The Election of 1860
Objectives:
The students will…
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Be able to understand the workings of the Electoral College system
Be able to interpret statistical data and illustrate it in a meaningful way
Explain the major issues of the 1860 Presidential election
Materials:
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The students can access detailed information about the Electoral College and the political
process at the National Archives.
PowerPoint on the Electoral College and the Election of 1860
Democratic Party Platform for 1860; Republican Party Platform for 1860; Constitutional
Union Party Platform for 1860; Southern Democratic Platform for 1860.
Electoral vote chart for the 1860 election.
Optional:
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An electoral vote tabulator for a current presidential election.
Background:
The Electoral College system was created by the United States Constitution and is the way
America elects a president. Few people understand the process, assuming wrongly that direct
popular vote determines the winner of an election. The Election of 1860 is significant because
Teacher Guide
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there were four viable candidates running for office. As a result, the electoral vote was divided
but Abraham Lincoln was still able to win an absolute majority of the vote despite that fact that
60% of the American people opposed his election. Lincoln’s political support came from the
northern and western states while the south refused to accept the outcome of the election, directly
leading to secession.
1. Using the PowerPoint, explain to the students that a president is elected by the Electoral
College and not by the people. According to the Constitution, each state is entitled to a
number of electors EQUAL to their representation in Congress (# of House members +
Senate). Thus, the fewest number of
electors a state can have is 3—1
member of the House + its 2 Senators.
a. The Constitution provides that
the states elect the president, not
the people.
b. The manner of choosing
electors for president is
determined by the state
legislatures.
i. In early American
elections, the state
legislatures simply
appointed electors for president.
ii. Today, all of the states use a direct popular vote to choose electors for
president.
c. Explain to the students that a candidate must have an absolute majority of electors
to win the presidency.
i. There were 303 electoral
votes in the 1860
election—to win, a
candidate must have
received 152 electoral
votes. (Divide 303 by 2
and round up to make an
absolute majority).
d. Show the students the electoral
vote from the Election of 1860.
Note that Lincoln received 180 electoral
votes and hence won the presidency
winning an absolute majority.
e. Using the student handout, have the
students do a state by state analysis to
determine where each candidate was
strongest. Discuss the implications of
their findings.
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2. Divide the classes into four equal groups
a. Assign each group one of the political parties for 1860 and have them prepare
campaign materials (buttons, signs, posters, slogans) supporting their candidate.
i. Democrat—Stephen Douglas
ii. Republican—Abraham Lincoln
iii. Constitutional Union—John Bell
iv. Southern Democrats—John C. Breckinridge
• Have each group explain their party’s political platform for the election and to advocate
for that position. (Democratic Party Platform ; Republican Party Platform; Constitutional
Union Party Platform; Southern Democratic Platform)
Teacher Guide
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