1. The Election of 1860

2. James Buchanan Democrat – 15th President – elected in 1856.
Only President from Pennsylvania.
Northerner who supported
slavery and Southern goals.
VERY UNPOPULAR in the North.
Stepped down after one term.

3. Candidates Emerge Democrats divided over slavery.
Stephen Douglas – supported popular sovereignty
John C. Breckinridge – supported slavery
Republicans choose Abraham Lincoln (wanted to halt slavery’s spread in the West).
Constitutional Union Party chose John Bell (ignored the slavery issue).
Douglas
Lincoln
Breckinridge
Bell

4. The Election Democrats were too split to win enough votes.
Southerners threatened to secede if Lincoln won the election.
Lincoln did not appear on the ballot in 10 Southern states.
Lincoln won with 40% of the popular vote and 180 electoral votes.

5. Secession
As promised, South Carolina left the Union on December 20, 1860.
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida followed soon after.
They claimed secession was legal, because the Declaration of Independence said people could overthrow an “unjust government.”

6. A New Country
Seceding states formed the Confederate States of America.
Jefferson Davis became the President of the C.S.A.
Southerners vowed to defend their lands if troops were sent against them.