The two right choices are these:
1. The Northern-Southern split in the Democratic Party facilitated the election of Lincoln, which incensed both factions within the party. There was turmoil at the selection of the Democrat candidate for President in April 1860. Northern democrats favoured Stephen Douglas, who supported slavery but also the right of the states not to accept it (popular sovereignty), so Southern democrats rejected him candidacy. When the Republicans, taking advantage of this turmoil, opted for the self-made man and epitome of the American dream Abraham Lincoln as their candidate, the Democrats were not pleased. Lincoln won the election, but not by absolute majority - he received only 40% of the votes.
2. The election of Abraham Lincoln, who was opposed to expansion of slavery in territories, led to the secession of seven Southern states. Upon the election of Lincoln, who was strictly opposed to slavery, South Carolina seceded from the Union. Within the following three months, seven states seceded from the Union, and the Confederacy was created. Lincoln
African Americans were not considered citizens until the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, three years after Lincoln's assassination, and, certainly, Confederate states did not assure the freedom of all African American slaves.
