Portal:Louisville/Selected article/1
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Louisville during the American Civil War was a major stronghold of Union forces, which kept Kentucky firmly in the Union. It was the center of planning, supplies, recruiting and transportation for numerous campaigns, especially in the Western Theater. By the end of the war, Louisville itself had not been attacked even once, even though surrounded by various battles such as the Battle of Perryville and Battle of Corydon.
In the November 1860 Presidential election, Kentucky gave native Kentuckian Abraham Lincoln less than one percent of the vote. Kentuckians did not like Lincoln, because he stood for the eradication of slavery and his Republican Party aligned itself with the North, but Kentuckians also did not vote for native son John C. Breckinridge and his Southern Democratic Party, which most of the country regarded as secessionists. Kentuckians owned 225,000 slaves, but Kentucky also loved the Union. Kentucky wanted to keep slavery and stay in the Union. Most Kentuckians, including residents of Louisville, voted for John Bell of Tennessee, of the Constitutional Union Party, which stood for preserving the Union and keeping the status quo on slavery or Stephen Douglas of Illinois, who ran for the Democratic Party ticket. Louisville cast 3,823 votes for John Bell. Douglas received 2,633 votes.
