Election of 1860
Who was involved? Think about the people or groups who were involved and affected by this event.
What happened? Summarize the event!
Where did the event take place?
When did the event take place?
Why is this event important to Georgia’s history?
1. People and groups involved in the Election of 1860 included political parties, candidates, voters, and the general public. The main contenders in the election were Abraham Lincoln from the Republican Party, Stephen A. Douglas from the Northern Democratic Party, John C. Breckinridge from the Southern Democratic Party, and John Bell from the Constitutional Union Party.
2. The event was the Presidential election of 1860 in which Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, was elected as the 16th President of the United States. The election was significant because it intensified the tensions between the Northern and Southern states over the issue of slavery, ultimately leading to the secession of Southern states and the onset of the Civil War.
3. The event took place across the United States, with the election being contested in various states.
4. The election took place on November 6, 1860, with Lincoln winning a majority of the electoral votes.
5. This event is important to Georgia's history because it played a crucial role in the state's decision to secede from the Union. Following Lincoln's election, Georgia held a state convention which voted in favor of secession in January 1861. The election highlighted the differing views on slavery and state's rights between the North and the South, ultimately leading to the division and conflict that defined the Civil War.