Lincoln-Douglas Debates, Election of 1860 and Secession Explained
The Lincoln-Douglas debates, election of 1860 and secession were connected events, not one decision. Follow the dispute over slavery’s expansion from the Freeport Doctrine to Lincoln’s electoral victory, the first secession conventions and the crisis at Fort Sumter. For CLEP U.S. History I, explain both the central role of slavery and the choices that separated election from war.
U.S. History to 1877 | Chapter 17 | Lesson 17.6
What Did the Freeport Doctrine Claim?
In the 1858 Illinois Senate debates, held during a contest decided by the state legislature rather than a direct popular vote for senator, Lincoln opposed slavery’s expansion while Douglas defended popular sovereignty. At Freeport, Douglas argued that territorial residents could effectively exclude slavery by refusing protective legislation, a position that helped him in Illinois but alienated southern Democrats. In 1860, Democrats split into northern and southern tickets. Lincoln won without carrying the Deep South, demonstrating that a sectional party could capture the presidency.
Secession Unfolded in Stages
South Carolina seceded in December 1860, followed by other Deep South states before Lincoln took office. Secession declarations and commissioners centered slavery and the perceived threat to slaveholding security. Several Upper South states initially remained. Compromise proposals failed, and the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861 led Lincoln to call for troops. Four more slave states then seceded. This sequence matters because it shows choices and stages rather than an automatic march to war.
Distinguish Expected Policy from an Abolition Order
Lincoln’s victory created a crisis of expected policy, not an immediate federal abolition order. Republicans denied slavery’s right to expand while promising not to interfere with it in states where it existed. Secessionists nevertheless argued that losing control of the executive threatened slavery’s long-term security and the return of fugitives. Unionists in the Upper South initially rejected immediate secession. The demand for troops after Sumter altered their calculation by making armed coercion of seceded states the next concrete issue.
Keep the Election-to-War Sequence Straight
- Election, November 1860: Lincoln won an Electoral College majority through states outside the Deep South.
- Initial secession, winter 1860–61: South Carolina adopted its ordinance on December 20, 1860; its declaration explaining the causes followed on December 24. Other Deep South states seceded before the March inauguration.
- Confederate organization, February 1861: Seceded states formed a government before Lincoln took office.
- Fort Sumter and the troop call, April 1861: The Confederate attack was followed by Lincoln’s call for troops. Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee then joined secession; other slave states remained in the Union.
For an Upper South chronology question, distinguish Lincoln’s election from the later decision to call troops after Sumter. They changed the political situation at different times.
Review the Election and Secession in Context
Heimler's History traces the people and chronology behind this lesson. Listen for the evidence that sharpens the written account, then try the questions below.
Video: The Election of 1860 and SECESSION [APUSH Review Unit 5 Topic 7] Period 5: 1844-1877, Heimler's History.
Check your understanding
- Lincoln’s 1860 victory was possible largely because
- Republicans won majorities across the Deep South.
- John Bell withdrew and endorsed the Republican ticket.
- Democrats split while Republicans dominated the North.
- Republicans formed a coalition with southern Democrats.
- the Supreme Court excluded Breckinridge from the ballot.
- The Freeport Doctrine argued that territorial residents could
- pass an emancipation law overriding the Supreme Court.
- require Congress to restore the Missouri Compromise line.
- exclude slaveholders through a special residency rule.
- postpone statehood until slavery disappeared from the territory.
- discourage slavery by withholding protective local legislation.
- Select all stages before full Upper South secession:
- Lincoln elected,
- Deep South secedes,
- Confederacy forms,
- Fort Sumter attacked,
- Lincoln calls troops.
- Explain why the election of 1860 made secession possible without making civil war unavoidable.
Write a brief response using a named fact from the lesson.
Open the answers and reasoning
Independent preparation. CLEP is a registered trademark of the College Board, which does not endorse this lesson.
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