The Election of 1860 and Secession
The Election of 1860 and Secession examines the political crisis triggered by Abraham Lincoln's presidential victory—the final event that pushed the South to break up the Union, a critical topic in 8th grade U.S. history. Lincoln won the presidency in November 1860 without carrying a single Southern state, running on the Republican platform of stopping slavery's expansion (not abolishing it). South Carolina seceded within weeks, followed by six more Deep South states who formed the Confederate States of America. Southerners feared that Republican control of the federal government threatened slavery's survival, while Lincoln insisted secession was unconstitutional and illegal.
Key Concepts
The election of 1860 was the final straw. Abraham Lincoln won the presidency without carrying a single Southern state. His victory convinced Southern leaders that they had lost all political power in the national government and that their "way of life" (slavery) was doomed.
In response, South Carolina became the first state to vote for Secession (leaving the Union). It was soon followed by six other states, which formed a new nation called the Confederate States of America . When Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in April 1861, the Civil War officially began.
Common Questions
Why did Lincoln's election cause Southern states to secede?
Lincoln won without carrying a single Southern state, showing the South had no political power in the new Republican-controlled government. Southerners feared that Lincoln's party, which opposed slavery's expansion, would eventually threaten slavery everywhere. South Carolina seceded December 20, 1860, just six weeks after the election.
What did Abraham Lincoln actually promise about slavery in 1860?
Lincoln and the Republican Party explicitly promised NOT to abolish slavery where it already existed—they only opposed its expansion into new territories. Lincoln repeatedly stated his constitutional obligation to protect slavery in Southern states. This is why Northerners who hated slavery supported him, and why Southerners' fears of immediate abolition were exaggerated.
How many states seceded before Lincoln took office?
Seven states seceded before Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. These states formed the Confederate States of America in February 1861, elected Jefferson Davis as president, and drafted a Confederate constitution that explicitly protected slavery.
What was Lincoln's argument against secession?
Lincoln argued that secession was constitutionally impossible—states had entered an indissoluble union and could not leave unilaterally. He viewed secession as revolution or rebellion, not a legal right. In his First Inaugural Address, he pledged to enforce federal laws in all states but promised not to invade the South unless attacked first.
What was the Election of 1860 actually about?
The 1860 election featured four candidates and effectively two separate elections: Lincoln vs. Douglas in the North, and Breckinridge vs. Bell in the South. This four-way split resulted from the Democratic Party fracturing over slavery. Lincoln won a majority of electoral votes with only Northern support, receiving virtually no Southern votes.
When do 8th graders study the Election of 1860?
The Election of 1860 and secession are covered in 8th grade history in the Slavery and Road to Disunion unit (1820-1861), as the culminating political crisis that transformed the long-building sectional conflict into actual war.