Road to War and Union at War: The Civil War Begins

The Election of 1860 and the Secession Crisis

• Plurality Presidency: Abraham Lincoln won the Electoral College without securing a majority of the popular vote. This had happened before and since $1860$ but only led to a political crisis and war in $1860$.

• Democratic Party Split: Before the election, the Democratic Party fractured into two separate parties, eventually leading to a total of four political parties in the race. This division of Southern votes contributed to the Republican victory.

• Northern Population Advantage: Roughly two-thirds of the U.S. population resided in the North, giving Northern states more Electoral College votes.

• Republican Strategy: The Republican Party, having identified in $1856$ the need to win Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Indiana, successfully flipped these states. Lincoln, an Illinois candidate with Indiana connections, helped secure this victory.

• Southern Reaction to Defeat: Southerners refused to accept their political defeat. They accused the Republican Party of being