How did the election of 1860 contribute to the Civil War?
A.
Northern states were emboldened by the apathy of southern voters and proposed an amendment outlawing slavery.
B.
Southern states believed that Abraham Lincoln intended to prohibit slavery and started to secede from the Union.
C.
Northern states were emboldened by the victory of Abraham Lincoln and passed a Senate bill outlawing slavery.
D.
Southern states believed that the election was too close to call and that John Breckenridge received the most votes.
B. Southern states believed that Abraham Lincoln intended to prohibit slavery and started to secede from the Union.
B. Southern states believed that Abraham Lincoln intended to prohibit slavery and started to secede from the Union.
The correct answer is B. Southern states believed that Abraham Lincoln intended to prohibit slavery and started to secede from the Union.
To understand how the election of 1860 contributed to the Civil War, it is important to look at the context of the time. The United States was deeply divided over the issue of slavery, and tensions between the northern and southern states were high.
In the election of 1860, Abraham Lincoln, a candidate from the Republican Party, won the presidency. The Republicans had a platform that opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories. While Lincoln did not advocate for the immediate abolition of slavery in existing states, his election signaled to the southern states that the federal government might take action against slavery in the future.
Many southern states, fearing the potential violation of their rights to maintain slavery, believed that Lincoln's victory threatened their way of life. They saw his election as a signal that the balance of power would shift against them, and that slavery would eventually be abolished. In response, several southern states, including South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas, decided to secede from the Union.
These states formed the Confederate States of America, which was a separate government that sought to preserve and protect the institution of slavery. The secession of these states eventually led to the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861, as the Union, led by President Lincoln, sought to restore federal authority over the seceded states.
So, in summary, the election of 1860 contributed to the Civil War because southern states, believing that Abraham Lincoln's presidency threatened the institution of slavery, seceded from the Union in an attempt to protect it.