Election of 1860

By 1860 the feud between President James Buchanan and Stephen Douglas had cancelled out the political aspirations of both men. The strain the slavery issue had resulted in the Democratic Party being split into two and severely weakening its political control.
This created the opening for the newly reformed Republican Party, mainly Abraham Lincoln, to win the White House.
The election of Lincoln, who was clearly opposed to slavery spreading to the outside of the existing states, was the last step as far as the South was concerned in proceeding with secession and eventually war.
In the six weeks following the election of Lincoln South Carolina seceded from the Union and over the next month five more states would follow.

James Buchanan, a now lame duck president, took no action against the South which only straighten the confidence of the already seceding states allowing them to set up a government and establish a military. Buchanan, a southern sympathizer, wanted to stay at arms le...