Answer:
A) The presidential election of 1860 was one of the most pivotal elections in the history of America.
It pitted Republican nominee Abraham Lincoln against Democratic Party nominee Senator Stephen Douglas, Southern Democratic Party nominee John Breckinridge and Constitutional Union Party nominee John Bell. The main issue of the election was slavery and states’ rights.
The Republican Party held its second national convention on May 16, 1860, in Chicago, Illinois where it took a moderate position on the issue of slavery and was against its expansion, although some delegates wanted the institution abolished completely.
The democrats on the other hand were confused in their stand. Some members of the democratic party wanted the Slavey practice expanded whilst others opposed it. The back and forth continued and created a lot of tension and division within the party.
B) Prior to taking office, Buchanan lobbied the Supreme Court to issue a broad ruling in <em>Dred Scott v. Sandford</em>.
<em>Dred Scott v. Sandford</em>, was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court held that the Constitution of the United States was not meant to include American citizenship for black people, regardless of whether they were enslaved or free, and therefore the rights and privileges it confers upon American citizens could not apply to them
Buchanan was unable to resolve the growing faction that would divide the nation at the close of his term. Though Buchanan hoped that the Court's ruling would end the dispute over slavery in the territories, Buchanan's support of the ruling deeply alienated many Northerners.
Abraham Lincoln the Republican nominee ran for president with the advantage of a party avowed to keeping slavery out of all Western territories. Their unified position gave them an advantage over the very confused and disunited Democratic Party. He went on to win Constitutional Union candidate John Bell in the 1860 election. When this happened, seven Southern states declared their secession from the Union.
Buchanan refused to apply military force against the seceded states but remained in control of Fort Sumter.
The secession crisis culminated in outbreak of the American Civil War shortly after Buchanan left office.
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