You may know him as the "Man on the Penny," but do you really know how much he contributed in the Civil War?
1860 - The Election of Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln campaigned against slavery, also known as "anti-slave." However, he said he wouldn't take slavery away from the states that had it already. Instead, he would stop it from spreading west. Lincoln also supported a big, controlling, central government. He was considered a Federalist, better known as a Republican. During the election, Lincoln won every northern state, but (as you could guess) didn't win any southern states. He won the election because the majority of the U.S.'s population was in the north. Their electoral vote was much larger than the south's. The southerners were furious! Almost immediately, they began to secede from the country. South Carolina was the first state to successfully secede, followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. All the southern states that seceded became the Confederate States of America. Lincoln's election was a direct cause of the south seceding from the Union. They thought they didn't have any other option. But the crazy thing is that the U.S. didn't recognize them leaving at all! |
During Presidency
Lincoln was adamantly against three things. The first one was states holding more power than the country. He believed in a big, controlling, central government, so this really became a issue when trying to win over the southern states. He was also against slavery. He thought it was an absolute horror, but he never thought "negroes" would ever become equal to white men. The final thing Lincoln was against was war. However, he knew it was the only option. But he did have a goal during the war; to bring the Union back together. "If all do not join now to save the good old ship of the Union this voyage nobody will have a chance to pilot her on another voyage. |
Legacy
Lincoln has a legacy that most people still remember to this day. You've probably have heard of the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln made this famous announcement, and decreed that all current slaves in the Confederate States were free. But he did not make slavery illegal. He was also a very famous speaker. His numerous speeches include the Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural speech. The Gettysburg Address honored the soldiers that died at the Battle of Gettysburg, and his second inaugural speech was all about rebuilding the nation. You also probably know that he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth while watching a play on Good Friday. "One section of our country believes slavery is right, and ought to be extended, while the other believes it is wrong, and ought not to be extended." "I hold that in contemplation of universal law, and of the Constitution, the Union of these states is perpetual. |