The Historic Election of 1860

The Republican Rise to Power Signals the End of the Union

Oct 18, 2009

Abraham Lincoln's victory in the 1860 presidential election ensured that the divisions between North and South could not be resolved.

By 1860, antagonism between North and South over slavery and other issues had reached its peak. The new Republican Party, a Northern coalition of mostly former Whigs and disgruntled Democrats, was on the rise while the Democratic Party was splitting along sectional lines. The presidential election this year marked one of the most dramatic turning points in American history.

Democrats Split Between North and South

The Democratic National Convention featured a party in disarray. When the delegates voted against endorsing federal protection of slavery, the Southern delegates walked out and no candidate received the necessary majority to win the presidential nomination. A second convention was called in which many Southerners walked out again. This time Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas, sponsor of the controversial Kansas-Nebraska Act, was nominated to run for president.

The angry Southern Democrats held their own convention and nominated the current Vice President John Breckinridge of Kentucky to run for president. The Southern platform advocated federal protection of slavery, extending slavery into the Western territories, and possible secession from the Union if a Republican was elected president.

Republicans Unite as a Northern Party

Meanwhile the Republicans united to nominate dark horse Abraham Lincoln of Illinois to run for president. Although Lincoln was not as well known as other potential nominees, he had appeal due to his Western roots and his moderate position on slavery—Lincoln opposed abolition and supported only stopping the spread of slavery into the territories.

The party platform advocated prohibiting slavery in the territories, not out of sympathy for slaves but to keep the territories open to whites and white labor only. This point is proven by the fact that most Republicans had no issue with slavery where it already existed. The platform also supported nationalizing the money supply, raising protective tariffs on imports, and granting Western land to settlers. This platform was extremely unpopular in the South.

The President Contest Becomes Two Separate Contests

In addition to the Democratic and Republican candidates, a Constitutional Union Party was created and John Bell of Tennessee was nominated to run for president. The party platform advocated saving the Union by ignoring the slavery issue altogether. Thus this party appealed mostly to disgruntled Southerners. However recent events, including the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision and John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, made ignoring the issue impossible.

The sectional division in the country meant that there would essentially be two presidential contests:

Since the Northern states had the most population and thus the most electoral votes, the presidency would be decided by the Lincoln/Douglas contest.

The Campaigns

The key issues of the campaign were the social, political, economic and industrial divisions between North and South, and whether or not they could be resolved. Thousands of Republicans canvassed the North, sensing victory due to the split in the Democratic Party. They distributed pamphlets and speeches explaining their platform and celebrating Lincoln’s humble life story.

Lincoln followed custom and did not campaign for himself. However Douglas defied tradition and traveled throughout the country giving speeches and interviews to bolster his chances of victory. However his reputation was tarnished by his sponsorship of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which had virtually plunged Kansas into civil war. Douglas was also vilified in the South for supposedly betraying Southern principles for political expediency.

As the election drew near, Douglas knew he had little hope to win. He suspended his campaign and traveled through the South to plead for preserving the Union. Douglas knew what many Republicans failed to understand—the Southerners were serious about their threat to secede if Lincoln was elected. During his tour, Douglas faced numerous hostile crowds who branded him a traitor.

The Results

In the early morning of November 7, it was announced that Abraham Lincoln won the election, having secured all but one non-slave state while the other three candidates split the remaining states. However Lincoln received less than 40 percent of the popular vote. In 10 Southern states, Lincoln did not receive a single vote, and in the five slave states of the Upper South, Lincoln received only four percent of the popular vote. In all, Lincoln won only two out of 996 Southern counties.

Because of this split election, mass hysteria swept throughout the country. People crowded the streets of Southern cities and discussed secession. Northern doubters wondered if a Republican victory would mean disunion. With the election of Abraham Lincoln came the ominous threat of civil war.

Sources

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