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Born: February 12, 1809 Died: April 14, 1865 Political Party: Republican, Union Party Term of Office: 1861-1865 Vice Presidents: Hannibal Hamlin (1861-1865), Andrew Johnson (1865)
 * Abraham Lincoln**

If Abraham Lincoln and his administration were to be graded, they would receive an A. Most consider Lincoln to be the best President of all time, and for good reason. Building the Republican Party, handling the Civil War well, and abolishing slavery contribute to this grade.

As stated in his Inaugural Address, Lincoln’s main goal was to preserve the Union. At first he wanted to keep the issue of slavery out of the war and declared that he was not fighting to free the slaves. Lincoln stated, “I have no purpose directly, or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.” A war against slavery would have led the border states to help the south, possibly jeopardizing victory. However, this would later change after the Union victory at Antietam gave Lincoln an opportunity to unveil the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln achieved his goals by unifying the country after the Civil War and abolishing slavery.

Lincoln’s relationship with Congress was good. If Lincoln disagreed, he was not afraid to use his power to veto, and he extended executive power by suspending Habeas Corpus during the war. When the confederate states seceded, the Republicans in Congress were able to pass Republican legislature with ease. During the war they passed the Morrill Tariff, the Pacific Railroad Act, and the Homestead Act. There were some disagreements between moderate and radical Republicans during the time of reconstruction.

The best decision to come out of Lincoln’s Presidency was the Emancipation Proclamation. Although it was extremely difficult to enforce, the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in the Confederate States and was a huge step in abolishing slavery. African Americans fled to the Union and enlisted in the army, also helping the Union’s war effort. The Proclamation did not free the slaves that existed in the Union, but it shifted the cause of the war from preserving the Union to ending slavery. Not many negative decisions came from Lincoln. Some consider his extreme decisions during the war as negative, such as suspending habeas corpus. These decisions were necessary to ensure victory and Lincoln realized this.

Winning the Civil War and emancipating the slaves would influence future President Andrew Johnson and the lives of future generations. Johnson assumed the responsibility of reconstructing the nation and agreed with Lincoln’s policy of admitting the Confederate States with ease. This came with opposition from radical Republicans in Congress who wanted to make the south pay and the south who didn’t want to share political power with former slaves. Johnson faced difficulty during the time of reconstruction, but winning the war preserved the Union and started the abolition of slavery in America.

The country was much better off at the time of Lincoln’s assassination. Lincoln took office during a time of war and secession, but preserved the Union and freed the slaves. This is why Abraham Lincoln and his administration deserve an A.

Bibliography:

“Abraham Lincoln | The White House.” The White House. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2010. http://www.whitehouse.gov/about.presidents/abrahamlincoln.

Degregorio, William A.. The complete Book of U.S. Presidents, Seventh Edition (Complete Book os Us Presidents). 7 ed. Fort Lee: Barricade Books, 2009.

T. Bailey, D. Kennedy. T. Baileys, D. Kennedy’s The American Pageant 12th( twelfth) edition(The American Pageant: A History of the Republic, 12th edition [Hardcover])(2001). 12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Print.