Chapter 255: Lincoln Becomes America’s Sixteenth President

November 6, 1860

Lincoln’s Sweep In The North Gives Him The Presidency

Percent Of The Popular Vote For Each Candidate 

Lincoln	Douglas	Breckinridge	Bell	Total
39.8%	29.5%	18.1%	12.6%	100.0%

What gives Lincoln the presidency then is the sheer dominance of the Northern states in the  Electoral College and the winner-take-all rules on a state by state basis. He takes every state up  north with the exception of New Jersey to rack up 180 electoral votes against the 152 needed to  win. In the South, he is shut out entirely, without even appearing on many state ballots.  

Full Results Of The 1860 Presidential Election 

1856	Party	Pop Vote	Electoral	South	Border	North	West
Lincoln	Republican	1,865,908	180	0	0	173	7
Douglas	No. Democrat	1,380,202	12	0	9	3	0
Breckinridge	So. Democrat	848,019	72	61	11	0	0
Bell	Con. Union	590,901	39	15	24	0	o
Other		531
Total		4,685,561	303	76	44	176	7
Need To Win			152

The Republican campaign has concentrated on five Northern states that Buchanan carried in  1856, and is able to “flip” 59 of the 63 electoral votes there to Lincoln in 1860.

CH255-1 

Key State “Flips” Between 1856 And 1860 Explaining Lincoln’s Victory 

	Penn.	Indiana	Illinois	California	New Jersey	Total
Electoral Votes At  Stake	27	13	11	4	7*	63
Popular Vote % To Win
Buchanan in 1856	50%	50%	44%	48%	48%
Lincoln in 1860	56%	51%	51%	32.3%	48%
Nearest Rival	39(D)	42(D)	47(D)	31.7(D)	52(F)

Lincoln carries most Northern states with 54% or more of the popular votes. Douglas’ only outright win is in Missouri. Bell carries his home state of Tennessee, along with Kentucky and Virginia. Breckinridge is dominant across the Lower South.

State By State Results In The Presidential Election Of 1860

Lincoln By Majority	Electoral	Lincoln	Douglas	Breckinridge	Bell	“Fusion”
Vermont	5	75.8%	19.4%	4.2%	0.5%
Minnesota	4	63.4	34.3	2.2	0.1
Massachusetts	13	62.9	20.3	3.6	13.2
Maine	8	62.2	29.4	6.3	2.0
Rhode Island	4	61.4	38.6	0	0
Connecticut	6	58.1	20.6	19.2	2.0
Michigan	6	57.2	42.0	0.5	0.3
New Hampshire	5	56.9	39.3	3.2	0.6
Wisconsin	5	56.6	42.7	0.6	0.1
Pennsylvania	27	56.3	3.5	0	2.7	37.5%
Iowa	4	54.6	43.2	0.8	1.4
New York	35	53.7		0	0	46.3
Ohio	23	51.2	42.3	2.6	2.8
Indiana	13	51.1	42.4	4.5	2.0
Illinois	11	50.7	47.2	0.7	1.4
Lincoln By Plurality
Oregon	3	36.1	28.0	34.4	1.5
California	4	32.3	31.7	28.4	7.6
NJ Fusion	4	48.1				51.9
Total – Lincoln	180
Breckinridge-Majority
South Carolina	8			Led pick
Texas	4			75.5	24.5
Florida	3		1.7	62.2	36.1
Mississippi	7		4.7	59.0	36.3
Alabama	9	0	15.1	54.0	30.9
Arkansas	4		9.9	53.1	37.0
North Carolina	10		2.8	50.5	46.7
Breckinridge-Plurality
Georgia	10		10.9	48.9	40.2
Maryland	8	2.5	6.4	45.9	45.1
Delaware	3	23.7	6.6	45.5	24.2
Louisiana	6		15.1	44.9	40.0
Total – Breckinridge	72
Bell By Plurality
Tennessee	12		7.7	44.6	47.7
Virginia	15	1.1	9.8	44.5	44.6
Kentucky	12	0.9	17.5	36.3	45.2
Total – Bell	39
Douglas By Plurality
Missouri	9	10.3	35.5	18.9	35.3
NJ Fusion	3	48.1				51.9
Total – Douglas	12
Grand Total	303
Needed To Win	152

November 6, 1860

Republicans Also Pick Up Congressional Seats

In the Senate, Democrats hold a one seat edge when the 37^th Congress opens on March 4, 1861.  But this margin will rapidly disappear, as a total of eleven Southern states secede, leaving their  seats vacant and handing the majority over to the Republicans of the North. 

Election Trends In The Senate 

Party	1856	1858	1860
Democrats	37	38	30
Republicans	20	25	29
Whigs	3	2	0
Know Nothings	4	0	1
Vacant	1	0	8
Total	65	65	68

In the House, the Republicans extend their lead over the Democrats after massive vacancies  occur across the South. 

Election Trends In The House

Party	1856	1858	1860
Democrats	133	98	45
Republicans	90	116	108
Opp/Unionists	0	19	30
Know Nothings	14	5	0
Vacant	0	0	56
Total	237	238	239