BS. Everyone knew secession was nearly inevitable. There was no surprise.
Ditto: “ Everyone knew secession was nearly inevitable. There was no surprise.”
No, my impression is that very few, if any, Northerners fully grasped what was going on in 1860.
Yes, all understood they didn’t want slavery in their own states or in western territories.
That’s why so many abandoned the old Whig party for the radical new Republicans.
But they didn’t really understand how or why Northern and Southern Democrats split into two parties, and whether that meant minority Republicans could carry the election.
Indeed, I think the majority expectation, North, South, East & West was that the election would be thrown into the House of Representatives, where deals would be made and agreements struck which satisfy everyone a little, and preserve the Union.
Few expected that Republicans alone would sweep the election, and even fewer understood what that must mean.
But within two days of the November 1860 election, South Carolina began to organize it’s secession convention, with the result that Northerners were confused & split on how to respond.
Lincoln during these months kept publicly silent, and privately very circumspect.