South Dakota Content Education Standards. After Lincoln was elected in 1860, southern states seceded from the Union in an effort to uphold their stance on slavery. During the war, the Confederacy continued to own slaves and support slavery. After many devastating battles and thousands of casualties, the Civil War ended but many problems that existed before the commencement of battle still existed. However, slaves were officially free and the economies of the North and South were in a new era of growth. Read More...