What was the tipping point that caused the Southern states to secede and start the Civil War?

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The election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency in November 1860 caused the Southern states to secede, which ultimately started the Civil War. Lincoln belonged to the newly formed Republicans, a party which had abolition in its platform. Not surprisingly, Lincoln did not win a single Southern electoral vote in the election. But it didn't matter. With a Republican candidate winning the election without even one Southern vote, the South realized it no longer had substantive political power and slavery was in real jeopardy. South Carolina was the first to secede in December, and by Lincoln's inauguration in March 1861, six other states had seceded (Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas). Four more states followed in May (Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina), within a month of the opening shots of the war at Ft. Sumter.

What Was the Tipping Point That Caused the Southern States