Introduction

The Presidential Election of 1860 was one of a long list of events that brought about the American Civil War. The fragile Union that had been constructed during the American Revolution began to unravel in the mid-nineteenth century as questions about slavery and states' rights rose to the fore. The break finally came with the election of Abraham Lincoln in November 1860. The following month, the state of South Carolina seceded from the Union, and it was quickly followed by ten other Southern states.

Assignment

You are to evaluate the Election of 1860. Who was Abraham Lincoln and why did he infuriate so many leaders in the South? Who was Lincoln running against? What happened to the Democratic Party during the election? Was the South justified in seceeding from the Union after Lincoln's election -- defend your answer?

Sources

Biography of Abraham Lincoln [ link ]

Abraham Lincoln's Views on Slavery [ link ]

The Election of 1860 [ link ]

Map of the Election [ link ]

Basic Facts on the Election [ link ]

Secession in the Deep South [ link ]

Virginia Ordinance of Secession – April 17, 1861 [ link ]

Causes of the Civil War [ link ]

Alexander Stephens, Constitutional View of the late War Between the States [ link ]

Civil War Biographies [ link ]

Article on the Legality of Secession [ link ]