The presidential election where Abraham Lincoln won against three other candidates (John Bell, John Breckinridge, Stephen Douglas). This election led directly to Southern secession and ultimately to Civil War.
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The Election of 1860 occurred in the antebellum United States, a nation deeply divided over issues such as states' rights and slavery. The Democratic Party split into Northern and Southern factions, while the newly formed Republican Party nominated Abraham Lincoln. Key figures included Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas (Northern Democrat), John C. Breckinridge (Southern Democrat), and John Bell (Constitutional Union candidate). The election took place on November 6, 1860.
Lincoln's victory in the Election of 1860 was a pivotal moment leading to the American Civil War. His stance against the expansion of slavery into new territories alienated Southern states, prompting seven of them to secede from the Union before he even took office. This election underscored the sectional divisions within the U.S. and set the stage for the Civil War, fundamentally transforming the nation and leading to the eventual abolition of slavery with the 13th Amendment.