Tennessee represented the Constitutional Union Party Bell remained neutral on slavery On Election Day the Democratic vote was split and Lincoln who received only 39 8 percent of the popular vote still won by more than 100 electoral votes Southerners were outraged at his election Hatred of Lincoln and the North was particularly strong in South Carolina Leaders of the state feared that Lincoln would take away their states rights and end slavery even though he had never said that TENSIONS MOUNT By early December 1860 South Carolina's leaders were thinking about seceding from
the Union In preparation for The election of President Abraham Lincoln in 1860 angered many southerners that they asked President James Buchanan who was still in office until Lincoln's inauguration in March 1861 to turn over to the state all federal property in the Charleston area They were especially concerned about the four forts in Charleston Harbor Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island Castle Pinckney on Shutes Folly Island Fort Johnson on James Island and Fort Sumter Only a few weeks earlier Federal Army officer Major Robert Anderson had arrived in Charleston to take command of the garrison of 85 soldiers at Fort Moultrie Castle Pinckney and Fort Johnson were unoccupied at the time Fort Sumter was still under construction and was only occupied by workers
Buchanan was personally opposed to slavery but he believed the Constitution allowed it so he had done nothing to end it in the South Three members of President James Buchanan Buchanan's Cabinet who were southerners were also pressuring him to give up the forts He refused to do so but agreed to a compromise with South Carolina Anderson had asked the president for reinforcements at Fort Moultrie To satisfy South Carolina's leaders Buchanan pledged not to send the reinforcements In return the South Carolinians agreed not to attempt to seize Fort
Moultrie while negotiations for turning over the forts were still ongoing But tensions continued to rise South Carolina's leaders feared what Lincoln might do to establish federal power in their state once he was in office The state legislature called a convention to consider the question of seceding breaking away from the United States On December 20 South Carolina's lawmakers voted 169 0 to secede In Washington Buchanan decided not to take military action against South Carolina for seceding He wanted to give Lincoln a chance to resolve the situation in his own way But at Fort Moultrie Major Anderson was growing increasingly concerned He only had a few months of supplies left How long
