Abraham Lincoln’s presidency impacted America in various ways, some for the best and others, for worse. Before his presidency, Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer and a state representative. Lincoln wanted to take a higher position in politics so he ran to become a senator in Illinois. Lincoln came in strong and truthful, stating that he was antislavery which wasn’t well liked in the south. His opponent, Douglas, opted for popular sovereignty. Unfortunately for Lincoln, he didn’t win. However Lincoln did benefit a lot from running for senator. Since Lincoln took the chance of running for senator in Illinois it made him know nationwide because of his beliefs which made him the face of moral antislavery. Lincoln believed that slavery is wrong and it shouldn’t be any more however, he wasn’t an extremist or and abolitionist. Lincoln ended up taking his “fame” and running for president of the United States. Many citizens of the United States did not want Lincoln to become president, majority of those people being in the south. Lincoln’s beliefs were not well liked within the southern states. However Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860 making him the 16th president of the United States. But with becoming president, Lincoln had to try to keep the United States as one …show more content…
At Fort Sumter in South Carolina on April 12-14, 1861, Confederates opened fire on Union soldiers. Fort Sumter was a focal point of the secession for both the North and the South. Fort Sumter held important symbolism for either side concerning this conflict. This incident is what started the American civil war. After Fort Sumter, the defenses on both side become stronger and Lincoln started to ask people up north to volunteer for the war. While this chaotic scene was going on, the upper southern states also seceded. Those states were: Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, and North
Fort Sumter is located in Charleston, South Carolina. The fort is in Charleston’s harbor. The fort was not even complete when war broke out. This was a big turning point for the United States of America. It separated the north from the south and in some cases it separated families. This war would impact how the United States saw slavery. It is the most deadly war that the United States has every seen in its history.
In the spring 1861, years of building tensions between the northern states and southern states resulted in the American Civil War. In 1680 an anti-slavery Republican, Abraham Lincoln was elected president causing seven southern states to secede from the union. These seven states included--Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas--. These seven states formed the Confederate States of America. The American Civil War lasted from April 12, 1861 to May 9, 1865 and claimed more than roughly 620,000 lives.
The American Civil War was fought between the North (The Union) and the South (The Confederates), because of the South wanting to secede from the North. Lincoln's election as president in 1860, triggered southerners' decision to secede believing Lincoln would restrict their rights to own slaves. Lincoln stated that secession was "legally void" and had no intentions of invading the Southern states, but would use force to maintain possession of federal property. Despite his pleas for the restorations of the bonds of union, the South fired upon the federal troops stationed at Fort Sumter, in Charlestown, Virginia. This was the event that decided the eventual beginning of the Civil War. Despite the advantages of Northerners, their victory in the ...
...l War officially ended on April 18th, 1865. Was it by chance the initial battle started at Fort Sumter? Did President Lincoln use the situation at the fort to gain support in the North? Or was the battle initiated by the Confederates to gain supporters in the South, knowing they had the advantage in this battle? Historian will debate this topic for years to come. One thing is for certain, the outcome of the Civil War resulted in the reunification of the United States. Sadly, it took a war to reunite the nation and that war began at the Battle of Fort Sumter.
His actions brought about great challenges for him, and the following fathers of our country. would go through the sand. The combination of both races and more freedoms would stir trouble for many years to come. Although his actions stopped slavery, it didn't stop the harsh treatment of the black race, which has been carried out for decades. Lincoln's Presidency was dominated by the war.
On December 20, 1860, South Carolina made a decision to secede from the United States Union. A few days later, from Charleston, South Carolina over 50 federal troops took off to Fort Sumter. Fort Sumter is an island in the Charleston Harbor which was considered part of the Northern United States government. However, southerners from South Carolina thought it belonged to the new Confederacy. Four months later, the earliest Civil War engagement took place on this disputed soil.
One of Lincoln’s most famous quotes is “A House divided against itself cannot stand.” This describes his presidency well- focusing on maintaining the Union. In the beginning, Lincoln tried to stay out of sensitive affairs involving the North and South in an attempt to keep them together, promising the South little interference. Despite this, he played a key role in passing the Thirteenth Amendment, doing whatever it takes to end slavery for good and ending the Civil War.
The Civil War began on April 12, 1861 at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor when the Confederate army attacked Union soldier and ended on May 9, 1865 with a Union Victory. There are many events, laws, and people that provoked the Civil War. The two most important causes are slavery and the expansion of the United States causing an unbalance of free and slave states. This essay examines major events that initiated the war starting from the Compromise of 1820 to the election of 1860 and proves how the Civil War was inevitable.
middle of paper ... ... Six other states, which included Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas, followed in suit by seceding from the Union. With South Carolina, they formed the Confederate States of America. The six events leading up to the Civil War—the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848, the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852, the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, the Dred Scott Decision of 1857, John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry in 1859, and the outcome of the Presidential Election of 1860—created conditions where Southerners felt the need to secede from the United States (they felt that their “way of life” was being threatened), as well as created conditions where the Northerners decided to go to war It is not surprising, however, that the Civil War occurred; since the Industrial Revolution, the Industrial North had always been different than the Agricultural South.
