Student Worksheet
The Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln and the Politics of the Civil War
Worksheet #1: Election of 1860 Graphic Organizer
Party
Republican
Candidate
Abraham Lincoln
Northern
Democratic
Southern
Democratic
Constiutional
Union
Stephen
Douglass
John C.
Breckinridge
John Bell
Position on
slavery
Position on
other issues of
importance
Location
of national
support
1
Abraham Lincoln and the Politics of the Civil War — The Election of 1860— High School
www.ExplorePAhistory.com
Student Worksheet
The Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln and the Politics of the Civil War
Worksheet #2: Lincoln's Campaign Manager
The 1860 election had four national candidates but it was really a race between the Republican Lincoln
and the Democrat Breckinridge in Pennsylvania. Your group is going to devise a strategy to help Lincoln
win the most votes in PA and then predict the outcome of the election.
1. Answer the following questions:
• What geographic characteristics of a county might influence their support for a candidate?
• What economic characteristics of a county might influence their support for a candidate?
• What demographic characteristics of a county might influence their support for a candidate?
• What other characteristics of a county might influence their support for a candidate?
• Where do you think Lincoln had the most support? The least support?
2. Use information from the 1860 census at the following website to gather information that could be
useful for planning an election strategy where Lincoln would get as many votes as possible based on
the available characteristics of the population:
http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/cgi-local/censusbin/census/cen.pl?year=860
3. Assume that you will concentrate your campaign in FIVE locations in PA. Identify the FIVE locations
where Lincoln’s campaign should use their resources, the reason why you chose those locations and
the major issues that should be emphasized.
4. Create a key and color Worksheet 3: “PA County Map” with your group’s final prediction of which candidate will win each county based on the 1860 census data. Hint: the Democrats won twelve counties in Pennsylvania.
5. Present your campaign strategy to the class and explain why you made the choices that you did.
Display your election predictions map.
2
Abraham Lincoln and the Politics of the Civil War — The Election of 1860— High School
www.ExplorePAhistory.com
The Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln and the Politics of the Civil War
Worksheet #3: 1860 Pennsylvania County Map
Directions: Create a key and color-code your group’s final prediction of which party will win each county based on the 1860 census data. Hint: the Democrats won twelve counties in Pennsylvania.
Erie
McKean
Warren
Crawford
Forest
Clarion
Sullivan
Clearfield
Beaver
Cambria
Westmoreland
Perry
Huntingdon
Washington
Columbia
Montour
Dauphin Lebanon
Somerset
Bedford
Greene
Fulton
Carbon
Franklin
Adams
Northampton
Lehigh
Berks
Bucks
Montgomery
Cumberland
Fayette
Monroe
Schuylkill
Juniata
Blair
Pike
Luzerne
Snyder Northumberland
Mifflin
Indiana
Allegheny
Union
Centre
Armstrong
Wyoming
Lycoming
Clinton
Jefferson
Lawrence
Butler
Wayne
Elk
Venango
Mercer
Susquehanna
Bradford
Tioga
Potter
Lancaster
York
Chester
Philadelphia
Delaware
Key
Republican
Northern Democrat
Southern Democrat
Consitutional Union
3
Abraham Lincoln and the Politics of the Civil War — The Election of 1860— High School
www.ExplorePAhistory.com