adapted from Lincoln the Great
by Wilfred W. McClay

The American Civil War and the enigmatic1 man whose election in 1860 precipitated2 it hold an inexhaustible interest for us. Thousands of volumes on both subjects have streamed out of publishing houses in the past century and a half, covering every conceivable topic and vantage point, from arcana3 of military operations to probing, and occasionally preposterous, efforts to explore Lincoln’s psyche. Nor does this flow seem to be diminishing. We are about to launch into a grand national celebration of the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth that may eclipse all such previous commemorations.

For a country said to be uninterested in its past, this would seem to be a giant exception to the rule. There are few if any decisive new facts remaining to be unearthed. There continue to be bands of Lincoln assassination enthusiasts who find it irresistible to speculate about what did or did not happen those fateful days in the spring of 1865. But they don’t explain the passionate interest in the man.
__________________________

1 mysterious, puzzling
2 caused to happen
3 secret

1
Select the correct answer.
Which evidence in the text best supports the inference that the Civil War occurred because Lincoln was elected president?