Abraham Lincoln elected President of the United States on this day 161 years ago...

The Election of 1860 was one of the most important in American history with four major candidates running on the ballot:

Republican Party - Abraham Lincoln
Democratic Party - Stephen Douglass
Southern Democratic Party - John C. Breckenridge
Constitutional Union Party - John Bell

Lincoln would not have won the election if not for the split of the Democratic Party over the issue of slavery during the Democratic National Convention during the summer of 1860. Northern Democrats nominated Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas while Southern Democrats wanted Vice-President John C. Breckenridge. Abraham Lincoln, thanks to clever gamesmanship by his supporters at the Convention, was able to secure the Republican nomination over prohibitive favorites such as William Seward of New York and Salmon P. Chase of Ohio. Meanwhile, a new party consisting of people from the border states - calling itself the Constitutional Union Party - nominated John Bell. Their platform was more moderate than the other three parties on the ballot.

On election night, with turnout across the nation north of 80%, Breckenridge won the Deep South - capturing 72 electoral votes. Douglas, despite finishing second in the popular vote that night, only captured the state of Missouri. John Bell, despite finishing dead last in the popular vote, was able to capture the states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia. Due to the civil war within the Democratic Party, Lincoln was able to carry 18 states and 180 electoral votes, winning the election despite capturing less than 40% of the popular vote and despite not being on the ballot in many southern states.