Within three months after the election of 1860 seven southern states had left the Union.
Explanation:
The presidential election of 1860 led to the outbreak of Civil War. The country was divided throughout the 1850s on state rights and slavery in the new territories. In 1860, this ultimately caused a split in the dominant Democratic Party into southern and northern factions. This led to the election victory of the Republican Party candidate Abraham Lincoln without any support from the southern states.
The immediate result of Lincoln’s victory was the declaration of South Carolina, and then other southern states, to withdraw from the United States. The withdrawal statement was declared illegal by both President James Buchanan, who was still in office, and President-elect Abraham Lincoln.
