The Night Lincoln Won — The South Moved Immediately (1860)
On November 6, 1860, Lincoln was elected president. That same night, South Carolina moved to secede. The war was five months away.
The Election
November 6, 1860. Presidential election day.
Abraham Lincoln hadn't campaigned in a single Southern state. His name wasn't even on the ballot in some of them.
He won anyway. The North's overwhelming support carried him through.
That Night
Telegraph wires carried the results across the country.
The South Carolina state legislature convened immediately — to discuss secession.
Six weeks after Lincoln's election, on December 20, South Carolina officially declared its withdrawal from the Union.
The Dominoes
In the following two months, six more states followed.
Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas.
In February 1861, seven states gathered and formed a new nation: the Confederate States of America. Jefferson Davis became its president.
Lincoln's Inauguration
March 4, 1861. Lincoln took office.
In his inaugural address, he said:
"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection."
The South didn't listen. Five weeks later, the first shots were fired.
Lincoln elected: November 6, 1860 | South Carolina secedes: December 20, 1860 | Confederacy formed: February 4, 1861 | Fort Sumter: April 12, 1861
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