In the midst of Lincoln's election to the Illinois State Legislature, Lincoln's fiancée Anne Rutledge died, Anne's death affected Abraham for the rest of his life. After Anne's death, Abraham began to study law in Springfield, because of the relocation of the State Capital in 1837. A year after moving to Springfield and studying law, Abraham opened up a law office with John Stuart. .
While in Springfield Lincoln is elected to two more terms in the Illinois State Legislature, and becomes engaged to Mary Todd. Shortly after Abraham and Lincoln are engaged the engagement is called off due to his busy lifestyle, though he ends up marrying Mary Todd two years later in an Episcopal ceremony. Abraham was unsuccessful at his first run at the U.S. Senate, but this did not hinder his drive to become elected to Congress. In 1847 Lincoln ran for U.S. Congress again this time under the Republican Party, and was successfully elected. Mary and Abraham had three sons named Robert Todd, Edward Baker, and William Wallace, prior to Abraham's father's death in 1851, and one more Tad in 1853.
During the next five years, Abraham is not reelected into the U.S. Senate, but is elected back into the State Legislature. Abraham spoke out very bluntly about the verdict in the Dread Scott decision in the Supreme Court, because he felt the decision was an injustice. A year later in 1858 Lincoln delivers his House Divided speech to Congress, and this speech gets many different reactions from Senators. Soon after this speech, Lincoln again loses his seat in the U.S. Senate. .
In May of 1860 Lincoln received the Republican nomination at the Republican convention in Chicago, to run for the Presidency of the United States. Lincoln was elected the sixteenth President of the U.S. on November 6, 1860. Soon after hearing about the election of Lincoln, Southern States become doubtful of the future of their nation because their newly elected President was for the abolishment of slavery.