In 1860, Abraham Lincoln (Republican) won 180 of 303 electoral votes, defeating John C. Breckinridge by 108 EV during the Civil War era. In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic) won 472 of 531, defeating Herbert Hoover by 413 EV during the New Deal Coalition era. Turnout: 81.8% vs 56.9%.
vs
1860
Civil War
Abraham Lincoln
Republican
Electoral votes
180 of 303
EV margin
108
Popular vote
39.6%
Turnout
81.8%
Runner-up
John C. Breckinridge (S-Dem)
Lincoln won as the nation fractured along sectional lines. The Democratic Party split into Northern and Southern factions, with Stephen Douglas running for the North and John C. Breckinridge for the South, while the Constitutional Union party drew border-state voters behind John Bell. Lincoln carried every Northern state but received zero votes in most Southern states; his victory triggered Southern secession within months. Lincoln won a majority of electoral votes with only 39.65% of the popular vote.
1932
New Deal Coalition
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democratic
Electoral votes
472 of 531
EV margin
413
Popular vote
57.4%
Turnout
56.9%
Runner-up
Herbert Hoover (Rep)
Franklin Roosevelt won in a massive landslide over incumbent Herbert Hoover as the Great Depression devastated the nation. With 25% unemployment, Hoover was blamed for economic catastrophe and humiliated at the polls. Roosevelt promised a 'New Deal' for the American people and brought hope with his famous declaration that 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.' FDR built a broad coalition of urban workers, farmers, ethnic minorities, and the Solid South that would dominate American politics for decades.