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The 1850s were one of the most tumultuous decades in American history. A combination of social, political, and economic tensions was too severe for a peaceful resolution. Eventually, the country had to survive a bloody civil war in order to find a new direction of development. Several notable historical events happened throughout the 1850s, such as the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford case that legitimized the enslavement of the Black population or John Brown’s failed abolitionist revolt (Corbett et al., 2021). However, the presidential election of 1860 was the last spark that fuelled the flames of the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln’s triumph was a major political defeat of the Southern ways that made the escalation inevitable.
Most importantly, Lincoln’s victory threatened the whole socio-economic structure of the American South. As one of the most prominent anti-slavery advocates, Lincoln urged for the soonest abolition of slavery. The future Republican nominee did not intend to grant equal rights to Black people. Lincoln made a reservation of having “no purpose of introducing political and social equality between the white and the black races” in his famous Ottawa debates speech (Corbett et al., 2021, p. 370). However, the abolition alone was sufficient for disrupting the Southern antebellum. The wealthy and powerful slave owners of the South immensely benefited from slavery, as they could forcibly transfer slaves to the best areas for cotton growing (Wright, 2022). As such, the 1860 election put the Southern elite in front of a choice between waging war to preserve slavery or losing its privileged position.
Secondly, the 1860 presidential election demonstrated the political helplessness of the Democratic party. In particular, Lincoln was able to destroy the credibility of Stephen Douglas, the strongest figure in the Democratic camp. According to Portteus (2021), Douglas tried to gain support from several sources — the Republicans, the Democrats of the North, and the moderate Democrats of the South. On the one hand, Douglas opposed a pro-slavery Lecompton constitution of Kansas. He appealed to the popular sovereignty doctrine, claiming that the people of each state should have a right to decide “to have slavery or not” (Portteus, 2021, p. 59). On the other hand, Douglas intended to appease the upset Southerners with a promise of Cuba annexation, which would have brought additional slaves to the United States (Portteus, 2021). However, Lincoln exposed his opponent’s political maneuvers during the debates, demonstrating that Douglas was a dubious ally of the abolitionist cause (Portteus, 2021). The 1860 election outcome revealed that the opposition had no hope of beating Lincoln and the Republicans in a normal political competition.
Finally, the 1860 election consolidated the most radical pro-slavery Southerners into a highly motivated, united force. Due to the split between the moderate and the radical Democrats, Lincoln achieved a comfortable advantage in an electoral college, securing 180 votes. However, Lincoln’s success was not so convincing in terms of nationwide support, as he won less than 40% of the popular vote (History, 2020). The divide was already too strong in the American house. In the end, the 1860 election results gave Southern states a final incentive to secede and form an independent Confederacy.
In summary, one can state that the election of 1860 was the culmination of tensions brewing in the United States throughout the 1850s. A political split between the Democratic factions made their candidates easy prey for Lincoln, at least in the electoral college. Seeing the futility of political struggle and anticipating an impending attack on slavery, the crucial socio-economic institution of the American South, the Southern states preferred secession and violence to Northern dominance. The 1860 election outcome can be considered an ultimate trigger of the Civil War. Lincoln’s win and split inside the Democratic camp was the last nail in the coffin of hopes for a peaceful resolution of deep political and socio-economic conflicts between two parts of the country.
References
Corbett, P. S., Precht, J., Janssen, V., Lund, J. M., Pfannestiel, T., Vickery, P., & Waskiewicz, S. (2021). U.S. History. OpenStax.
History. (2020). Election of 1860. Web.
Portteus, K. (2021). Lincoln and Douglas at Freeport: A new look at an old question. Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society (1998-), 114(2), 56-85.
Wright, G. (2022). Slavery and the rise of the nineteenth-century American economy. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 36(2), 123-418.
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