Lincoln’s assassination damaged the north’s and south’s relationship, increasing the north’s hate toward the south. His death gave the Radical Republicans more freedom to punish the south. And it put Andrew Johnson in charge who also wanted to punish the south and had a very bad relationship with the Congressmen. Without President Lincoln, the process of reconstruction took 12 years. If Lincoln were still alive during that time maybe many of the things that happened wouldn’t have. He could’ve controlled the Radicals, saved the relationships of the north and south, stopped much of the racism and racial groups like the KKK, and President Johnson wouldn’t have been in charge. In conclusion, Lincoln’s untimely death had a massive impact on slowing down reconstruction.
Abraham Lincoln’s greatest challenge during his presidency was preserving the Union during the Civil War after the Southern states seceded from the Union. There were many dividing issues in the U.S. before his election in 1860, and his presidential victory was the final straw that led to the Civil War. The North and the South were already separating due to regional differences, socially, politically, culturally, and economically. Slavery was one of the biggest factors that led to the division between the North and the South. Preserving the Union while half of the country refused to regard federal law while in secession was extremely challenging, yet Abraham Lincoln decided to fight war against the South not only for the sake of abolishing slavery, but most importantly for the sake of preserving the Union. He was dedicated to fighting for the equality of all men in the U.S., as mentioned in his famous Gettysburg Address: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." He used this to argue a basic point: if all men are created equal, then all men are free. His House Divided speech showed his determination to keep the...
The United States has experienced significant transformation under the leadership of different presidents and Abraham Lincoln is one of the most celebrated agents of change in American history. Lincoln became the head of state in November 1860 prior to the civil war. He was the 16th president born in February 1809. His achievements from the first day of his presidency to the day of his assassination have portrayed him as one of the key contributors to the history of the nation. This paper will focus on the main aspects of Lincoln’s leadership to demonstrate how he impacted the history of the nation during and after his tenure as the U.S president. His main
President Lincoln was elected into presidency at a horrible time for the country but he still fought to do the best he could. After the civil war the main focus of Lincoln was to rebuild the North but still keep the South happy. His plans consisted of making the North's reconstruction a main focal point and distributing 10% of the damages done to the south to aid their reconstruction. President Lincoln thought that the states that seceded last should be given less guilt than the ones who seceded first. He gave more money to Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Virginia and he treated them better because they were the last to secede. Along with his plans for reconstruction came the Radical Republicans who were a small minority in congress. They were very strict on giving all rights to African Americans and wanted to punish the south. All of these ideas and plans for Lincoln were all good ideas and could have been successful but they came to an abrupt end when Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865.
Abraham Lincoln is regarded by many Americans as the greatest president to ever hold office in the history of the United States, and his reputation is definitely well deserved. Lincoln wasn't scared to stand up and fight for what he knew was right. He was convinced that within the branches of government, the presidency alone was empowered not only to uphold the Constitution, but also to protect, and defend it. Lincoln was able to lead our country and preserve the Union, keeping the United States from splintering during the devastating times of the Civil War. As President, he built the Republican Party into a strong national organization, and he rallied most of the northern Democrats to the Union cause. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that changed the war into a battle for freedom and declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy. That November, Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address, which stated how a country must be dedicated to human freedom in order to survive. He dedicated the battlefield to the soldiers who had perished, and called on the living to finish the task the dead soldiers had begun. (Donald, 1995) Lincoln believed that democracy could be a lasting form of government. He showed a nobility of character that had worldwide appeal, and he was a man of great integrity. However, Lincoln was not only the 16th president of the United States, he was an American hero. Lincoln was a well-rounded individual and he had numerous outstanding qualities. However, it is important to remember that Lincoln also led a private life, complete with close friends and family.
Abraham Lincoln (12 Feb. 1809-15 Apr. 1865) the 16th president (civilwar.org) of the United States of America was one of the main public persons that influence the civil war in many aspects. Even though the civil war may have been the last resource the nation had, it could be argue that Lincoln’s governments try its best to find a different solution. The civil war was a conflict that destroyed the nation; it perhaps could have been avoided if the second party had work for a solution. But it is true that maybe both parts could have looked out for the benefits of the people as a whole instead of their personal benefits. Lincoln principal positive effect on the civil war was actually before and during the war when Lincoln’s government had many attempts to prevent the confrontation, and when this one began he took the right decisions to win the war. One of the biggest effects on the civil war was the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which gave the slaves their liberty. Many would agree is that Abraham’s Lincoln effect on the civil war was positive but Lincoln made many mistakes or misjudgments during the war as well. Perhaps the biggest mistake Lincoln did was underestimating the South what caused many unnecessary deaths. He also did had misjudgments that cause many causalities. Since the beginning of time humanity has fought for what they thought was right. In April 12 of 1861(civilwar.org) The US would begin a fight for civic and moral rights, a civil war that perhaps was the last option for a country to reunite its values. Abraham Lincoln was the president of the time and the person the influence the most the course the war took. I strongly believe that Lincoln’s decisions influence or had more positive effects on the country. Being the president at times like the civil war is without doubt it is one of the toughest jobs, and one way or another there is going to be correct and incorrect decisions but I can agree president Lincoln did what he thought it was the best at that moment.