The Republican Party, dominant in the North, secured a plurality of the popular votes and a majority of the electoral votes, so Lincoln was elected the first Republican president, but before his inauguration, seven slave states with cotton-based economies formed the Confederacy.
The Republican Party secured a plurality of the popular votes. The Republican Party secured a majority of the electoral votes. The Republican Party was dominant in the North. Lincoln was elected the first Republican president. Seven slave states with cotton-based economies formed the Confederacy. This was before his inauguration.