Explain how the election of 1860 demonstrated the sectional division within the United States in 1860
The election of 1860 demonstrated the deep sectional divisions within the United States at that time. The election featured four main candidates representing different factions and regions of the country:
1. Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate, was strong in the northern states and was opposed to the expansion of slavery into new territories. The Republican Party was primarily supported by anti-slavery advocates in the North.
2. John C. Breckinridge, the Southern Democratic candidate, represented the interests of the slaveholding states in the South and advocated for the protection of slavery and states' rights.
3. Stephen A. Douglas, the Northern Democratic candidate, supported popular sovereignty, allowing territories to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery. He had his strongest support in the northern states.
4. John Bell, the Constitutional Union candidate, represented a moderate, conservative faction that sought to maintain the status quo and preserve the Union by avoiding discussions of slavery.
The election results clearly highlighted the stark geographic divide between the North and South. Lincoln won a decisive victory in the electoral college, winning all the northern states and receiving no support in the South. In fact, Lincoln was not even on the ballot in most Southern states. The South's rejection of Lincoln and the Republican Party's anti-slavery platform reflected their deep-seated concerns about the future of slavery in the country.
The election of 1860 ultimately led to the secession of the Southern states and the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. It underscored the irreconcilable differences between the North and South over the issue of slavery, state's rights, and the future of the Union. The election demonstrated that the sectional division within the United States had reached a critical point that could not be resolved through traditional political means.