Election of 1860
1860 Democrats national convention held in South
Carolina split on party platform
Northerners: popular sovereignty
southerners: wanted slavery in all the territories
The two groups split over these issues and
nomination for President
Northerners nominated: Stephen Douglas
Southerners nominated: John Breckinridge
Election of 1860
Republican National Convention met they nominated:
Abraham Lincoln
Party platform:
Against slavery (would try to end slavery in slave states)
Supported:
protective tariff
free western land to settlers
construction of transcontinental railroad
None of these would benefit the south
Republican part appeared to be against everything southerners
wanted
Election of 1860
First time in history
Votes from only one section of the country won
the election
Lincoln received 1.9 million votes ( minority of
the votes) and won
Talk of secession
Secession: act of pulling out of the Union
Southerners conflict between states’ rights and
Union rights
Georgia for the most part was for the Union, but
more strongly for states’ rights
Have to make a choice
Georgia General Assembly waiting to see what
S.C. would do
Talk of secession
Alexander Stephens against secession
Didn’t feel that the election of a man was enough to
secede(separate from the country)-plea for caution
Others against him: RobertT oombs, Thomas Cobb and the then
Governor Brown
November 21, 1860 Brown called for a secession convention
and Georgia joined the Confederacy
Alexander Stephens became the vice president of the
confederacy
Quick Quiz
Which Confederate official was from Georgia?
a. Jefferson Davis
b. Lyman Hall
c. Alexander Stephens
d. William Sherman
Quick Quiz
After Lincoln’s election, which man called for
Georgia to remain in the Union?
a. Joseph Brown
b. Thomas Cobb
c. Alexander Stephens
d. Robert Toombs