Based on historical perspective, the statement that best expresses why the southern states decided to secede from the union after the election of 1860 is that "they feared their economy would be destroyed without slave labor."
Following the presidential election of 1860 in which Abraham Lincoln, a Northern Politician, and Republican, won the majority, the southerners believed there would be abolition of slavery throughout the country, affecting their economy.
The economy of the South was based on agricultural plantations in which slaves were the means of managing the farmland.
Hence, in this case, it is concluded that the correct answer is "they feared their economy would be destroyed without slave labor."
Learn more about the Southern United States here: https://brainly.com/question/640349
