In 1860, Abraham Lincoln won one of the most important presidential elections in American history, setting the stage for the Civil War that would break out just a year later. Lincoln won the presidency by a large amount, gaining over one million more votes than his chief opponent, John C. Breckinridge. Less than a month after Lincoln’s victory, the Southern states seceded from the Union.

     Presented here are election poll sheets from DeWitt County, Illinois, for the 1860 election. Illinois was nearly split in the 1860 election, with Lincoln winning the state over Southern Democrat Stephen Douglas by 12,000 votes. These poll sheets are specifically from Barnett Township, a township incorporated only two years before the election in 1858. They are replete with interesting information about the voting preferences of Barnett Township in one of the most critical moments in American history. There are five sheets in this lot, all filled with writing in black pen from November 8th, 1860. These sheets come with a LOA from University Archives.

Auction Notepad