Maryland found itself trapped by the war. The state was split. They were clearly tied economically to the North but culturally to the South. By 1860, 49.1% of Maryland's black population was free. But Maryland's Southern and Eastern counties had a history of over 200 years of using slaves in growing tobacco and other crops. This put them in a difficult position. Their politicians had worked hard to prevent government from interfering with slavery in their counties. In the 1860 presidential election, Lincoln did not receive a single vote from these counties. This was in spite of the fact that Lincoln promised not to interfere with slavery in the states where it already existed. But the Maryland legislature never considered a resolution to secede from the Union. The governor suggested calling a convention to consider secession, but the legislature ignored his request. 