The Democratic party was divided over the issue of slavery as the election of 1860 approached. The party split into factions, with one faction supporting Stephen Douglas and his position of popular sovereignty, while the other faction supported John C. Breckinridge and his pro-slavery platform.
South Carolina threatened to secede from the Union if Abraham Lincoln was elected in the election of 1860. The state viewed Lincoln as an anti-slavery president and believed that his election would ultimately lead to the abolition of slavery. This threat of secession was a significant factor in the build-up to the Civil War.
As the election of 1860 approached, what happened to divide the Democratic party? What did South Carolina threaten to do if Lincoln was elected?
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