for attacking the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry in 1859?
First to describe Harper's Ferry was a planned seize of the armory on Harper's Ferry, which took place on October 16, 1859. John Brown planned to seize and arm the slaves of Harper's Ferry to revolt. He hoped that this rebellion would encourage slaves to take the weapons and fight alongside the Freedom Fighters as free men, their rebellion would spread all the way to the South. What actually happened the slaves were attacking John Brown. U.S. Marine Corps led by Robert E. Lee were sent to Harper's Ferry to recapture the arsenal and arrest Brown to be tried in Washington D.C. Brown was sentenced and hanged.
Why was Lincoln's handling of the Fort Sumter crisis an example of effective leadership?
The Southern Confederacy provoked Lincoln to think he needed to use military force to retake the Fort. Lincoln knew that doing this would cause him to lose the upper southern states and they would join the southern confederacy. This would allow the Southern leaders to present Lincoln as an aggressor and strengthen their argument that Upper South states should join the Confederacy. Lincoln turned the tables on them by saying he would resupply the fort with provisions only. No soldiers this would cause the Fort to take their own actions that lead to the surrender of Fort Sumter.
What were the basic principles of the Republican Party platform in the 1860 election?
The basic principles behind the Republican party's platform in the 1860 election was the stop the overall spread of slavery across the United States. They focused on concepts like Freedom being a national phenomenon for all people. The republican party refuted the Dred Scott decision, they wanted to condemn the International slave trade. They also wanted to focus on the rights of immigrants (trying to gain votes from the Know-Nothings party). Abolitionists hated this political platform and wanted a more radical statement like abolishing the Fugitive Slave act. They saw the current situation with the act as a modification not a refutation.
Why did the Democratic Party nominate two separate candidates in the 1860 election?
according to the platform from April of 1860, the Northern Democrats felt the best candidate to defeat the "black republican administration," was Illinois democrat Stephen A. Douglas, although he was a huge supporter of slavery, southern democrats saw Douglas as a traitor because of the support he had for popular sovereignty. Six weeks later they were able to decide final on a candidate that was between two. The Northern democrats concluded on Stephen A. Douglas while the Southern democrats chose then vice president of the Confederacy, John C. Breckenridge