Abraham Lincoln's First Presidential Election

Posted: 12/13/2015

Introduction

I have written a number of critical posts here on this so overrated U.S. President (See about the American Civil War here, here, here, here, here, here, here and about Lincoln himself here, here).

Somehow today (12/13/2015), I became interested to find out about the election results of 1860, Lincoln’s first presidential election. I wonder how many Americans are familiar with his election results of 1860?

My source for this blog: The American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Notes

1. Abraham Lincoln was clearly and overwhelmingly voted into office by northern states. He received zero votes in southern states, Virginia voted 1.1% for him, Maryland 2.5%.
2. He received only 40% of the popular vote (Note, I do not personally prefer the popular vote). Lincoln carried only 15 states of 33 then states by more than 50% of the votes.
3. Thus, a president who was voted into office in such a lopsided way then engages into total war with those who did not vote for him. This is a very sad part of U.S. history!