* The election of 1860 exposed the deep divisions between the North and the South. Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, won the presidency with a platform that opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories. This alarmed Southern states that relied heavily on slavery and feared the loss of their economic and political power.
* The division was exacerbated by the increasing abolitionist movement in the North, which called for the immediate end of slavery. Many Southerners saw this as an attack on their way of life and a threat to their property rights.
2. Secession:
* Following Lincoln's election, South Carolina seceded from the Union in December 1860. By February 1861, six more Southern states had joined South Carolina in secession. They formed the Confederate States of America, with Jefferson Davis as their president.
* The secession of these states was based on the belief that they had the right to leave the Union if their interests were not being protected. They argued that the federal government had overstepped its constitutional authority by interfering with slavery and states' rights.
3. Conflict Over Fort Sumter:
* In April 1861, Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter, a federal fort in South Carolina. This marked the beginning of the Civil War. The attack on Fort Sumter was the result of a disagreement over who controlled the fort and whether the Confederacy had the right to secede from the Union.
* The attack led to a call for volunteers by President Lincoln to suppress the rebellion. In response, the Confederate States mobilized its forces, and the two sides began to prepare for war.
4. Constitutional Issues:
* The conflict between the North and the South also involved constitutional issues, such as the power of the federal government to regulate slavery in the territories, the rights of states to secede from the Union, and the balance between states' rights and federal authority.
5. Economic Factors:
* Economic interests also played a role in the lead-up to the Civil War. The Northern states were increasingly industrialized, while the Southern economy was based on agriculture and slavery. These economic differences contributed to the growing tension between the North and the South.
In summary, the election of 1860 and the subsequent events, such as secession, the attack on Fort Sumter, and the underlying constitutional and economic issues, combined to cause the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.