0.10 1860 election

what did the south think of the north by this time

the north was peculiar instead

north had urbanised, industrialised and absorbed large numbers of immigrants while the south had remained agricultural, loyal to its roots

what party was a house divided against itself

Democratic

what happened in the democratic convention

met in april 1860 in charleston (south carolina)

showed the party as a house divided against itself

in the most fire-eating state (want to leave union)

many were against Douglas , potential candidate

northerners blocked a proposal that helped protect the rights of slaveholders and so around 50 delegates from the lower south walked out the convention

couldn’t decide on policy or candidate so agreed to meet again in Baltimore in June

who won democratic nomination

Douglas

how did douglas win democratic nomination

another mass southern walk-out in baltimore

as so many southern delegates had gone, he won nomination

what did southern delegates do after walking out

set up their own convention

nominated vice-president Breckinridge

on a platform calling for the federal government to protect slavery in the territories

which party was in a favourable position

Republicans - split of democrats seen to ensure republican success. even without the split, they only had to carry the north - odds-on favourite to win

Democrats - split may weaken republicans as douglas could now campaign in the north without trying to maintain a united national democrat party

republican platform

found it easier to agree on platform than candidate

opposed expansion of slavery but declared they had no intention of interfering with it where it already existed

condemned john browns raid as the ‘gravest of crime’

called for

• higher protective tariffs

• free 160-acre homestead for western settlers

  • northern transcontinental railway

who became republican candidate and why

Lincoln over Seward (public figure for long time = enemies and was seen as having abolitionist views)
Lincoln - from Illinois (battleground state whose voters could decide the outcome) 1858 election had boosted his reputation, dozens of speeches, looked good and well known, no labels attached already, seemed honest due to lack of administrative experience

he won in 3rd ballot against seward

who made up the constitutional unionist party

mainly ex-whigs

strength in the upper south

who did the constitutional unionist party nominate and on what platform

nominated John Bell

wanted to remove slavery from the political arena to relieve sectionalism

who won the 1860 election

Lincoln

won 40% total vote, becoming president

although he won no votes at all in 10 southern states, he won 54% free state vote

if the opposition had combined against him, he still would have won

Bell = 39% southern vote

Breckinridge = 45% southern vote

Douglas = 1,383,000 votes

why did northerners vote for Lincoln

a vote for lincoln was seen as a vote against slave power

while they didn’t want slavery to be abolished immediately, they didn’t want it to expand

catholic northerners had little option but to vote republican

northerners like the republican economic proposals

corruption in democrat party

what had tarnished the democrat party

corruption issue

in june 1860 a house investigative committee found corruption at every level of Buchanan’s government

whereas - Lincoln known as ‘honest abe’