The Elections of 1856 & 1860

By: Kristen Van Gilder
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The Elections of 1856 & 1860 led to a greater separation between Northern and Southern States of the United States. Before it was only ideas being argued between and the states, and through the elections, the Democratic party separated and the national political parties became parties of the North and South.

The Election of 1856 was between the Democratic candidate was John Buchanan from Pennsylvania and John C. Fremont represented to Republicans. The Know-Nothing party split over the issue of slavery. The southern side nominated Millard Fillmore, while the northern wing joined the Republican party and nominated John C, Fremont. Already political parties were starting to separate due to the issue of slavery, and they were going either to the North or South for electoral votes.
In the first national campaign the democrat John Buchanan won the presidency because Fillmore had won some of Fremont's votes in he North. During Buchanan's presidency many issues and Supreme Court cases

 
about slavery occurred. During Buchanan's address he exclaimed the controversy between slavery was approaching it's end, hoping to have an affect on the Supreme Court.

 
 Abraham Lincoln went against Douglas for a seat in the senate, while Douglas supported the separation of the North and South issues against slavery, Lincoln claimed that the country would be torn apart it if it didn't go completely one way on the issue. Douglas won that election and became senator, but had won unpopularity in the South. Because of Lincoln's run for senate in 1858, it helped him to win a national reputation and be able to run in the election for presidency in 1860.
In the presidential election year of 1860 the democrats were still a national party a, but they had many conversing issues occurring at the monthly meetings they had. The Northerners refused to adopt the Southerners idea of declaring support for slavery in the territories. The southerners named their own candidate John C. Breckinridge and he believed in protecting slavery. The national political parties were no longer together and had become separated and started to represent the North and South.
In the election, Lincoln won presidency, through electoral votes, even though his popularity vote was only 39 percent. When the word that Lincoln had won reached the South, some states seeded from the Union, including South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. The claimed themselves to be the Confederate States of America. The United states attempted to Prevent War, but it was to late the separation of that Nation was in action.