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May 19, 2024

S011 - The Center Cannot Hold: 1860

S011 - The Center Cannot Hold: 1860

Year(s) Discussed: 1860-1861

Though the United States had experienced an election with four primary candidates before, the presidential election of 1860 was unique in that the candidates were based more on geographic region, and the result of that election would change the course of American history. Join me and my special guest, Alycia from Civics & Coffee as we discuss the particulars of the election, the individuals involved, and how the state of the nation in 1860 impacted who became the 16th US President.

Special thanks to Alycia from Civics & Coffee for joining me for this episode!

To read more about the election of 1860:

  • Goodwin, Doris Kearns. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005.
  • Holt, Michael F. The Election of 1860: "A Campaign Fraught with Consequences". Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2017.
  • Woods, Michael E. Arguing until Doomsday: Stephen Douglas, Jefferson Davis, and the Struggle for American Democracy. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2020.

Featured Images:

  • "Abraham Lincoln." [c. 1863], courtesy of Wikipedia
  • "John C Breckinridge" by Mathew B Brady and Levin Corbin Handy [c. 1865-1880], courtesy of Wikipedia
  • "John Bell," courtesy of Wikipedia
  • "Stephen A Douglas" by Mathew B Brady [c. 1860-1861], courtesy of Wikipedia