APUSH election of 1860 and secession
Study the key components of the 1860 presidential election, the candidates involved, and the subsequent secession of Southern states from the Union.
Quiz(72 questions)
1. Who was the Republican candidate in the 1860 election?
Terms in this Study Set(72)
Candidates and Platforms(16)
Who was the Republican candidate in 1860?
Abraham Lincoln was the Republican candidate in the 1860 election.
Democratic Party split in 1860
The Democratic Party divided into two factions: Northern Democrats (Stephen A. Douglas) and Southern Democrats (John C. Breckinridge).
True or False: Lincoln wanted to expand slavery into new territories.
False. Lincoln opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories.
What was Lincoln's platform?
Prevent the expansion of slavery, promote a transcontinental railroad, and support homesteading.
Who was the Constitutional Union candidate?
John Bell represented the Constitutional Union Party, focusing on preserving the Union.
Fill in the blank: Stephen A. Douglas advocated for __________ regarding slavery.
popular sovereignty, allowing territories to decide on slavery.
What was Breckinridge's stance on slavery?
Breckinridge supported the protection of slavery in the territories.
Compare Lincoln and Douglas on slavery.
Lincoln: opposed expansion; Douglas: supported popular sovereignty.
Key issue for the Constitutional Union Party?
Preserving the Union amid rising sectional tensions.
What did Lincoln promise to Southern states?
He promised not to interfere with slavery where it existed.
True or False: All Democrats supported the same platform in 1860.
False. Democrats were split between Northern and Southern factions.
Key event during the election campaign?
Lincoln's debates with Douglas raised his national profile.
What did Breckinridge represent?
The interests of the Southern slaveholding states.
What was the main goal of the Republican Party in 1860?
To prevent the spread of slavery and promote free labor.
Douglas's main electoral strategy focused on __________.
popular sovereignty and appealing to both North and South.
What was the significance of the election of 1860?
It highlighted the deep divisions in the U.S. over slavery and led to secession.
Election Results and Impact(20)
Who won the 1860 presidential election?
Abraham Lincoln won the election with 180 electoral votes, significantly defeating his opponents.
True or False: Lincoln received a majority of the popular vote.
False. Lincoln received only about 39.8% of the popular vote.
What was the immediate effect of Lincoln's election?
His election prompted Southern states to begin secession from the Union.
Fill in the blank: The 1860 election resulted in the ___ of South Carolina.
Secession.
Comparison: Electoral votes of Lincoln vs. Douglas.
Lincoln: 180, Douglas: 12.
What were the four main candidates in the 1860 election?
Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas, John C. Breckinridge, and John Bell.
Cause: Lincoln's election → ?
Effect: Secession of Southern states.
What was the significance of the Electoral College in 1860?
Lincoln secured the presidency without winning a majority of the popular vote.
True or False: Lincoln's election caused immediate conflict.
True. It intensified sectional tensions and led to armed conflict.
Which state was the first to secede?
South Carolina seceded on December 20, 1860.
How many states seceded by February 1861?
Seven states had seceded: SC, MS, FL, AL, GA, LA, TX.
What was the Crittenden Compromise?
A failed attempt to prevent secession and civil war by proposing constitutional amendments.
Lincoln's election divided which two regions?
Northern and Southern United States.
The 1860 election highlighted divisions over what issue?
Slavery and its expansion into the territories.
What was the overall voter turnout in the 1860 election?
About 81% of eligible voters participated.
Fill in the blank: Lincoln was a member of the ___ party.
Republican.
True or False: The Democratic Party split during the 1860 election.
True. It splintered into Northern and Southern factions.
What was the outcome for the Democratic Party in 1860?
They lost significantly; Douglas received only 12 electoral votes.
Which candidate represented the Southern Democrats?
John C. Breckinridge.
List the major impacts of Lincoln's election.
- Secession of states - Formation of the Confederacy - Escalation of tensions leading to civil war.
Secession Crisis(20)
Secession Crisis
Period of political tension from 1860 to 1861 when Southern states seceded from the Union.
