The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 was a watershed moment in American history. Lincoln's victory marked the end of decades of political dominance by the Democratic Party and the rise of the Republican Party, which was largely seen as a sectional party representing the interests of the Northern and Western states.
Southerners reacted to Lincoln's election with a mixture of anger, fear, and defiance. Many Southerners felt that the election was a direct attack on their way of life and their institution of slavery. They believed that Lincoln and the Republicans would eventually seek to abolish slavery, despite Lincoln's repeated assurances to the contrary.
In the months following the election, several southern states began to secede from the Union. South Carolina was the first state to secede, on December 20, 1860. Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas followed suit in January 1861. These states formed the Confederate States of America and elected Jefferson Davis as their president.
The secession of the Southern states led to the American Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865. The war was fought over the issue of slavery and the future of the Union, with the Southern states fighting for their independence and the Northern states fighting to preserve the Union and abolish slavery. The war ended in 1865 with the victory of the Union, leading to the abolition of slavery and the preservation of the Union.
