Lincoln was elected in the Election of 1860. He had been elected without carrying a single southern state. Lincoln said that he thought slavery would eventually die out, which angered southerners. They felt that slavery was part of their culture and they needed it to keep the agriculture industry high. Lincoln wasn't completely against slavery in the south, he only wanted to stop the spread of slavery. He understood that southerners needed slaves to run their farms, but southerners assumed that Lincoln was going to try to abolish slavery everywhere. Southerners felt that their way of life was being threatened by Lincoln's election, so they decided to secede from the union.
Important Event: Lincoln-Douglas debate
The Lincoln-Douglas debates were a series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. They were both trying to win control of the Illinois legislature. The main issue debated in the election was slavery. Most people wanted Douglas to win because they thought that they needed slavery and they wouldn't take Lincoln's views into consideration. They debated in several cities in Illinois, drawing in many different people. Eventually, Douglas won the debate, making him the Senator of Illinois.
important Person: John Bell
Another important person in the Election of 1860 was John Bell. He was a wealthy slaveholder from Tennessee. The people who voted for John Bell wanted moderation and they thought that the best way to solve their difficulties was to ignore the issues that divided the nation. John Bell only had 12.6% of the votes, while John C. Breckinridge had 18.2% and Lincoln had 39.7% of the votes and won the election.