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Abraham Lincoln First Term: Republican 1861-1865 Vice President: Hannibal Hamlin Second Term: Union (Republican) 1865 (Died in 1865) Vice President: Andrew Johnson (Succeeded the presidency after Lincoln's presidency.) Lincoln’s law partner, William H. Herndon, said that, “When justice, right, liberty, the government, the Constitution, the Union, and humanity were involved… No man can move him.” Abraham Lincoln was great man who made smart, though questionable decisions, was passionate about his causes, and put an end to the slavery question. Lincoln deserves an A becasue he showed strong leadership during the Civil War, the Homestead Act, the Morrill Act, showed strong leadership during the Civil War, and issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

“Lincoln’s immediate goal was not only to liberate the slaves but also to strengthen the moral cause of the Union at home and abroad” (Bailey). Lincoln successfully liberated all of the slaves in the Confederte states. The moral cause of the Union was strengthened because the North united to free the slaves. Lincoln's main goals were to restore and preserve the Union as stated in his Gettysburg Address. Lincoln believed the South had never officially left the Union and wanted the South to be reintegrated into the Union. However, Lincoln was not successful in reintegrating the South into the Union because Congress shot down his "10 percent" Reconstruction plan. Lincoln was assassinated before he could successfully accomplish his goal of reintegrating the South into the Union.

Lincoln had a lot of power as president, especially because of the Civil War had divided the United States at that time. Lincoln also had a lot of power because the majority of Congress was Republican, which was Lincoln's party. "President Lincoln vetoed seven bills, of which two were regular vetoes and five were pocket vetoes. None were overridden. There were no vetoes in the first session of the Thirty-seventh Congress nor in the first session of the Thirty-ninth Congress. Lincoln’s two regular vetoes were to repeal that part of an act of Congress which prohibits the circulation of bank than five dollars within the District of Columbia and to provide for additional medical officers of the volunteer. Lincoln pocket-vetoed to amend an act entitled, “An act to establish and equalize the grades of line officers of the U.S. Navy”, to guarantee to certain States, whose governments have been usurped or overthrown, a republican form of government, to correct certain clerical errors in the internal revenue act, to repeal the eighth section of an act entitled, “An act in addition to the several acts concerning commercial intercourse between loyal and insurrectionary States, and to provide for the collection of captured and abandoned property, and the prevention of frauds in States declared in insurrection, and a bill in relation to certain railroads" (Abraham Lincoln). But, Lincoln signed most of the legislation presented before him and “Congress generally accepted or confirmed the president’s questionable acts.” Lincoln approved the Homestead Act (1862) and the Morrill Act (1862). The Homestead Act (1862) allowed settlers to quickly occupy the Great Plains post-war. The Morrill Act (1862) gave public land to each state based on congressional representation for agricultural and mechanical arts colleges (DeGregorio). Congress also approved of Lincoln suspending the writ of habeas corpus.However, post-war, Congress did not support Lincoln's "10 percent" Reconstruction plan because Republicans in Congress wnated to punish the South for leaving the Union. Although the Wade-Davis Bill was passed through Congress, Lincoln believed the South had never abandoned the Union, so he pocket-vetoed the Wade-Davis Bill.

The most positive action of the Lincoln Administration was that Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation declared that the slaves of the Confederate states were free. The Emancipation Proclamation "represented a major step toward the ultimate abolition of slavery in the United states and a "new birth of freedom"" (Emancipation Proclamation). The slaves of the Confederate states finally gained their long-fought freedom.

The most negative action of the Lincoln administration was that Lincoln went over Congress to push his own agendas. Although Congress usually approved his actions, Lincoln should have gotten approval before acting on what he thought was best for the country. Lincoln abused his power and “the most blatant abuse of Lincoln ’s power was his suspension of habeas corpus. The suspension of this constitutional guarantee, by which a person could not be imprisoned indefinitely without being charges with some specific crime, around much opposition throughout the country. Although Lincoln himself made no concentrated efforts to suppress political oppositions, the repeal of habeas corpus enabled overzealous civil and military authorities to imprison thousands of people who were vocal in their opposition to the war against the South. Lincoln ’s actions regarding habeas corpus led to the imprisonment of physicians, lawyers, journalists, soldiers, farms, socialites, draft resisters, and others” Lincoln put an end to slavery, which had been American tradition, through the Emancipation Proclamation. Through his presidency, all of the slaves in the Confederate states were freed. This affected all of the slaves of Confederate slaves because they would be forever free and would not have to answer to a master ever again. His actions caused Southern slave owners to be greatly upset. Southern slave owners were also upset because the Civil War had destroyed the South and reconstruction was needed. However, Republicans in Congress thought of the South as a traitor for abandoning the Union and felt that not rebuilding the South would serve as an effective punishment. Lincoln was pushing for reconstruction in the South previous to his assassination. This forced Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's Vice President during his second term, to take over the reconstruction effort. Johnson also had lenient views toward the South, agreeing with Lincoln, that the South had never formally left the Union.

The United States was better off after Lincoln's presidency. Lincoln successfully freed all of the slaves in the Confederate states. Lincoln deserves the rating of an A because he showed strong leadership during the Civil War, signed the the Homestead Act and the Morrill Act, showed strong leadership during the Civil War, issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and made great efforts to reintegrate the South (uniting the Union.)

Bibliography:

"Abraham Lincoln." __Senate.__ 31 October 2009 <[|www.senate/gov/reference/Legislation/Vetoes/.../LincolnA.pdf].>. "Abraham Lincoln’s Abuse of Power." __123HelpMe.com__. 28 Oct 2009 . Bailey, Thomas A, Cohen, Lizabeth, Kennedy, David M. “The American Pageant.” __Houghton Mifflin Company__. Twelfth Edition: New York, 2002.

DeGregorio, William A. “The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents.” __Barridcade Books__. Sixth Edition: New Jersey, 2005.

"Emancipation Proclamation." 27 October 2009. __Wikipedia.__ 30 October 2009

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