ABSTRACT
In 1860, Abraham Lincoln experienced one of the most rapid transformations of a political figure in American history. Lincoln went from being a relatively unknown attorney from Illinois to sixteenth president of the United States. Before 1860, Lincoln had achieved little that would have suggested he was destined to become the nation's chief executive. Lincoln's ascent was the story of that year, which would end ominously with South Carolina seceding in December. The newspapers of the nation covered his climb to the presidency, and this study looks at how a political press covered Lincoln in 1860. In the speech, Lincoln wanted to deny the radical characterization used against the Republicans by critics in the Democratic Party. Lincoln said of the Democrats: "You say we are sectional. We deny it." Although historians have pointed to the Cooper Union speech as a turning point for Lincoln, coverage in the press was relatively limited.
