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How did southern states react to the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860?

Prior to Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860, the southern states had already threatened to secede. The southern states were not ready for a Republican president especially one who raised serious questions about slavery. Lincoln was against the spread of slavery, and he made his position public. After the elections, and by the time he was giving his inauguration speech in 1861, seven southern states lived up to their threats and seceded. The seven southern states...

Prior to Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860, the southern states had already threatened to secede. The southern states were not ready for a Republican president especially one who raised serious questions about slavery. Lincoln was against the spread of slavery, and he made his position public. After the elections, and by the time he was giving his inauguration speech in 1861, seven southern states lived up to their threats and seceded. The seven southern states officially instituted the Confederate States of America and elected Jefferson Davis as their president. The move was considered illegal by the official United States government and led to the onset of the American Civil War in April 1861. After the start of the Civil War, four more southern states declared secession and joined the Confederacy. The war raged on until Confederate forces surrendered and the Confederate government was disbanded.

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