the Northern states knew the Southern states would vote against Lincoln and rallied supporters for Lincoln. As Douglas and the other candidates campaigned, Lincoln gave no speeches, relying on the enthusiasm of the Republican Party. The party did the leg work that produced majorities across the North and produced an abundance of campaign posters, leaflets, and newspaper editorials. Republican speakers focused first on the party platform, and second on Lincoln's life story, emphasizing his childhood poverty. The goal was to demonstrate the power of "free labor", which allowed a common farm boy to work his way to the top by his own efforts. The Republican Party's production of campaign literature dwarfed the combined opposition; a Chicago Tribune writer produced a pamphlet that detailed Lincoln's life and sold 100,000–200,000 copies. Though he did not give public appearances, many sought to visit him and write him. In the runup to the election, he took an office in the Illinois state capitol to deal with the influx of attention. He also hired John George Nicolay as his personal secretary, who would remain in that role during the presidency. On November 6, 1860, Lincoln was elected the 16th president. He was the first Republican president and his victory was entirely due to his support in the North and West. No ballots were cast for him in 10 of the 15 Southern slave states, and he won only two of 996 counties in all the Southern states, an omen of the impending Civil War. Lincoln received 1,866,452 votes, or 39.8% of the total in a four-way race, carrying the free Northern states, as well as California and Oregon. His victory in the Electoral College was decisive: Lincoln had 180 votes to 123 for his opponents. Presidency (1861–1865) Secession and inauguration The South was outraged by Lincoln's election, and in response secessionists implemented plans to leave the Union before he took office in March 1861. On December 20, 1860, South Carolina took the lead by adopting an ordinance of secession; by February 1, 1861, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas followed. Six of these states declared themselves to be a sovereign nation, the Confederate States of America, and adopted a constitution. The upper South and border states (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas) initially rejected the secessionist appeal. President Buchanan and President-elect Lincoln refused to recognize the Confederacy, declaring secession illegal.
{
        'QUESTION: Who was Abraham Lincoln?',
        'ANSWER: Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States.',
        'SEPARATOR',
        'QUESTION: What was unique about Lincoln\'s election?',
        'ANSWER: Lincoln was the first Republican president and his victory was entirely due to his support in the North and West.',
        'SEPARATOR',
        'QUESTION: How did the Republicans campaign for Lincoln?',
        'ANSWER: They relied heavily on their enthusiastic supporters, producing lots of campaign materials such as posters, leaflets, and newspapers, focusing on Lincoln\'s life story and the concept of "free labor."',
        'SEPARATOR',
        'QUESTION: Why didn\'t Lincoln give public speeches during the campaign?',
        'ANSWER: Although he did not give public speeches himself, many people still wanted to meet him and write to him. So, he set up an office in the Illinois state capital to manage the increased interest in him.',
        'SEPARATOR',
        'QUESTION: What happened after Lincoln was elected?',
        'ANSWER: After Lincoln was elected, several southern states began planning to secede from the union before he could take office. By February 1st, six states had already done so and formed the Confederate States of America.',
        'SEPARATOR',
        'QUESTION: Did President Buchanan and President-elect Lincoln acknowledge the Confederacy?',
        'ANSWER: Both President Buchanan and President-elect Lincoln refused to recognize the Confederacy, stating that secession was illegal.',
        'SEPARATOR',
        'QUESTION: Which states seceded from the Union before Lincoln took office?',
        'ANSWER: Before Lincoln took office, South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas had seceded from the Union.',
        'SEPARATOR',
        'QUESTION: What happened when those states left the Union?',
        'ANSWER: These states then declared themselves to be part of a new country called the Confederate States of America and created their own constitution.'
    }