CHAPTER 15 • SECTION 3
The Election of 1860
KEY QUESTION How did the 1860 election reveal the divisions in the country?
In April, the Democratic convention was held in Charleston, South Carolina.
It was clear that Northern and Southern Democrats had very different ideas
about slavery. The Democratic Party began to split along sectional lines.
3 Teach
The Election of 1860
The Split in the Democratic Party The Southerners wanted the party to
defend slavery in the party’s platform
platform, or statement of beliefs. But Northerners wanted the platform to support popular sovereignty as a way of deciding
whether a territory became a free state or a slave state. The Northerners won
the platform vote, causing many Southern delegates to leave the convention
before the Democrats chose a candidate for the presidential election.
The Democrats met again in Baltimore to choose a candidate. Northerners
and Southerners remained at odds. Most Southerners left the meeting.
The Northern Democrats backed Stephen A. Douglas and his support for
popular sovereignty. Meanwhile, proslavery Southern Democrats nominated
vice president John Breckinridge of Kentucky.
The Republicans had already nominated Abraham Lincoln. Also in the
race was a fourth party—the Constitutional Union Party. Its members had
one aim—to preserve the Union. They nominated John Bell of Tennessee.
Think, Pair, Share
• How did the issue of slavery split up the
Democrats? (The party couldn’t agree on a
platform. Southern Democrats wanted the
platform to defend slavery, while Northern
Democrats wanted it to support popular
sovereignty.)
• Categorize Have students identify at least
two ways information in this section could be
categorized. (By political party: Democratic,
Republican, Constitutional Union; by factions
of the Democratic Party: Southern Democrats,
Northern Democrats; by political races: the race
in the North and the race in the South)
GEOGRAPHY
Election of 1860
Click here to preview the Election of
1860 map @ ClassZone.com
GEOGRAPHY
Election of 1860
CLASSZONE.COM
Connect Geography
History
The 1860 election showed how divided the
United States was at the time. However, while
Northerners mostly voted for Lincoln and
Southerners mostly voted for Breckinridge, the
states between the North and South showed
less of a clear-cut pattern.
ANSWERS
1. Region New Jersey
2. Summarize 18 states
Unit 6 Resource Book
• Connect Geography & History, pp. 33–34
Presentation Options
Use the Power Presentations
DVD-ROM of the Animated Center @
ClassZone.com to project the map.
Note the states that Lincoln and
Breckinridge won. Then point out New
Jersey, explaining that the state’s vote was
split.
• Point out that Northern states voted for
Lincoln while Southern states mostly
voted for Breckinridge.
• Have students locate states that voted
for Douglas or Bell. Ask what these states
have in common geographically.
500 • Chapter 15
Connect Geography
History
1. Region Which state split its vote?
2. Summarize How many states did Lincoln win?
500 Chapter 15
DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION
English Learners
Inclusion
Vocabulary: Idioms
Encyclopedia Entries
Explain that at odds is an idiom meaning
“in disagreement,” and read the
sentence in which this idiom appears:
“Northerners and Southerners remained
at odds.” Point out that an idiom with
the opposite meaning is at one. Discuss
other idioms with the word at, such as:
at fault (responsible for a mistake), at
issue (in question), and at sea (confused,
lost).
Team weaker and stronger students
together in pairs. Have each pair
research and write a mock concise
encyclopedia entry for John Breckinridge,
Stephen Douglas, John Bell, Abraham
Lincoln, or another political leader of this
period. Have students:
• limit entries to 200 words and provide
an accompanying suitable graphic
• focus on the person’s political role
CHAPTER 15 • SECTION 3
ANALYZING Political Cartoons
In this cartoon from 1860, the rival presidential candidates Lincoln, Douglas, Bell, and
Breckinridge are competing in a footrace. As they race toward the White House, it is
obvious which runner is going to win.
Bell:
“Bless my soul I
give up.”
ANALYZING Political Cartoons
the White House
Breckinridge:
“That long legged
Abolitionist is getting
ahead of us after all.”
Douglas:
“I never run so in
my life.”
Douglas:
“I never run so in
my life.”
CRITICAL THINKING ANSWERS
CRITICAL THINKING
1. Make Inferences What common symbol for a political campaign is used in the cartoon?
See Skillbuilder
Handbook, page R24.
2. Synthesize What is the basic message of the cartoon?
for the presidency—one in the North and one in the South. Lincoln and
Douglas were the only candidates with much support in the North. Breckinridge and Bell competed for Southern votes.
Lincoln and Breckinridge were considered to have the most extreme views
on slavery. Lincoln opposed the expansion of slavery into the territories.
Breckinridge insisted that the federal government be required to protect
slavery in any territory. Douglas and Bell were considered moderates because
neither wanted the federal government to pass new laws on slavery.
The outcome of the election made it clear that the nation was tired of compromise. Lincoln defeated Douglas in the North. Breckinridge carried most
of the South. Douglas and Bell managed to win only in the border states.
Because the North had a larger population, Lincoln won the election.
Despite Lincoln’s statements that he would do nothing to abolish slavery
in the South, white Southerners did not trust him. Many were sure that he
and the other Republicans would move to ban slavery. As a result, white
Southerners saw the Republican victory as a threat to their way of life.
CATEGORIZE Explain the divisions that affected political parties in 1860.
More About . . .
The Presidential
Campaign of 1860
Answer: The Democrats
split along sectional
lines. During the election,
Lincoln and Douglas
were the only candidates
with much support in
the North. In the South,
the competition was
between Breckinridge
and Bell.
A Nation Breaking Apart 501
INTERDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES
to Math
CONNECT
to Art
Voting Tallies
Campaign Advertising
Have students research how many votes each
candidate actually drew in the 1860 election.
Then have them create questions based on the
actual numbers, such as:
Have the class form four groups. Assign each
group one of the candidates from the 1860
election. Have each group create different
forms of campaign advertising to promote
their candidate. They may make posters, flyers,
political cartoons, buttons, and banners. When
the projects are completed, have the class vote
for the best presidential advertising. Tally the
votes, and discuss what features of the different
advertising pieces contributed to the voting
results.
• By how many popular votes did Lincoln defeat
Douglas? (885,310)
• Which candidate had the second highest
electoral vote, but the second lowest popular
vote? (Breckinridge)
Use the questions for a class discussion or quiz
game.
1. Make Inferences The common
symbol of a foot race is used here to
represent a political campaign.
2. Synthesize Possible Answer: Lincoln
is by far the strongest candidate and
most likely to win the election.
Two Political Races The election of 1860 turned into two different races
CONNECT
CRITICAL THINKING Draw attention
to the text in this cartoon, which has the
three straggling candidates voicing their
frustration about the obvious frontrunner,
Abraham Lincoln.
• How does Stephen Douglas’s attitude,
based on his words and position, differ
from the others? (Possible Answer: While
the other candidates seem resigned
to defeat, Douglas is not giving up—
although he acknowledges having to work
much harder than he’d expected.)
The race for the presidency in 1860 was a
fierce one, particularly between old rivals
Lincoln and Douglas. In an attempt to
gain an edge, Douglas became one of the
first presidential candidates to personally
campaign for himself, rather than through
managers and other representatives.
Lincoln’s Republican camp chose to focus
on issues beyond slavery, including the
economy and railroad construction. The
campaign also was marked on both sides by
the use of more posters, flyers, and political
cartoons than ever before. In the end,
despite the omission of his name on the
ballots of ten Southern states, Lincoln still
managed a historic win.
Unit 6 Resource Book
• Readers Theater, pp. 255–261
Teacher’s Edition • 501