The conflict between Abraham Lincoln and the South was, many historians believe, one of the early indications of an oncoming war. Lincoln favored abolishing slavery, though he conceded that he would allow slavery to exist where it already had extended its influence in order to keep the Union in one piece. This, however, was not enough for the South. They felt Lincoln was out to destroy their way of life, and that he sought to abolish the system on which their agrarian economy had become dependent. When he was elected in 1860, multiple Southern states immediately seceded, followed by several more later.

For the most part, Lincoln was popular in the North. Many abolitionists stood firmly behind his ideas and supported him during his election. Northerners felt the South was wielding too much power; they particularly disliked the Fugitive Slave Act. They feel it was immoral, and believed the North was being forced to comply with Southern laws. Even though Lincoln enjoyed mostly strong support in the North, there were some who believed that the issue of slavery was not worth jeopardizing the stability of the Union. They sought to avoid conflict with the South and pushed for compromise, but this proved to be ineffective. Even when Lincoln admitted that he would allow slavery to exist where it had prior, the South did not trust him.

Generally speaking, Northerners were very supportive of Lincoln. Opposition to slavery and its extension were widely held, so Lincoln's campaign pledge not to extend slavery was warmly welcomed. There was also a common perception in the North that the American system of government had been skewed too far towards entrenching the interests of the Southern states. Henry Clay's notorious compromise of 1850 was seen by many in the North as a blatant example of how much disproportionate power was now wielded by the South. The Fugitive Slave Act was particularly resented in the Northern states, not just on moral grounds, but also on the basis that it infringed their own rights by forcing them to cooperate in the apprehension and return of runaway slaves.

That said, there were a number of Northerners who took a different view of Lincoln. Northern Democrats such as Lincoln's debating opponent Stephen A. Douglas, believed that slavery was not worth breaking the Union over. They urged greater compromise with the Southern states, seeing this as the best way to avoid conflict. Though very much in the minority, Northern opponents of Lincoln had large pockets of support, concentrated mainly in the big cities. During the Civil War, their hostility towards African Americans often broke out in serious acts of public disturbance, most notably in the New York City draft riots of 1863.

The vast majority of Southerners took a diametrically opposite view of Lincoln to most of those north of the Mason-Dixon line. They regarded him as a threat to a whole way of life. When running for office in 1860, Lincoln had pledged not to extend slavery, but he was...