Augusta County, Va., Election of 1860

This map of Augusta County, Virginia, shows the presidential vote of 1860 by precinct. Bell's overwhelming victory overshadows subtle electoral patterns in the Douglas-Breckinridge-Bell split. The Democratic candidates together captured significant votes in Staunton and in the eastern and northern parts of the county, the broad middle part of the valley just east of Staunton. These places included some of the largest farms and plantations.

The map is derived from a Jedediah Hotchkiss map of Augusta County, published in 1870, and based on surveys completed "during the war." The Hotchkiss map has been georeferenced at the Virginia Center for Digital History, using ESRI Arc Info to produce a Geographic Information Systems map and database of households.

Note: Original precinct boundaries are not available. Precinct boundaries were established in the GIS using Thiessen polygons around precinct stations as central places.

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Edward L. Ayers and William G. Thomas, III
Augusta County, Va., Election of 1860
2001

"In Augusta clusters of contiguous precincts gave their support in the 1860 presidential election in similar patterns."

"Whigs accounted for the most visible party activists in Augusta County, but activists in both parties exerted significant influence."

"Precincts in Augusta that supported Breckinridge at a high level in 1860 represented the extremes of wealth, as the wealthiest and the poorest precincts drew more support for Breckinridge than any other precincts."

"The precincts with high Bell support had average household wealth and farm value well below county averages. For these marginal places a vote for Bell represented a safe course, the least change."