jan 1, 1860 - Abraham Lincoln (1860) The election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency in 1860 was the spark that ignited war between the states. Lincoln was an explicitly sectional candidate, was convinced that slavery was immoral, and was committed to free soilterritories without slavery. Although slavery stood at the center of the conflict, President Lincoln had insisted from the beginning of the war that his primary aim was the restoration of the Union, not the abolition of slavery.
Added to timeline:
Date:
jan 1, 1860
Now
~ 165 years ago