In short
Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 U.S. presidential election on November 6, carrying 180 electoral votes without winning a single Southern state. His victory triggered the secession of eleven slave states within months, ultimately precipitating the Civil War and ending slavery in America.
How it unfolded.
The five-minute version
What actually happened.
A United States presidential election was held on November 6, 1860. The Republican Party ticket of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin emerged victorious.
As it was happening
16 voices, 195 days.
One beat at a time. Click any dot on the timeline to jump, press play for autoplay, or use the arrow keys to step.
Lincoln Elected President
Abraham Lincoln wins the presidency with 180 electoral votes, carrying every Northern state. He receives no electoral votes from the South and wins only 39.65% of the popular vote.
Voices from this moment (10)
Speech to German Republicans, Cincinnati, September 1859 (reiterated in post-election statements)
Nov 7
“I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring…”
New York Herald editorial, November 7, 1860
Nov 7
“The Republicans have triumphed.”
The New York Times
Nov 7
“Lincoln Elected President - Republican Triumph at the Polls”
The Charleston Mercury
Nov 7
“The Union is Dissolved - South Carolina Must Act”
6 more voices - captured but not shown in this slot.
As it was happening
16 voices, 195 days.
Day 0 · November 6, 1860
Lincoln Elected President
Abraham Lincoln wins the presidency with 180 electoral votes, carrying every Northern state. He receives no electoral votes from the South and wins only 39.65% of the popular vote.
“I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring…”
- Speech to German Republicans, Cincinnati, September 1859 (reiterated in post-election statements), Nov 7
“The Republicans have triumphed.”
- New York Herald editorial, November 7, 1860, Nov 7
“Lincoln Elected President - Republican Triumph at the Polls”
- The New York Times, Nov 7
“The Union is Dissolved - South Carolina Must Act”
- The Charleston Mercury, Nov 7
“The South should secede.”
- Synthesized from period accounts - statements to Alabama State Convention delegates, Nov 8
“Lincoln's election is a victory for the principle that…”
- Synthesized from period accounts - address to abolition societies, late 1860, Nov 15
“The People's Choice - Lincoln Triumphant”
- Harper's Weekly, Nov 17
“American Election Result - Northern Candidate Victorious”
- The Times of London, Nov 21
“Mr.…”
- Speech in the U.S. Senate, December 1860, Dec 10
“Abraham Lincoln wins the presidency with 180 electoral…”
- Lincoln Elected President, Nov 6
Day 44 · December 20, 1860
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina becomes the first state to secede from the Union, citing Lincoln's election and Republican opposition to slavery expansion as the primary cause.
“South Carolina becomes the first state to secede from the…”
- South Carolina Secedes, Dec 20
Day 64 · January 9, 1861
Mississippi Secedes
Mississippi secedes from the Union, followed by Florida (January 10) and Alabama (January 11), as the Lower South breaks away.
“Mississippi secedes from the Union, followed by Florida…”
- Mississippi Secedes, Jan 9
Day 90 · February 4, 1861
Confederate States Formed
Seven seceded states establish the Confederate States of America, electing Jefferson Davis president. The organization signals a complete political rupture.
“Seven seceded states establish the Confederate States of…”
- Confederate States Formed, Feb 4
Day 118 · March 4, 1861
Lincoln Inaugurated
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as the 16th president, pledging to preserve the Union while respecting slavery where it existed.
“Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as the 16th president,…”
- Lincoln Inaugurated, Mar 4
Day 157 · April 12, 1861
Fort Sumter Attacked
Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, marking the military opening of the Civil War and prompting Lincoln to call for volunteers.
“Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston…”
- Fort Sumter Attacked, Apr 12
Day 195 · May 20, 1861
Virginia Secedes
Virginia secedes following the Fort Sumter attack, completing the Upper South's departure from the Union and positioning Richmond as the Confederate capital.
“Virginia secedes following the Fort Sumter attack,…”
- Virginia Secedes, May 20
The numbers.
7 numbers that anchor the scale.
By the numbers
The countable parts.
Lincoln's Electoral Vote
0 out of 303
Lincoln's Popular Vote
0.00% (1,866,352 votes)
Number of Candidates
0 major candidates
Southern Electoral Votes Won by Lincoln
0
States Voting for Lincoln
0 Northern and border states
Time Until South Carolina Secession
0 weeks
Total States That Seceded
0
Front pages.
3 outlets carried the story: The New York Times, The Charleston Mercury, The Times of London.
Media coverage
What the world was reading.
4 pieces, ranked by how much they shaped the discourse.
The New York Times
Newspaper · United States · Nov 7, 1860
"Lincoln Elected President - Republican Triumph at the Polls"
Abraham Lincoln of Illinois has been elected President of the United States by a decisive margin, carrying the northern states and securing the electoral college. The Republican ticket of Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin prevailed over the divided opposition.
- Nov 7, 1860
The Charleston Mercury
Newspaper · United States
"The Union is Dissolved - South Carolina Must Act"
Synthesized from period reporting - The election of a sectional Republican candidate signals the end of the Union as understood by Southern states. Charleston editors called for immediate state action and secession.
- Nov 17, 1860
Harper's Weekly
Magazine · United States
"The People's Choice - Lincoln Triumphant"
Synthesized from period reporting - The Republican victory represents a mandate for free labor and opposition to slavery expansion. Harper's celebrated Lincoln's election as a triumph of northern industrial interests and free-soil ideology.
- Nov 21, 1860
The Times of London
Newspaper · United Kingdom
"American Election Result - Northern Candidate Victorious"
Synthesized from period reporting - London observers note the elevation of Abraham Lincoln to the American presidency marks a turning point in the republic's sectional crisis. British commentators speculated on implications for Southern secession.
Captured in time.
Captured before it changed
The web as it looked, the day it happened.
Wayback Machine snapshots of the pages people actually loaded that day. Click any card to open the archive at full size.
Sources & citations.
Sources
Where this came from.
Every claim on this page traces to a public, license-clean source. We don't asterisk well.
Wikipedia
1 source- 1.US Presidential Election 1860
en.wikipedia.org