1860 United States presidential election

The 1860 United States presidential election was the 19th election in the history of the United States. It occurred on November 8, 1860. This election was a four way race between the Republican nominee, former Congressman Abraham Lincoln of Illinois, the Northern Democratic nominee, Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illionis, the Southern Democratic nominee, Vice President John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky and the Constutitonal Union nominee, former Senator John Bell of Tennessee. Lincoln won the election with 180 electoral votes, while Breckinridge got 72 electoral votes, Bell got 37 electoral votes and Douglas got only 12 electoral votes.

The election of President Abraham Lincoln served as a trigger for the outbreak of the American Civil War. The United States had been divided during the 1850s on questions surrounding the expansion of slavery and the rights of slave owners. In 1860, these issues broke the Democratic Party into three factions. Each group felt they could best defeat the Republican Party candidate.

This would be the first ever election and the first of six elections in the history of the United States where both major candidates share the same home state. 
 Democratic party split 
In April 1860, The Democrats would meet in Charleston, South Carolina to select a candidate for the upcoming presidential election. The convention was in complete chaos, as Northern Democrats wanted to nominate Stephen A. Douglas. Southern Democrats would not support him because he supported new states having the popular sovereignty right to choose whether they would allow slavery. 

The convention could not agree on a candidate and would adjourn with no candidate nominated. Later, in a separate convention, the Northern Democrats met again and chose Douglas. The Southern Democrats chose John C. Breckinridge. He was the Vice President of the United States under President James Buchanan.

Later, a third group, The newly formed Constitutional Union Party chose John Bell as their candidate. The party included a few southern democrats who were against slavery. It also included members of the Whig Party and the Know Nothing party. The Constitutional Union Party was against secession and neutral on the issue of slavery. Bell himself was an ex-democrat.

 The Republican convention  
The Republican party saw an opportunity when the Democrats were split. They met in Chicago on May 16–18. William H. Seward was the favorite among many. Abraham Lincoln had become known as a result of his debates with Stephen A. Douglas. He had the advantage the convention was held in Chicago, the center of his support. After two ballots, there was no clear choice. On the third ballot the republicans chose Lincoln.

 Nominations 

 Republican Party 
link=Republican_Party_(United_States)|center|65x65px|Republican Party (United States)1860 Republican Party ticketfor Presidentfor Vice President197x197pxcenter|frameless|197x197pxU.S. Representativefrom Illionis(1847-1849)U.S. Senatorfrom Maine(1848-1857, 1857-1861)

 Presidential 
 Abraham Lincoln, former Congressman from Illionis (1847-1849) (Nominee)
 William H. Seward, U.S. Senator from New York (1849-1861) (Later became Lincoln's Sec. of State)
 Simon Cameron, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania (1845-1849, 1857-1861)
 Salmon P. Chase, 23rd Governor of Ohio (1856-1860) (Later became Lincoln's Treasury Sec. and Chief Justice appointment)
 Edward Bates, former Congressman from Missouri (1827-1829) (Later became Lincoln's Attorney General)
 John McLean, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from California (1829-1861)
 Benjamin Wade, U.S. Senator from Ohio (1851-1869)
 William L. Dayton, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey (1842-1851) and 1856 vice presidential nominee

 Vice presidential 
 Hannibal Hamlin, U.S. Senator from Maine (1848-1857, 1859-1861, 1869-1881) (Vice presidential nominee)
 Cassius M. Clay, former State Representative from Kentucky (1835-1841)
 John Hickman, U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania (1855-1863)
 Andrew H. Reeder, 1st Territorial Governor of Kansas from Pennsylvania (1854-1855)
 Nathaniel P. Banks, 24th Governor of Massachusetts (1858-1861)

 Democratic (Northern Democratic) Party 
link=Democratic_Party_(United_States)|center|65x65px|Republican Party (United States)1860 Democratic Party ticket  for Presidentfor Vice President197x197pxcenter|frameless|197x197pxU.S. Senatorfrom Illionis(1847-1861) 41stGovernor of Georgia(1853–1857)

