outh. He was reluctantly nominated. As the summer wore on, his popularity dwindled, and in August he was quoted saying "it seems exceedingly probable that this administration will not be re-elected." Suddenly, the military situation changed. Many key battles were won in the South, and many discouraged Northerners got faith again. These victories helped Lincoln win re-election.
             Breckinridge-72
             Douglas-12
             McClellan-1,803,787
             McClellan-21
             In the election of 1861, there were several important ideas that Abraham Lincoln had. He was the first President elected by the Republican Party. Probably the biggest idea he had, and probably the biggest issue in the election was that of slavery. Ever since he heard about slavery when he was young, he was against it, and thought it immoral. When he was first elected to Congress in 1834, he proposed a law that said that the government should buy7 all of the slaves in the District of Columbia and set them free. Even though it did not pass, it clearly showed how Lincoln felt about slavery, and people's rights.
             Lincoln had very high morals, which led to his beliefs. These morals were first really evident when he insisted that a funeral service be performed over his mother when she died, during his chlidhood. He was a great speaker from the time he was a boy, which can easily be deduced from such speeches as his Gettysburg address. This asset helped him win the election. Lincoln also had a lot of integrity, which helped earn him the nickname "Honest Abe."
             The biggest issue in both of his elections was the abolishment of slavery, which he felt very strongly about, and which never really changed. It was this issue, that sparked secession of the South, and the start of the Civil war. Since his second election took place during the Civil War, his issues and beliefs ...