The Election of 1860 and the Path to Secession

Significance of the Election: The Election of 1860 is regarded as one of the most important elections in American political history and arguably the most significant of the nineteenth century.
The Aftermath of John Brown's Raid: The political climate leading into the election year was heavily influenced by the national tumult caused by John Brown's raid. The interpretations of this event varied significantly across different regions.
Core Political Issues (The "Baggage" of 1860):
- The expansion of slavery into new territories.
- Ongoing violence in the territories.
- The Supreme Court's ruling in the Dred Scott decision.
- The radical violence associated with John Brown.

The Collapse of the Whig Party: The Whig Party fractured and eventually broke apart primarily due to the sectional stress caused by the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This legislation was more pressure than the party's broad coalition could withstand.
The Rise of the Republican Party:
- Following the Whigs' collapse, many former members joined the newly formed Republican Party.
- The party ran its first presidential candidate, John c Fremont, in 1856, though the bid was unsuccessful.
- Core Republican Principles:
  - Opposition to Slavery Extension: The primary characterizing feature of the party was its opposition to extending slavery into the territories.
  - Economic Policies: The party also adopted elements of Henry Clay’s American System, which included support for protective tariffs and a national bank.
The Fragmentation of National Institutions: Stability in the country was further undermined by the division of key institutions:
- The Supreme Court: The Dred Scott decision, rather than resolving sectional issues, deepened the national divide.
- Religious Institutions: Major Protestant denominations split along sectional lines in the late 1840s and early 1850s, specifically over the issue of slavery. Notable splits included the Northern Baptist and Southern Baptist conventions, as well as the Northern Methodist and Southern Methodist churches.

The Jeffersonian Legacy: The Democratic Party (originally the Democratic Republican Party or Jeffersonian Republicans) was the oldest standing political party at the time, having dropped the "Republican" designation in the late 1820s or early 1830s.
The Charleston Convention:
- The party held its convention in Charleston, a location heavily populated by state-rights supporters and those vehemently opposed to any compromise with abolitionists.
- Local sentiment reflected the positions found in John c Calhoun's Calhoun resolutions, which argued for the right of citizens to take their property (slaves) into any territory.
- The Walkout: Southern Democrats demanded "ironclad protection" for slavery in the party platform. When Northern Democrats refused, a walkout occurred, resulting in the convention's failure.
The Baltimore Convention:
- The party reconvened in Baltimore, but the result was a second, larger walkout.
- The party ultimately split into two sectional factions, each nominating its own candidate.

Stephen Douglas (Northern Democrat):
- Represented the Northern wing of the Democratic Party.
- Platform: Popular Sovereignty, which proposed letting local populations decide the status of slavery.
- Sectional Standing: He was viewed as a traitor by Southern Democrats due to his support for popular sovereignty, earning their enmity.
John Breckenridge (Southern Democrat):
- Hailing from Kentucky, he was the candidate for the Southern wing of the party.
- Platform: Demanded "ironclad protection" for slavery in the territories.
Abraham Lincoln (Republican):
- Nominated at the Republican convention after an active campaign team influenced delegates to switch their votes to him if their first-choice candidates failed.
- Platform: Not the immediate abolition of slavery where it already existed, but firm opposition to its extension into the territories. Lincoln maintained that, as president, he had no constitutional authority to attack the institution in existing states.
John Bell (Constitutional Union Party):
- Hailing from Tennessee.
- Platform: The party avoided a definitive statement on slavery, focusing instead on safeguarding the Constitution and the Union. They argued that following the Constitution was the only way to work through national difficulties.

Geographic Voting Patterns:
- Lincoln: Captured most of the Northern electoral votes, with particular strength in abolitionist-leaning New England. Notably, Lincoln was not even on the ballot in most Southern states.
- Breckenridge: The favored candidate in the South, particularly in the Deep South.
- John Bell: Strongest in the border states, which occupied the geographical region likely to become a battleground in the event of war. This included Tennessee, Kentucky, and the western portion of Virginia (present-day West Virginia).
- Stephen Douglas: The only candidate to campaign in both the North and the South. While he won a high percentage of the popular vote, he failed to secure many electoral votes because of the competitive nature of the states where he was strong.
The Outcome:
- Electoral College: Lincoln won the Electoral College handily and convincingly, reflecting Northern population numbers.
- Popular Vote: Lincoln received only $39\%$ "and some change" ( $39 \text{ something}\%$ ) of the popular vote, illustrating the profound division of the American populace.

South Carolina's Pledged Response: South Carolina had previously pledged that it would secede from the Union if a Republican candidate were elected.
The Inception of the Confederacy:
- In 1860, South Carolina became the first and only state to secede that year following Lincoln's victory.
- In early 1861, six more states followed South Carolina's lead, formally withdrawing from the Union.
Conclusion: The lecture concludes with the nation poised for conflict over the question of secession, leading directly into the events of the American Civil War.