The Election of 1860 Pages

Choosing a New President In 1860 Americans prepared to choose a new President. They listened to speeches. They read newspapers. They watched parades. They worried.

Why Worry? Anger and bitterness were driving the North and the South farther apart than ever. Could a new President hold the country together?

The Question of Slavery The spread of slavery west was all people seemed to talk about. Three men were running for President: Stephen Douglas John Breckinridge Abraham Lincoln

Vote for Stephen Douglas Stephen Douglas argued that western settlers should decide themselves whether to allow slavery.

Vote for John Breckinridge John Breckinridge thought that government should allow slavery everywhere in the West. He had strong support from people living in the South.

Vote for Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln spoke strongly against the spread of slavery. He promised not to end slavery in the South but hoped that one day it would end there too.

The Southern View Many Southerners worried what would happen if Lincoln were elected. They believed their whole way of life was being attacked. Some said their states would secede if Lincoln were elected.

Election Day 1860 On November 6, 1860, Lincoln won the election. Southern leaders did not wait long until they carried out their threat. On December 20, South Carolina leaders declared that “ the United States of America is hereby dissolved.”

A New Country South Carolina seceded from the Union. Six other states followed: Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. These seven states formed a new country called the Confederate States of America.

The Confederacy These states elected Jefferson Davis to be the President of the newly formed country. The United States was now split in two.