territories. During this time, many members favored total abolition slavery; the party pragmatically did not call for its abolition in states where it was already practiced. According to the election of Abraham Lincoln, “Things have gotten worse over time, and now America has elected Abraham Lincoln the nation’s first anti-slavery president; he only represents the Northern States” (South Carolina Declaration secession, 1870). This quote may reflect the sentiment that the socio-political situation in the United States has been deteriorating, possibly referring to the tensions and conflicts surrounding the issue of slavery. This was a problem because Lincoln was indeed the first president to spread out against slavery, and mention of him signals a shift in the political landscape towards anti-slavery sentiment. Lincoln’s election increased tensions over slavery because of Lincoln’s resistance to slavery in the United States. Tensions over slavery were high in the United States because Lincoln stated in 1858 that he did not think the Union could remain split among slave and free states. The country was split over the issue of