what issue split the democratic party in 1860
History of the United States Democratic Party In 1860, the Democrats were unable to stop the election of Republican Abraham Lincoln, even as they feared his election would lead to civil war. The Democrats split over the choice of a successor to President Buchanan along Northern and Southern lines: factions of the party provided two separate candidacies for President in the election of 1860, in which the Republican Party gained ascendancy.[24]