An Irrepressible Conflict: The Presidential Election of 1860 2025

In this game, each player becomes one of the four political parties that vied for the White House in the consequential Presidential election of 1860. Win a majority of Electoral Votes (152 in 1860), like Lincoln did, and you win the game. Every other player loses.

But the Republicans’ success in 1860 was hardly pre-ordained. Had the Republicans failed to win more than half of all Electoral Votes, the race would’ve gone to the House of Representatives, as the Twelfth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution dictates. There, each state had one vote, and a simple plurality (the most) of those votes would determine the next President. This scenario played to the Republicans’ weakness – their concentration in a relatively small number of states with high electoral votes. Had the vote gone to the House, the Presidency might easily have gone to John C. Breckenridge, nominee for the Southern Democrats.

As in history, state elections held throughout 1860 presaged likely outcomes for the general election. In the game, these will offer opportunities to earn Victory Points (VP) while establishing your position for the Presidential election at the end of the game. There are other ways to earn VP; use the score sheet as your guide.

You’ll win by placing your Voters and Politicians wisely to win state elections. A hand of Action cards will let you take actions that affect the campaign. The Action Track will track your expenditure of party resources, and determine turn order.

Get ready to play. The future of the Union is at stake.

—description from the designer