Who was nominated for the presidency by the Republican Party today in 1860?
May 18, 1860 — The Republican National Convention in Chicago was held today to choose the presidential candidate for the upcoming November election.
A bright young senator from Illinois named Abraham Lincoln received the nomination in a tight race — partially thanks to an Ohio chairman who was bribed at the last-minute to swing his vote for Lincoln.
Soon after, courthouse bells rang out and a cannon was fired from the rooftop, prompting boats in the Chicago River to sound their horns in reply.
Lincoln had gained attention from the Republican Party for his well-known Senate campaign debates against Stephen Douglas in 1858. In the debates, Lincoln argued against the spread of slavery, and although he lost the Senate race, his campaign brought him a growing national awareness.
Lincoln went on to win the November election, once again against Stephen Douglas, making him the first elected Republican president in America. One month after his inauguration, in March 1861, the Civil War begins.
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