Election of 1860 Who was involved?
The Election of 1860 involved four main candidates and their respective political parties:
1. Abraham Lincoln: The Republican Party nominated Abraham Lincoln as their candidate. He was a lawyer and former Whig party member from Illinois.
2. Stephen A. Douglas: Douglas, a Democrat from Illinois, was nominated by the Northern Democrats. He was a U.S. Senator known for his efforts to promote popular sovereignty.
3. John C. Breckinridge: The Southern Democrats nominated Breckinridge, a former U.S. Vice President from Kentucky. He supported the extension of slavery into the territories.
4. John Bell: The Constitutional Union Party nominated Bell, a former Tennessee Senator. The party aimed to preserve the Union by avoiding contentious issues like slavery.
These candidates represented different factions within the Democratic Party, as it split over the issue of slavery, while the Republican Party was dedicated to stopping the expansion of slavery. The election ultimately resulted in Lincoln's victory, which contributed to the outbreak of the American Civil War.