Secessionist preparations were under way before Lincoln became president and even before his candidacy was announced. Weapons were sold from federal armories to state guards, including heavy artillery beyond ordinary local-security needs. The state guards were therefore more than standing formations: they could receive material in anticipation of a wider break with the Union. This connects the secession crisis to practical mobilisation rather than treating the war as a sudden response to the 1860 election alone.
Notable Point · 24:26-25:41
Secession preparations reached federal armories
Weapons transfers to state guards show how political preparation for secession acquired a practical military dimension before Lincoln took office.