November 6
Abraham Lincoln Elected 16th U.S. President
Abraham Lincoln's victory in a fragmented four-way contest made him the first Republican president and hastened the breakup of the Union.
Summary
The United States faced deep divisions over slavery's expansion into western territories as the 1860 presidential election approached. The Democratic Party split into Northern and Southern factions, nominating Stephen A. Douglas and John C. Breckinridge respectively, while the Constitutional Union Party backed John Bell. Abraham Lincoln, the Republican nominee from Illinois, campaigned on preventing slavery's spread without directly threatening it where it existed. On November 6, Lincoln secured victory with 180 electoral votes from Northern states, though he won only about 40 percent of the popular vote. His win as the first Republican president triggered immediate secession threats from Southern states.
Context
By the late 1850s the United States confronted deepening sectional conflict centered on slavery and its possible extension into western territories. The 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act had replaced earlier geographic limits with popular sovereignty, sparking violence in Kansas, while the Supreme Court's 1857 Dred Scott ruling declared that Congress lacked authority to bar slavery from the territories. These developments fractured national political alignments and eroded the dominance of the Democratic Party.
What Happened
The Republican National Convention met in Chicago in mid-May 1860 and nominated Abraham Lincoln of Illinois on the third ballot after William Seward of New York fell short. Lincoln's managers secured second-choice support from moderate delegates wary of Seward's antislavery rhetoric. Meanwhile the Democratic convention in Charleston deadlocked and adjourned; a subsequent Northern gathering nominated Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, while Southern delegates chose Vice President John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky. Former Whigs and moderates formed the Constitutional Union Party and selected Senator John Bell of Tennessee.
Aftermath
Lincoln remained in Springfield during the campaign and won every free state except part of New Jersey, securing 180 electoral votes on November 6 while receiving roughly 40 percent of the popular vote. South Carolina's legislature immediately summoned a secession convention that voted unanimously on December 20 to leave the Union; six additional slave states followed before Lincoln's inauguration on March 4, 1861.
Legacy
The election demonstrated that a sectional party opposed to slavery's expansion could capture the presidency without Southern support, prompting seven states to secede and triggering the Civil War. Lincoln's victory also marked the beginning of sustained Republican ascendancy and set in motion the constitutional changes that abolished slavery and redefined citizenship.
Why It Matters
Lincoln's election directly precipitated the secession of seven Southern states before his inauguration and the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. It marked the rise of the Republican Party as a dominant force opposed to slavery's extension. The event reshaped American politics, leading to emancipation, Reconstruction, and the preservation of the Union under new constitutional amendments.
Related Questions
Why did the Democratic Party split before the 1860 election?
Northern and Southern Democrats could not agree on federal protection for slavery in the territories, leading to rival conventions and separate candidates.
How did Lincoln win the presidency with less than 40 percent of the popular vote?
The three opposing candidates divided the remaining votes, allowing Lincoln to sweep the Northern states and secure a clear Electoral College majority.
What happened in the South immediately after Lincoln's victory?
South Carolina seceded on December 20, 1860; six other slave states followed before Lincoln's inauguration, forming the Confederate States of America.
Who were the four major candidates in the 1860 election?
Abraham Lincoln (Republican), Stephen Douglas (Northern Democrat), John Breckinridge (Southern Democrat), and John Bell (Constitutional Union).
What long-term political change resulted from Lincoln's election?
It established the Republican Party as a major national force and precipitated the Civil War, which ultimately ended slavery through constitutional amendment.
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US Military Atlas: Abraham Lincoln Elected 16th U.S. President connects to military history, war consequences, or postwar diplomacy.
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Sources
- 1860 United States presidential election, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-07-07.