The American Vote
2024 result
Civil WarAll 5 grade bands · K-2 through APFree download

1860

Lesson plan.
Abraham Lincoln vs John C. Breckinridge — Abraham Lincoln won without carrying a Southern state, revealing a national divide that immediately preceded secession and civil war.
What is in each packet
Contents of each grade band’s packet
BandReadingVocabularyQuestionsDiscussionAlso
K-2193 words4 terms31 promptimage, answer key
3-5303 words5 terms41 promptanswer key
6-8345 words6 terms62 promptsprimary source, answer key
9-12154 words6 terms73 promptsprimary source, answer key
AP274 words9 terms81 promptprimary source, second source, long essay, answer key
Primary sources quoted
  • First Inaugural Address (closing passage)
    Abraham Lincoln, March 4, 1861 · 6-8, AP
    Lincoln, “First Inaugural Address” (Washington, DC, March 4, 1861). Public domain.
  • First Inaugural Address (closing passage)
    Abraham Lincoln, March 4, 1861 · 9-12
    Lincoln, "First Inaugural Address" (Washington, DC, March 4, 1861). Public domain.
  • Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina
    South Carolina Convention, December 24, 1860 · AP
    South Carolina Convention, “Declaration of the Immediate Causes” (Charleston, SC, December 24, 1860). Public domain.
Quick quiz

Five questions on 1860

Every answer here is read off the 1860 returns — the same rows the packets below are built from.

  1. Who won the 1860 presidential election?

    • AJohn C. Breckinridge
    • BJohn C. Frémont
    • CAbraham Lincoln
    • DJames Buchanan

  2. Which party did the winner of the 1860 election represent?

    • ARepublican
    • BDemocratic
    • CSouthern Democratic
    • DConstitutional Union

  3. How many electoral votes did Abraham Lincoln win in 1860?

    • A180
    • B152
    • C72
    • D174

  4. Which of these states did Abraham Lincoln carry in 1860?

    • AArkansas
    • BMississippi
    • CGeorgia
    • DVermont

  5. Which era of American politics does the 1860 election belong to?

    • ACivil War
    • BProgressive Era
    • CNew Deal Coalition
    • DFirst Party System

Fact-checked. Every factual claim in this packet was checked against a published source on 2026-10-03. Tell us about an error.

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