• History -> History of the Americas

• 0 Comment

8. What could have happened if Abraham Lincoln had not been elected president in 1860?

Adam Blackwell

If Abraham Lincoln had not been elected president in 1860, it is likely that the United States would have experienced a very different future.

At the time of Lincoln's election, tensions were high between the Northern and Southern states over the issue of slavery. The Southern states believed that they had the right to own slaves, while the Northern states believed that slavery was wrong and needed to be abolished.

If Lincoln had not been elected, it is possible that a president who was sympathetic to the Southern states and their desire to keep slavery might have been elected instead. This could have led to the expansion of slavery into new territories, and could have eventually led to the formation of a separate Southern nation.

However, because Lincoln was elected president, the United States was able to move forward with plans to abolish slavery. This led to the Civil War, which was a difficult and costly conflict, but ultimately ended slavery and preserved the unity of the United States.

If Lincoln had not been elected, there is no telling what might have happened. It is possible that the United States would be a very different country today, with different states and different laws. However, because Lincoln was elected and fought for what he believed in, the United States was able to move forward and become a better, stronger nation.