Election of 1860

Within the election of 1860, the candidates running were Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, John Breckenridge, and John Bell. This election turned into two races between the north and south. Lincoln and Douglas held the Northern power while Breckenridge and Bell held the Southern power. Overall, Lincoln and Breckenridge held highest number of votes. Lincoln wanted slavery, while Breckenridge wanted the federal government to protect slavery in the territories. Lincoln ended up winning the election, which was a good thing for the north. However, on the opposing side, the south did not trust Lincoln and believed the only way to preserve the Southern society and culture was to secede. With the nation on the brink of crumbling, the election of 1860 was one of the last things that contributed to the rivalry between the North and the South because the differing opinions had become more severe.