Crittenden–Johnson Resolution facts for kids

The Crittenden–Johnson Resolution was an important message passed by the United States Congress during the early days of the American Civil War. It was meant to reassure the states where slavery was allowed that the war was not about ending slavery. Instead, the main goal was to bring the country back together and keep the United States as one nation.

This resolution was passed almost unanimously in July 1861. This happened right after a big defeat for the Union army at the First Battle of Bull Run, which made many people in the North worried. However, the resolution was canceled in December 1861 once the immediate danger seemed to pass.

Sometimes, people confuse this resolution with other ideas from that time. One was the "Crittenden Compromise," which was a set of ideas to change the U.S. Constitution. These ideas were discussed before the war started, hoping to stop states from leaving the Union. Another was the Corwin Amendment, which was a proposal to protect slavery in the Constitution. It passed Congress but was never fully approved by the states.

Why Was This Resolution Needed?

The Crittenden–Johnson Resolution was passed by the 37th United States Congress on July 25, 1861. It was named after its main supporters, Representative John J. Crittenden from Kentucky and Senator Andrew Johnson from Tennessee. Both of these men owned enslaved people.

The American Civil War had just begun a few months earlier, in April 1861. Many Southern states had decided to leave the United States and form their own country called the Confederacy. Congress passed this resolution just days after the First Battle of Bull Run. This battle showed everyone that the war would not be over quickly.

Keeping Important States in the Union

President Abraham Lincoln was very worried about certain states where slavery was allowed. These were Missouri, Kentucky, and Maryland. They were called "border states" because they were located between the Union and the Confederacy. Lincoln wanted to make sure these states stayed with the Union.

If Maryland had joined the Confederacy, the capital city, Washington, D.C., would have been completely surrounded by enemy territory. Kentucky was also very important because the Ohio River formed its northern border. This river was like a highway for trade and goods for states like Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. Losing Kentucky would have been a big problem for the Union.

What the Resolution Said

The Crittenden–Johnson Resolution was also known as the War Aims Resolution. It clearly stated that the Union's goal in the war was limited. It did not mention slavery directly, but it meant that the Union government would not try to end slavery where it already existed.

The resolution said that the war was not being fought to "overthrow or interfere with the rights or established institutions of those States." This meant the Union was not trying to change how the Southern states lived or to end slavery. Instead, the resolution stated the war was only to "defend and maintain the supremacy of the Constitution and to preserve the Union."

This message was meant to keep the loyalty of people in the border states who supported the Union. It also reassured people in the North who wanted to save the Union but did not want to fight to free enslaved people. The resolution suggested that the war would end once the states that had left returned to the Union, and slavery would still be allowed.

Why It Was Later Changed

Not everyone agreed with the resolution. Thaddeus Stevens, a Congressman from Pennsylvania who was against slavery, did not support it at first. He believed that in a war, Congress and the President should be able to do "any step which would subdue the enemy." He chose not to vote on the resolution.

However, public opinion changed a lot in the months after the resolution passed. By December 1861, many more people in the North believed that the war should also be about ending slavery. Because of this shift, Congressman Stevens was able to lead the effort to cancel the resolution.

How Congress Voted

The resolution was first introduced in the House of Representatives on July 19, 1861. This was just two days before the First Battle of Bull Run, when many soldiers were gathering near Manassas, Virginia. The House passed the resolution right after the battle, when the Union army was defeated. This made people in Washington, D.C. very worried about Confederate soldiers being close to the capital.

The vote in the House happened in two parts. The first part said that the war was caused by Southern states that had left the Union. This part passed with a vote of 121 to 2. The two congressmen who voted against it were later removed from Congress because they supported the Confederacy.

The second part of the resolution explained that the war was not meant to harm or conquer the Southern states. It said the war was only to protect the Constitution and keep the Union together. This part passed with a vote of 119 to 2. The two congressmen who voted against this part were from Wisconsin and Ohio.

The full resolution was passed by the House on July 22, 1861.

Senate's Decision

Three days later, on July 25, 1861, the Senate also voted on the resolution. They passed the entire resolution with a vote of 30 to 5. The five senators who voted against it were from Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois. Three of these senators were later removed from the Senate for supporting the Confederate rebellion.