 Presidential 
Stephen A. Douglas, U.S. Senator from Illionis (1847-1861) (Nominee)
James Guthrie, 21st Secretary of the Treasury from Kentucky (1853-1857) 
Robert M. T. Hunter, U.S. Senator from Virginia (1847-1861)
Joseph Lane, U.S. Senator from Oregon (1859-1861) (would be nominated as Breckinridge's running mate)
Daniel S. Dickinson, former U.S. Senator from New York (1844-1851) 
Andrew Johnson, U.S. Senator from Tennessee (1857-1862) (1864 VP Nominee) (Later became VP in 1864 and POTUS in April 1865)
Howell Cobb, 22nd Secretary of the Treasury from Georgia (1857-1860) 

 Vice Presidential 

 Herschel V. Johnson, 41st Governor of Georgia (1844-1851)
 Benjamin Fitzpatrick, U.S. Senator from Alabama (1848-1849, 1853-1861) (declined nomination)
 William C. Alexander, former president of the New Jersey Senate (1853-1856)

 Southern Democratic Party 
1860 Southern Democratic Party ticketfor Presidentfor Vice President197x197pxcenter|frameless|197x197px14thVice President of the United States(1857-1861)U.S. Senatorfrom Oregon(1859-1861)

 Presidential 

 John C. Breckinridge, 14th Vice President of the United States from Kentucky (1857-1861) (Nominee)
 Daniel S. Dickerson, former U.S. Senator from New York (1844-1851) 
 Robert M. T. Hunter, U.S. Senator from Virginia (1847-1861) (withdrawn)
 Joseph Lane, U.S. Senator from Oregon (1859-1861) (Vice presidential nominee) (withdrawn)
 Jefferson Davis, U.S. Senator from Mississippi (1847-1851, 1857-1861)

 Vice Presidential 

 Joseph Lane, U.S. Senator from Oregon (1859-1861) (Vice presidential nominee)
 William L. Yancey, former Congressman from Alabama (1844-1846) (Not nominated)
 Constitutional Union Party 
1860 Constitutional Union Party ticketfor Presidentfor Vice President197x197pxcenter|frameless|197x197pxU.S. Senatorfrom Tennessee(1849-1857)U.S. Senatorfrom Massachusetts(1853-1854)

 Presidential 

 John Bell, former U.S. Senator from Tennessee (1847-1859) (Nominee)
 Sam Houston, 7th Governor of Texas (1859-1861) and 1st & 3rd President of Texas (1836-1838, 1841-1844)
 John J. Crittenden, U.S. Senator from Kentucky (1817-1819, 1835-1841, 1842-1848, 1855-1861), 15th & 22nd U.S. Attorney General (1841, 1850-1853) and 17th Governor of Kentucky (1848-1850)
 Edward Everett, former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1853-1854) and 20th Secretary of State (1852-1853)
 William A. Graham, 20th Secretary of the Navy (1850-1852) and 1852 Whig vice presidential nominee
 William C. Rives, former U.S. Senator from Virginia (1832-1834, 1836-1839, 1841-1845) 

 Vice Presidential 

 Joseph Lane, U.S. Senator from Oregon (1859-1861) (Vice presidential nominee)
 Washington Hunt, 17th Governor of New York (1851-1852) (withdrawn)

 Campaign  
Lincoln's position on the issue of slavery was known from his senatorial debates with Stephen Douglas in 1858. In one debate he said, "I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free." One of his most memorable quotes he stated, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Even so, he was considered a moderate on the issue of slavery. He knew he could not end slavery in the south in one step. Instead he only spoke out against slavery in new American territories.

 Outcome 
Lincoln won the election with 1,866,452 votes. Douglas received 1,376,957 votes. John Breckinridge and John Bell shared the remaining 1,438,660 votes cast. Lincoln won the majority of the electoral college giving him the presidency. But he won without carrying a single Southern state. Before Lincoln's inauguration as president, seven Southern states declared their secession. In his inaugural address, Lincoln spoke to the Southern states. He said, "In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war". He went on to say, "The government will not assail you. You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors. You have no oath registered in heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to 'preserve, protect, and defend' it." Lincoln called them friends and told them we are not enemies. Unfortunately by this time Jefferson Davis was already the president of the Confederacy. They were later joined by Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Two states, Kentucky and Missouri, attempted to remain neutral.

On April 12, 1861, the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter, South Carolina.

 Notes 

 References 

Category:1860 in the United States
1860