In the 1860 presidential election, the last before the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the Democratic party split into two wings which ran separate tickets. The northern Democratic wing believed that the nation did not have to engage in a direct conflict over slavery, but could resolve its tensions locally. The chief representative of this view Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, ran for president, with Herschel Johnson of Georgia as a running mate. Although Douglas had many friends and allies in the south, he was seen as insufficiently pro-slavery by many in the southern wing of his party. After a tough, four-way campaign, Douglas won the second most popular votes, after Abraham Lincoln, but beat John Breckenridge and John Bell. He died shortly after the campaign.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.