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Abraham Lincoln

February 12, 1809 Hodgenville, Kentucky- April 15, 1865 Petersen House, Washington D.C.

Political Party: Republican (1856 on)

1st Term: March 4, 1861-March 4, 1865, 2nd Term: March 4, 1865-April 15, 1865

Vice Presidents: Hannibal Hamlin (March 4, 1861- March 4, 1865), Andrew Johnson (March 4, 1865- April 15, 1865)

Thematic Content Civil war was brewing long before the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. Disputes about slavery had slowly been separating the North and South for years. More and more Northerners began to call for the abolishment of slavery. Uncle Tom’s Cabin - displaying the cruelties of slavery and its immoral roots - took off in America and in Europe. As literature erupted in the Northern states, the Southern ones continued with the process that had been bringing them profit for hundreds of years: using slaves as servants on plantations and in their homes. Conflict was inevitable. The South, seeing the election of Abraham Lincoln as a chance to secede from the Union, separated themselves for good. The Confederate States of America became a separate entity, and the Civil War of America had begun. Bloody and widespread, it ravaged America. When the smoke finally cleared in 1865, the Union had won, and the Emancipation Proclamation had been given by Lincoln, freeing slaves in the South. Though it took many years, African Americans were all awarded rights, and Amendments 13, 14, and 15 were added, solidifying voting and civil rights for freed slaves and all blacks.

Thesis Statement Regarded as one of the greatest president’s in our country’s history, Abraham Lincoln held the strength of the nation at a crucial time. Though the South had agreed to formally secede from the United States, he refused to acknowledge them as a separate country. His presidency was dedicated to restoring the Union and preserving unity between the states. Exercising his executive power, and ending slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln’s effort to hold together a country that was falling apart is to be celebrated. After his assassination, Lincoln’s legacy and policy continued to live on throughout the nation. That signifies a great president, and for that, Lincoln’s administration deserves an A.

Goals During Presidency Certainly, the most important problem Lincoln planned to conquer during his presidency was the preservation of the Union. His main focus was to exhibit executive power to knock-out the Confederate rebellion as quickly as he could. Saving the Union would be vital in the future of America, and Lincoln would not allow the great uprising nation to be forever split into two. He also planned to end slavery, which he set to action during his presidential term, and even after his presidency had ended. This goal took more than just one presidency, but he took steps in just over four years to end the long-waged fight about having slaves or not having slaves, which was immensely important to our country in the long-run.

Relationship with Congress The balance of Republicans vs. Democrats in the 37 th  and 38 th <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> was clearly shifted toward the Republican side, favoring Lincoln with many of his decisions. As many of the democrats of the nation were separated from the United States in their Confederate secession, support for Lincoln in terms of party was heavily favoring Lincoln’s Republican Party. The House of Representatives and the Senate on his side, Lincoln easily exhibited his presidential power with things like the Emancipation Proclamation. If Democrats disagreed with his policy, the Republicans in Congress would generally outnumber them, as was shown in Lincoln’s suspension of Habeas Corpus in 1862. President Lincoln hardly had time to create a relationship with the 39 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">th <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Congress during the beginnings of his second term before he was assassinated, but again, the Republican numbers were significantly higher in Congress than the Democratic ones.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Positive Action <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Naturally, the most positive action that came from the presidency of Abraham Lincoln was the Emancipation Proclamation. It had the most permanent effects, changing the face of the South from an inhumane slave territory to a free land that mirrored the North. Lincoln began as a quiet hater of slavery, but as the Civil War took effect, and after the decisive battle of Antietam, Lincoln started to draft the document he would call the Emancipation Proclamation. Geared to prevent anti-slavery nations from joining hands with the South, his document that would free over 20,000 slaves immediately was essential in knocking out foreign aid to the Confederacy. European nations were in affect stopped from intervening into the war from this point on. It led to more and more rights and acceptance for African Americans, something many Northerners had been looking for for years. Though its effects were not all immediately felt, it was used as a stepping stone for years and decades to come, even eventually being noted by Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960’s.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Negative Actions <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Clearly the most negative action during the administration of Lincoln was the Civil War itself. At first striving to avoid such a conflict, Lincoln entered the war between the states in 1861 after the attack on Fort Sumter. The Civil War became the bloodiest in American history, causing almost 800,000 casualties. It ripped the seams of a country that was already near torn. Although it was a necessary action, and seemed to be inevitable, the war ripped families apart, and caused the issue of readmission into the Union when it finally ended. War may not have been the clear answer on how to repair the country, but it seemed as if it was the only way to end arguments back and forth for good. Certainly both sides had tried to “compromise” numerous times, battling over which states would be slave states, and which states would not. A civil war seemed to be an extreme consequence of battling states North and South, but it also seemed to be the only way to resolve it.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Influential Decision <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Again, the Emancipation Proclamation was the most influential and important decision in Abraham Lincoln’s career as a politician. It //influenced// the future of America more than most any other president’s decisions. Its importance is and was inevitable. It ended an age, and began another: the age where color was not an issue, and blacks were treated the same as whites. This seems to be one of the defining moments in American history, and certainly for blacks in America. For the first time, they were to be treated just like the white men. It was revolutionary. Without this document, slavery could have continued on for an unknown amount of time. It was morally acceptable in the South, and the war may have been fought with no positive outcomes. Though it was not fought to end slavery, the Civil War became the war to end slavery once the Emancipation Proclamation was penned.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Conclusion <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Abraham Lincoln is known to be one of the greatest American presidents for good reason. He stepped into office at a time of need for the country, and, overall, stepped out with the ship more righted than it had been at the beginning of his presidency. He faced the immense task of attempting to keep American unity, as well as the issue of whether slavery would be or would not be. Although beginning the most devastating war in our country’s history, Lincoln set things in the correct direction for the future. Even after his assassination in 1865, he remained a martyr for civil rights and the abolishment of slavery. He did his best to turn a broken nation into a unified one again. Certainly, Lincoln deserves to be praised as a very successful Commander-in-Chief, going through hardships for the good of the nation’s future.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Works Cited:

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Abraham Lincoln - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. <[]>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">"American Civil War." //Wikipedia//. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Oct. 2012. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. <[]>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Emancipation Proclamation." //Wikipedia//. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Oct. 2012. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. <[]>.