The event that led directly to the secession of southern states was the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States in November 1860. Southern states feared that Lincoln, who was a member of the anti-slavery Republican Party, would attempt to abolish slavery, which was vital to their economic and social systems.
Following Lincoln’s election, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union on December 20, 1860. This act was quickly followed by several other southern states, who believed that their way of life was under threat. The deep-seated issues surrounding states’ rights and the expansion of slavery into new territories further fueled these sentiments. Ultimately, this series of events set the stage for the Civil War.