21 The Election of 1860 and Secession

1860 Presidential Race

Showed the deep division within the nation, with Republicans uniting behind Lincoln and Democrats splitting into Northern and Southern factions.

Lincoln's Victory

Abraham Lincoln was elected with just 40% of the votes, primarily from the North, and was not on the ballot in ten Southern states.

Secession

Following the 1860 election, Southern states began to talk of secession, fearing they could no longer influence national policies.

Fugitive Slave Act

President-Elect Lincoln stated he would support enforcement of this Act but would not allow slavery to expand into new territories.

Confederate States of America

Formed after seven Southern states, led by South Carolina, seceded from the Union following the 1860 election.

Inaugural Address

In his address on March 4, 1861, Lincoln called secession wrong and appealed for peace, stating the issue of civil war lay in the hands of the states.

Fort Sumter

The site where the first shots of the Civil War were fired on April 12, 1861, marking a decisive shift from talk of compromise to armed conflict.

Patriotic Fury

The Northern response to the Confederates firing on Fort Sumter, which eliminated doubts about using force to preserve the Union.

Civil War

A conflict that arose to resolve the longstanding issues of division within the nation, marked by the battles between the Union and Confederacy.