44: Abraham Lincoln Becomes President of the Divided States of America

History That Doesn't Suck

ProfGregJackson

Education, History, Society & Culture

4.5 • 5.1K Ratings

🗓️ 5 August 2019

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

“Mary, Mary, we are elected!” This is the story of the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States … which means it’s also the story of secession. The presidential election of 1860 is split between four men: southerners John C. Breckinridge and John Bell, and northerners Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. Incredibly, Lincoln pulls off enough electoral college votes to win the presidency outright! He does so without a single electoral vote from the south. The election of this anti-slavery Republican is the final straw for the South. Citing the “increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery,” South Carolina secedes. Six others follow before Lincoln even takes the oath of office! They band together to create the Confederate States of America. Some think this secession talk will pass. Others think it can be undone peacefully. That theory will get tested fast as US troops at South Carolina’s Fort Sumter continue to stand their ground. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	History that doesn't suck is a bi-weekly podcast delivering a legit, seriously researched
0:04.4	hard-hitting survey of American history through entertaining stories.
0:07.5	If you'd like to support HTTDS or enjoy some perks, like Add Free Early Episodes for
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0:19.2	To keep up with HTTDS News, check us out on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
0:30.0	Welcome to History that doesn't suck.
0:36.4	I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and I'd like to tell you a story.
0:41.0	It's a wet and rainy Christmas day, 1860, but a doubt major, Robert Anderson's feeling
0:54.8	all that festive given his delicate and potentially volatile situation.
0:59.8	We're in Charleston, South Carolina, where the handsome, square-jawed 55-year-old Kentucky
1:04.9	is serving as commander of the Fortress defending the city's harbor.
1:09.7	These held the post for the last year or so, but things have gotten exceptionally dicey
1:13.8	since Abraham Lincoln won election as president of the United States last month.
1:19.4	I mean, there's genuine talk of a South Carolina mob attacking him and his federal troops.
1:25.7	Robert discussed this growing concern with Charleston's mayor and other local leaders
1:29.1	back on December 5th, and they assured him they'll keep the people in line, but they
1:34.3	were very clear on this.
1:36.8	When South Carolina secedes, yeah, not if, but when?
1:41.9	If he doesn't hand over the keys and clear out, there will be blood.
1:46.6	Well, South Carolina pulled the trigger on that by formally stating it's withdrawal from
1:52.1	the union just five days ago on December 20th.
1:56.4	Meanwhile, Secretary of War John B. Floyd has given Robert nearly mutually exclusive orders.
	...

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