to what extent was seccesion due to lincoln's election?

Question

Right completeley stuck on this one

help plzzzzzzzz!

Answer 1

Lincoln's nomination was the immediate cause, but secession was inevitable - it would have happened eventually no matter what.

Answer 2

the first answer has a great reference to look up on this question but really who was elected was not really an issue at all but rather the encroachment of a strong federal government upon the individual rights of the states themselves. It wasn't even about slavery as many proclaim since Lincoln in his inaugural address stated he had no intention of interfering with slavery in the southern states and in fact was not "great emancipator" at all since his proclamation only freed slave in states which were attempting to leave the union while leaving all other slaves still the property of their masters. the federal government wanted control over the individual states and individual states wanted the right to govern themselves in some areas and had reserved the right to leave the union under some circumstances when they first became a part of the union but when they attempted to do that, war was the result.
Incidentally the same reasons that prompted the south to attempt to leave the union then is becoming a reason now for
several areas in this country to form groups to look into leaving the union and form their own nation, for example Vermont - I will give a link for that.
Thomas Jefferson had once said that when government was not responsive to the needs of its citizens, those citizens have a patriotic responsibility to throw off that government but when the southern states attempted to do that, war was the result.
I hope that if these states do attempt to succeed, we don't repeat the civil war with present technology!!

Answer 3

This site should help greatly!
http://www.sagehistory.net/civilwar/docs/SecessionDocs.htm