The fragile alliance between North and South was thrown into crisis in 1860 with the election of Abraham Lincoln, the standard-bearer of a newly formed Republican Party that strongly opposed the westward expansion of slavery. He became president without receiving a single Southern Electoral College vote.
From a Southern perspective, one could argue that Lincoln's election was not representative of half the nation. Southern States could argue that they were widely ignored during the election. Additionally, the Republican party was relatively new and therefore could be seen as novice and unreliable. Given these reasons, Southern anxiety about the president and his cabinet could be seen as warranted.
