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__**Abraham Lincoln**__ // Political Party: Republican // //M//// arch 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865 // // Vice Presidents: Hannibal Hamlin (1861 – March 1865) and Andrew Johnson (March 1865 – April 1865)  Abraham Lincoln was a very influential and historic president. He set many precedents that our nation holds as a part of its current being. Lincoln deserves no less than an A- for his accomplishments in leading this great nation, such as his role in the Civil War, The Homestead Act of 1862, the Morrill Act of 1862, and the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation of 1862; all of which changed the course of American history.   // The goals set by Lincoln during his presidency were very clear. In his first inaugural address to the nation, America was on the verge of war. Lincoln proclaimed that he never had any intentions of interfering with the issue of slavery in the Southern states. He claimed that he would not institute any kind of conflict unless provoked to doing so. He also discussed secession and said that the states cannot physically separate. They will always and forever be a part of one continuous continent and it is up to the people to decide in which ways the North and the South will coexist, whether it is friendly or harsh. However, at the end of his speech, Lincoln stated that his overall goal was to “preserve, protect, and defend” the nation.

In Lincoln’s second inaugural address, the end of the war was nearing, and Lincoln stated that he wanted it to quickly pass. However, he also said that if God wanted the people to continue fighting for what was right, then he [Lincoln] had no right to stand in His way. But, at the end of Lincoln’s speech, he claimed that he wanted to finish the “work” that was being done and to bring the nation back together.

Lincoln’s relationship with Congress was a very interesting one. During a crucial time in the war, Lincoln made some very important decisions that would have required approval from Congress; however, he didn’t wait on Congress to issue those said decisions. For example, during the war, Lincoln declared a blockade in the waters of the South to prevent them from trading with other nations. Congress should have voted on this move; but Congress wasn’t in session, therefore they never voted on this major decision. This instance occurred frequently during the course of the Civil War. Lincoln made judgments such as increasing the size of the Union army, suspending the writ of habeas corpus, and giving $2 million to private parties to better the army; all of which were done without Congress getting involved. However, once Congress was in session all of Lincoln’s decisions were backed congressionally. This shows that Congress was very much on Lincoln’s side throughout the course of the Civil War. If this weren’t the case, the war probably would have gone on longer because not only would the North and South be fighting, but also Congress and Lincoln would probably have disagreements of their own.

There were many positive outcomes of Lincoln’s administration. One of which was the Homestead Act of 1862. This law was the first federal law stating that public lands were to be given to citizens, squatters, or soon to be citizens for free who were living on a land of at least 160 acres for at least five years. This law made for more migration to the Great Plains areas, especially after the Civil War.

Another positive outcome was the Morrill Act of 1862. This was a government granting of public lands to each state; the amount of land was proportionate to the amount of congressional representation that each state had. The land was to be sold by the state in order to finance agricultural and mechanical art colleges. This law shows Lincoln’s dedication to educating Americans and spreading Americans’ wealth of knowledge, even during times of war and unrest. Lincoln’s kind treatment towards the Border States can also be seen as a positive aspect of his presidency. These states include Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee. Their large populations and valuable goods to offer made them a valuable asset to have and the Lincoln did everything he could possibly do to keep them in good graces with the north.

However, the most positive aspect of Lincoln’s presidency was his role in the Civil War. Lincoln used what he knew about military strategy and economics to lead the Union to victory. One of his first moves was to initiate a federal naval blockade of southern ports. This disabled the Confederacy from trading with other nations to gain much needed supplies. During the war, the Confederate soldiers were always lacking the appropriate amounts of food, clothing, weaponry, and other basic needs due to this blockade. Lincoln also played a major role in choosing the appropriate leader of the Union army. One of the North’s largest disadvantages during the war was their lack of a proper military commander. The south had brilliant leaders such as Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee; both of which put a lot of pressure on the North’s army. The North’s methods of choosing a good leader were a sort of trial and error system. Lincoln first placed McDowell in the position; however, after the attacks at Fort Sumter and Bull Run, Lincoln was forced to make two major decisions. He initiated a military draft in order to fill the void of soldiers after many desertions and replaced McDowell with General McClellan. Lincoln ordered McClellan to overtake Richmond, the then capital of the Confederacy. However, McClellan was continuously unsuccessful in accomplishing this goal because he was overcautious. Lincoln continued to change generals, switching from Burnside, Hooker, and Meade, until finding a stable leader in General Ulysses S. Grant. Under the leadership of Grant and successful efforts made by General Sherman in the south, the Union was able to victoriously end the Civil War in 1865 when Richmond fell. The surrendering of Lee’s army at Appomattox signaled that the war was finished; Lincoln had won.

During the span of the war, after the battle at Antietam, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, one of his most famous decisions. In this document, Lincoln freed the slaves in the Confederate states only, a move that could be seen as negative to fellow Lincoln analysts. By freeing the slaves in the southern states only, some abolitionists saw this as a cowardly move. The south was already separate from the Union and the Emancipation Proclamation proved to be hard for the Union officials to enforce in an already rebelling territory. Lincoln’s omission of the Border States also caused some complaints from critics because they claimed that Lincoln was trying to woo the Border States, which openly approved of slavery, by not including them in the Proclamation.

Most of Lincoln’s decisions influenced the administrations of future presidents. After wars come a reconstruction period. This can sometimes be seen as the hardest part of a war. Lincoln had many plans for reconstruction and many of the decisions that he made greatly affected reconstruction. However, just as reconstruction was commencing, John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln and the leading of this mighty effort was left up to Vice President Andrew Johnson. Decisions such as the Emancipation Proclamation also affected the lives of Americans. The combination of this document and the Civil War officially ended slavery in the United States forever, a movement that allowed for a ushering in of a whole new host of obstacles for the nation.

In conclusion, Lincoln’s presidency put quite the dent in American history. His prominent role in the Civil War, the Homestead Act, Emancipation Proclamation, and Morrill Act are all positive contributions that Lincoln made to the betterment of the nation. Even though every citizen didn’t approve of some decisions, Lincoln pushed through criticism in order to protect, preserve, and defend the integrity of America. Lincoln wholly deserves an A- for his constructive efforts as President of the United States.

** DeGregorio, William. __The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents__. Fort Lee: Barricade. 2005.
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