Final answer:
The election of 1860 was pivotal in causing the Civil War because it symbolized the shift in power against the expansion of slavery, leading Southern states to secede and form the Confederate States of America.
Step-by-step explanation:
The election of 1860, resulting in Abraham Lincoln becoming president, is often argued as the most important cause of the Civil War. Lincoln's victory was the final straw in a series of divisive events and symbolized a shift in national power.
The Republican Party's platform to prevent the expansion of slavery into new territories posed a direct threat to the Southern states' way of life, which was deeply rooted in the institution of slavery. Southern leaders were concerned about a future where their economic and social systems, centered around slavery, would be dismantled.
Consequently, the election incited South Carolina and six other Southern states to secede and form the Confederate States of America, fundamentally challenging the fabric of the nation and steering it towards conflict.
The historical context of the 1850s had seen mounting tensions, such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Dred Scott decision, and the Lincoln-Douglas debates, which all exacerbated sectional divisions. However, it was the election of Lincoln and the subsequent secession of Southern states that transformed these divisions into an irreparable schism, ultimately leading to the outbreak of war.