What were the platforms in the 1860 presidential election?

Answer 1

Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election. Opposition to Lincoln was divided with 3 candidates challenging him. Lincoln won 39.8% of the popular vote and defeated John Breckinridge, John Bell and Stephen Douglas. Northern Democratic candidate Stephen Douglas's supported the concept of popular sovereignty, which called for each individual territory to decide on the status of slavery. Constitutional Party candidate John Bell hoped to stave off the danger of secession by avoiding the slavery issue. The party platform advocated compromise to save the Union, with the slogan: "The Union as it is, and the Constitution as it is." Southern Democratic candidate John Breckinridge supported slavery. In the 1860 presidential election Republican Party candidate Abraham Lincoln received 180 electoral votes (59.4%), Southern Democratic candidate John Breckinridge from Kentucky received 72 electoral votes, Constitutional Party candidate John Bell from Tennessee received 39 electoral votes, and Northern Democratic candidate Stephen Douglas from Illinois received 12 electoral votes. Lincoln received his electoral votes from 18 of the 33 states. He did not receive electoral votes from any southern state. Lincoln was not on the ballot in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. John Breckinridge received electoral votes from Alabama 9, Arkansas 4, Delaware 3, Florida 3, Georgia 10, Louisiana 6, Maryland 8, Mississippi 7, North Carolina 10, South Carolina 8, and Texas 4. Douglas received votes from Missouri and New Jersey. Douglas received Missouri's 9 electoral votes. New Jersey electors split their vote giving 4 to Lincoln and 3 to Douglas. John Bell received electoral votes from Virginia 15, Kentucky 12, and Tennessee 12.

Answer 2

The main platforms in the 1860 presidential election were the Republican Party's platform, which focused on preserving the Union and opposing the expansion of slavery, and the Democratic Party's platform, which was divided between the Northern and Southern factions and emphasized popular sovereignty and limited federal intervention in slavery issues. The Constitutional Union Party also had a platform that centered on preserving the Constitution and the Union, but it did not take a strong stance on slavery.