The Issues and the Candidates

The issues on the minds of Americans in 1860 were varied, with some still in the political arena today. Political debate covered:

The preservation of the Union.

The rights of States.

The construction of a transcontinental railroad.

Extravagance in the government.

The rights of immigrants.

The principal issue was the clash of slavery and its expansion. For the voters of 1860 this was not merely an issue of human rights. The economic system based on slave grown cotton not only controlled the south but the entire United States, and reached across the ocean as well. For four million enslaved Americans who could not share their voice by the vote, the outcome of this issue and the election meant hope for a life of freedom.