1860
The 1860 U.S. presidential election was won by Abraham Lincoln (Republican) with 180 of 303 electoral votes, defeating John C. Breckinridge (Southern Democratic). Electoral vote margin: 108 EV, popular-vote margin +21.6%; turnout 81.8%. The cycle falls in the Civil War era of American electoral history.
A sectional map breaks open
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.
Slavery in the territories; Southern secession threats; preservation of the Union
Four-way race where Lincoln won with 39.65% popular vote; triggered Southern secession
States · 33 reporting
Embed
Drop this map on your site · coming soon
Free iframe with attribution. White-label option in the works.
Get notified →Classroom
All 300 packets, free
60 cycles · K-2 through AP · open download.
Browse packets →Poster
Wall-worthy print · coming soon
Every-election grid and single-state series in the works.
Get notified →Read further
Curated picksTeam of Rivals
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Lincoln cabinet portrait.
Buy on Amazon →Battle Cry of Freedom
James M. McPherson
Single-volume Civil War synthesis.
Buy on Amazon →Lincoln
David Herbert Donald
Definitive single-volume biography.
Buy on Amazon →Recommendations are editorial.
Free, ad-light, no paywall
Built by one person. Tips fund the next 60 elections of editorial.