Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election on the 6th of November 1860 with 180 electoral votes. This victory occurred before seven Deep South cotton states seceded from the Union between that date and his inauguration.
Lincoln composed his address in the back room of his brother-in-law's store in Springfield, Illinois. He kept the draft locked in the safe of the Illinois State Journal newspaper until the final moment to ensure secrecy.
William H. Seward made suggestions that softened the original tone and contributed to the speech's famous closing paragraphs. He proposed concrete changes to remove prejudice and passion in the South after consulting James Madison's Federalist No. 14.
Almost 100,000 spectators waited at Kensington Station when Lincoln pulled into the city on February 21. The entourage included Lincoln's wife three sons and brother-in-law plus John G. Nicolay and John M. Hay.
Abraham Lincoln stated emphatically that he had no purpose directly or indirectly to interfere with slavery in states where it existed. He believed he had no lawful right to do so and had no inclination to do so while vowing to preserve the Constitution.