U.S. presidential election, 1860

The U.S. presidential election of 1860 is widely considered to be a realigning election.

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The United States had been divided through most of the 1850s on the issue of slavery, with Northern abolitionists arguing that slavery should end, and Northerners and Southerners fighting for each new state admitted to the Union (see:Bleeding Kansas), and disputes over whether to allow slavery in the territories.

Related Topics:
United States - 1850s - Slavery - Abolitionist - Bleeding Kansas

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The election of Abraham Lincoln made South Carolina's secession from the United States a foregone conclusion. The state was long waiting for an excuse to secede and unite the southern states against the anti-slavery forces. Upon confirming that the results were final, South Carolina declared "that the Union now subsisting between South Carolina and other states under the name of the 'United States of America' is hereby dissolved." The march to the American Civil War was on.

Related Topics:
Abraham Lincoln - South Carolina - American Civil War

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