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Events on Thursday 3 May 1860 1
1860Democratic Party Splits at Charleston ConventionFailure to agree on slavery divides the party ahead of the electionThe Democratic National Convention in Charleston, South Carolina, broke up in late April 1860 after delegates could not agree on a platform addressing slavery in the territories. The party subsequently split into Northern and Southern factions that nominated separate presidential candidates. The division fatally weakened the Democrats and helped secure Abraham Lincoln's election.