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= **Abraham Lincoln** = Born: February 12, 1809 Died: April 15, 1865 = = Political Party: Whig, Republican Dates in Office: March 4, 1861-March 4, 1865 March 4, 1865-April 15, 1865 Vice President: Hannibal Hamlin (1861-1865) Andrew Johnson (1865)

Abraham Lincoln had the hard task of leading the country through the internal crisis of the civil war. He did many great things for our country to help keep the union united. His efforts were greatly appreciated by future presidents to come. For this, Lincoln deserves a B+.

Lincoln's views were appealing to many people. His views on slavery were seen as more moderate than his opponents. He was also liked because of his western origins. His opponents in the election were Stephen A. Douglas, John C. Breckinridge, and John Bell. He won entirely from the support in the north. In fact, he wasn't even on the ballot in 9 of the states in the south. Lincoln won the majority if the electoral vote, but only 40% of the popular vote.

Lincoln had many goals coming into his presidency, many of which were stated in his inaugural address. His main goal was to keep the union together. He didn't want to interfere with slavery, but if he must, it is only to help the union. He stated in his inaugural address,"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." Lincoln's goal was proven to be difficult, when South Carolina and six other states seceded.

Lincoln's relationship with congress was very good. He was well liked by many because those who didn't like him or his views went and joined the confederacy government. Southern Democrats, were mainly the ones who left, so the majority party was republicans. One of Lincoln's domestic policies included the Homestead Act. This act allowed poor people in the East to obtain land in the West. He also signed the National Bank Act, which established a national currency and allowed the creation of a network of national banks. He also signed a bill that chartered the first transcontinental railroad. Lincoln's foreign policy focused on preventing foreign intervention during the civil war. The Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1st, 1863, which freed the slaves in the territories that were not already under union control. Lincoln was so sure of the Emancipation Proclamation. He stated, "I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right, than I do in signing this paper."

Lincoln and congress started to disagree when in came to the decisions made in the reconstruction era. Lincoln proposed his 10% plan, in which a state could be admitted back into the union if 10% of its voters took a pledge and oath of allegiance to the United States. Congress on the other hand, wanted a 50% plan, which was known as the Wade-Davis Bill. They wanted 50% of their voters to pledge and take an oath of allegiance in order to be admitted back into the union. Lincoln vetoed the Wade-Davis bill.

The actions that had the most positive outcome during Lincoln's presidency were the Emancipation Proclamation and the thirteenth amendment. The Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in parts of the United States that were under rebellion. The thirteenth amendment took it one step further and abolished slavery. This action would forever change our country. This was quite a surprise to many because Lincoln had not originally set out to deal with slavery, even though he was strongly opposed to it. Thanks to Lincoln, blacks were no longer required to be slaves and work hard continuously for no pay.

Lincoln didn't really have any massive mistakes. Some believe that his 10% plan was much to forgiving and not thought out well enough. He did not really do anything that put the country in significant danger. It is believed that he should not have allowed the state back into the nation because of the behavior and bad manner that they had presented.

The passing of the thirteenth amendment definitely forever changed the future. Who knows what future presidents would have done about slavery if Lincoln had not abolished it. On April 15th, 1865, Lincoln's second term ended when he was assassinated by racist John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre. So, it is unsure as to what else Lincoln had in mind for the country.

The country was not in the best shape when Lincoln left it, however it is not known how the country would have been at the end of his second term. It may have been in great shape, had he been given the opportunity to fix it in the next four years of his term. Therefore, due to the issues that the government was left to face, dealing with reconstruction, the country was not in great shape. Since the condition of the country is reflected back on the president, Lincoln does not deserve an A. However, due to his noble efforts and the passing the the thirteenth amendment, Lincoln deserves a B+.

Bibliography: "Abraham Lincoln." __Wikipedia__. 22 Mar 2009. 24 Mar 2009 . "An Overview of Abraham Lincoln's Life." __Abraham Lincoln Research Site__. 29 Dec 1996. 24 Mar 2009 . Kennedy, David, Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas Bailey. __The American Pageant__. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company: 2002.