First state to secede
South Carolina seceded on December 20, 1860, citing states' rights and slavery.
True or False: All Southern states seceded immediately after the 1860 election.
False. Seven states seceded initially; others followed later, influenced by events.
Cause of secession
Belief in states' rights, fear of losing slavery, and Lincoln's election.
Fort Sumter significance
Location of the first shots of the Civil War, fired on April 12, 1861.
Comparing Lincoln and Davis
Lincoln: President of the Union; Davis: President of the Confederacy. Leadership styles and goals differed.
Crittenden Compromise
Proposed constitutional amendments to appease Southern states; ultimately failed to prevent secession.
Reason for the formation of the Confederacy
To protect slavery and states' rights; established in February 1861 with Jefferson Davis as president.
Question: What event triggered the start of the Civil War?
The attack on Fort Sumter by Confederate forces in April 1861.
Key document of secession
The Declaration of the Immediate Causes of Secession, outlining grievances against the Union.
Fill in the blank: The __________ states seceded after South Carolina.
Six other states: Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.
True or False: The secession of states was peaceful.
False. Secession led to violent conflicts and the outbreak of the Civil War.
Lincoln's initial response to secession
He sought to preserve the Union and prevent further secession without initially advocating for abolition.
Key battle signaling secession's consequences
The First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861; showed the war's severity.
Economic differences leading to secession
Southern economy based on agriculture and slavery; Northern economy on industry and free labor.
Question: Which state's secession was a turning point?
Virginia's secession in April 1861 significantly impacted both military and political strategies.
Impact of secession on political parties
Splintering of the Democratic Party, rise of the Republican Party as the dominant force in the North.
Border states during secession
Slave states that remained in the Union: Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri. Key strategic locations.
Cause: Election of 1860
Lincoln's election prompted fears in the South about the future of slavery, leading to secession.
Result of secession for the Union
Triggered a civil war, fundamentally changing the relationship between states and the federal government.
National Responses(16)
What was the North's initial reaction to secession?
The North largely viewed secession as illegal and a rebellion against the Constitution.
True or False: The North was united in responding to secession.
False - There were divisions, especially among Democrats and Republicans.
What did the Crittenden Compromise propose?
It aimed to prevent secession by extending the Missouri Compromise line westward.
Fill in the blank: The _____ was the first state to secede after the 1860 election.
South Carolina.
Comparison: Northern vs Southern military preparedness in 1861.
North had larger population and industry; South relied on local support and motivation.
What was President Lincoln's stance on secession?
Lincoln believed secession was unconstitutional and aimed to preserve the Union.
Cause → Effect: What caused the formation of the Confederacy?
Southern states seceded, leading to the establishment of the Confederate States of America.
Which event marked the beginning of the Civil War?
The attack on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861.
What military action did Lincoln take in response to secession?
He called for 75,000 troops to suppress the rebellion after Fort Sumter.
What was the Southern justification for secession?
They claimed states' rights and the protection of slavery as primary reasons.
Question: How did Northern Democrats react to secession?
Some, like Stephen Douglas, opposed it; others, like Copperheads, supported peace negotiations.
True or False: The North's economy was primarily agricultural in 1860.
False - The North had a diversified economy with industry and agriculture.
What was the significance of the Lincoln-Douglas debates?
They highlighted national divisions over slavery and boosted Lincoln's profile.
What was the Union's military strategy called?
The Anaconda Plan aimed to blockade Southern ports and control the Mississippi River.
What did the Southern states do after Lincoln's election?
They held conventions to declare secession, starting with South Carolina.
Fill in the blank: The _____ Act allowed for the arrest of Northern dissenters during the war.
Suspension of habeas corpus.
