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Abraham Lincoln Political Party: Republican First term: March 1861- March 1865 Vice President: Hannibal Hamlin Second term: March 1865- April 1865 Vice President: Andrew Johnson

I think that President Lincoln deserves an A+ for his presidency because he was one of the best presidents America has had. When he stepped into office his first days there were already 7 states that had seceded from the Union. He helped save the Union and helped keep the South from seceding. He also signed the Emancipation Proclamation which forever freed the slaves in the Confederate. He helped America through one of the toughest times throughout history, the Civil War.

One of Lincoln’s biggest goals entering office was to save the Union. He wanted to reunite the south back into the Union. There were 7 states that had already seceded when he entered office and shortly after that 4 states followed. Later on in the war, he changed the war from fighting about saving the Union to fighting about eliminating slavery. So, that became one of his goals later. Also, some of his military goals included. Those goals became accomplished when in the middle of the war he issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed all of the slaves. Some of his other goals were to enforce the American laws while all this was going on and he also wanted to win the Civil War. He wanted the North to use its better economy and larger population to win the war. The North set up a blockade in the South so that they couldn’t trade with England. Overall this goal was accomplished too because at the end of his term the North had won the war and the Southern states were starting reconstruction.

Lincoln had a great relationship with Congress. Since Lincoln was a Republican and so was the majority of Congress it helped them get along even better. Lincoln only used his powerful veto strength four times throughout his whole presidency. One main time was when he pocket-vetoed the Wade-Davis Bill. Although he did veto that there were many times when he did sign the legislature. He passed the Homestead Acts where they gave out public land to people that were about to become citizens in America. He also approved the Pacific Railroad Acts which then led to the first continental railroad. He also then set up the National Bank Acts. Congress definitely had the same thoughts on issues that came up during the Civil War which really helped with their relationship which overall was a very good one.

The most positive outcome that came out of Lincoln’s presidency would have to be the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. When he signed that document he set free all of the slaves in the Confederacy. Who knows when the slaves would have become free if it weren’t for Lincoln. He said if there were one thing that America would remember him for it would be that. Also, after he signed that he reunited the Union which was also a great outcome of Lincoln’s presidency. He essentially brought America back together. Lincoln did not have many negative outcomes of his presidency. There were no big decisions that Lincoln made that overall hurt the Nation. He passed the Tyrannical Acts but that still had no significant negative outcome to the Nation.

Lincoln was a president that definitely changed America and made a difference for future administration. Without Lincoln the South might still have slaves and who knows the South could have still been seceded from the Union. When Lincoln entered office the Union was divided and everything was a mess. When he was assassinated the South was still working out their reconstruction plan but there were no slaves anymore and the Union was in the process of being put back together. Lincoln died before he could help drastically with the reconstruction of the South. So when he died he was remembered as one of the best Presidents of the U.S. and that is why he deserves an A+ for his presidency.

Bibliography: "Abraham Lincoln |." //The White House//. Web. 31 Oct. 2009. <[]

"Presents Abraham Lincoln." //The History Place//. Web. 25 Oct. 2009. <[]>. Web. 31 Oct. 2009.

"Abraham Lincoln Biography - Biography -." //Biography.com//. Web. 31 Oct. 2009. <[]>.