Lincoln's Election
In April, 1860, the Democrats met in Charleston, South Carolina to select their Presidential candidate in the upcoming election. They thought that Stephen A. Douglas had the best chance to go against the "Black Republicans." Although he supported slavery, the Democrats believed that Douglas was a traitor because he supported popular sovereignty. This allowed for Kansas, Nebraska, and other territories do decide whether or not to have slavery.
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The Republicans met in Chicago and realized that the Republicans' confusion could help them win the election. They needed someone who was popular in the North and win a majority of the electoral college. There were plenty of candidates, but at the end, they chose Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln had become the symbol of the frontier, hard work, the self-made man and the American dream. His debates with Douglas had made him a national figure and gain popularity. He also had publications of the debates, and it made him even more popular. With four candidates in the field (refer to the map), Lincoln received only 40% of the popular vote and 180 electoral votes — barely enough to win the election. This meant that 60% of the voters selected someone other than Lincoln. The South did not like the outcome of the election. A few weeks after the election, South Carolina seceded from the Union.
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