Questions in this Study Set(72)
1. Who was the Republican candidate in the 1860 election?
2. What was the primary legal argument used by the North against secession?
3. Who received the second highest number of electoral votes in the 1860 election?
4. What was the primary political event that led to the secession crisis?
5. What was the primary platform of the Southern Democrats in 1860?
6. Which political group in the North primarily opposed the war after secession began?
7. What percentage of the popular vote did Abraham Lincoln receive in the 1860 election?
8. Which state was the first to secede from the Union?
9. Which candidate advocated for popular sovereignty?
10. What did the South believe justified their secession?
11. What was the primary issue that divided the candidates in the 1860 election?
12. True or False: The secession of Southern states was a unanimous decision among all slave states.
13. What was Lincoln's stance on slavery during the election?
14. Which compromise aimed to resolve tensions between the North and South before the Civil War?
15. Which candidate was affiliated with the Constitutional Union Party in the 1860 election?
16. What was a significant reason for the Southern states' secession?
17. Who represented the Constitutional Union Party in 1860?
18. What was the first military action taken by Lincoln in response to secession?
19. What was one consequence of Lincoln's election in 1860?
20. What event marked the beginning of the Civil War?
21. Which statement is true regarding the Democratic Party in 1860?
22. Which event directly triggered the start of the Civil War?
23. Which party experienced a split during the 1860 election?
24. Which document outlined the grievances of the Southern states regarding secession?
25. What was a key issue for the Republican Party in the 1860 election?
26. What was the main goal of the Anaconda Plan?
27. How many Southern states seceded by February 1861?
28. Fill in the blank: After South Carolina, __________ was the second state to secede.
29. Which statement about Lincoln's promises to Southern states is accurate?
30. After Lincoln's election, which state was the first to secede?
31. What did the Electoral College results signify about Lincoln's election?
32. True or False: The Crittenden Compromise successfully prevented further secession.
33. What was a significant event during the election campaign of 1860?
34. Which of the following was NOT a part of the Southern justification for secession?
35. What was the first state to officially secede from the Union?
36. What was Abraham Lincoln's initial response to the secession of Southern states?
37. What did Douglas emphasize in his electoral strategy?
38. How did the Northern economy differ from the Southern economy in 1860?
39. Which of the following candidates was not part of the 1860 presidential election?
40. What was the primary economic difference between the North and South that contributed to secession?
41. What was the main difference between Lincoln and Douglas regarding the future of slavery?
42. What was the significance of the Lincoln-Douglas debates?
43. What was the primary goal of the Crittenden Compromise?
44. Which state's secession in April 1861 was considered a significant turning point in the Civil War?
45. What was Breckinridge's primary focus as a candidate?
46. Which act allowed for the suspension of habeas corpus in the North during the Civil War?
47. What was the voter turnout percentage in the 1860 election?
48. What was the result of the secession for the political landscape in the United States?
49. True or False: All candidates in the 1860 election had clear and unified platforms.
50. What was the response of some Northern Democrats to the Civil War?
51. Which of the following best describes the Democratic Party's performance in the 1860 election?
52. Which of the following states was a border state that remained in the Union during the Civil War?
53. What was the significance of the election of 1860?
54. Which state held conventions to declare secession following Lincoln's election?
55. Fill in the blank: Lincoln's election led to the formation of the _____.
56. What key idea did Southern states use to justify their secession?
57. Which candidate did NOT run in the 1860 presidential election?
58. True or False: The North's economy in 1860 was heavily dependent on agriculture.
59. Which candidate did NOT support the expansion of slavery into the territories?
60. What significant battle highlighted the reality of the Civil War after the secession of Southern states?
61. Which candidate's platform included protecting slavery in the territories?
62. What was a common Northern sentiment regarding the legality of secession after the 1860 election?
63. What was a major impact of the 1860 election results on the Southern economy?
64. How did the election of 1860 directly contribute to the secession crisis?
65. Which of the following candidates represented the Southern Democrats?
66. What was the Confederacy's primary goal upon formation in February 1861?
67. What was the main reason Southern states began to secede after the 1860 election?
68. Which of the following was NOT a direct result of secession?
69. Which of the following statements about the electoral results of 1860 is true?
70. Which of the following states seceded last during the initial wave of secession in 1860-1861?
71. What impact did the election of 1860 have on the future of the United States?
72. Which of the following reasons was NOT cited by Southern states in their declarations of secession?
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