16 Abraham Lincoln 1861 -1865 Honest Abe

#16 Abraham Lincoln 1861 -1865

“Honest Abe” Born: February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville KY. Parents: Thomas and Nancy (Hanks). Stepmother, Sarah Bush Wife: Mary (Todd) Lincoln Children: Robert, Edward, William, and Thomas (Tad)

Background n n n Abraham Lincoln was born to illiterate farmers on the Kentucky frontier. Abraham’s father was moderately successful and owned a several farms, but he was by no means successful. His family chose to move from Kentucky to Indiana to avoid a court battle over land rights. When he was nine years old, his mother Nancy died. Thomas remarried Sarah Bush shortly thereafter and young Abe came to care for her deeply. The Lincoln’s were against slavery.

Lincoln’s “Birthplace”

Background Continued n n Lincoln’s family moved again to Illinois, when he was 19. After a second move a few years later, Abe decided to move out on his own to New Salem Illinois. As a young man Lincoln worked on his father’s farm, and he hired himself out to neighbors for work as well. He was said to be extremely handy with an axe, and split hundreds of rails for fences. Lincoln attended school for about 18 months in his life. He was, however, a serious reader, and borrowed books from anyone he could.

Young Adulthood n n n In 1831, Abe was hired to build a flatboat and take it and a load of produce to New Orleans. In New Salem, Lincoln split rails, worked at a store, and developed and interest in politics. He enlisted in the state militia as a private during the Black Hawk War, and was elected captain by his fellow soldiers. He commanded a company, but never saw action. He was mustered out of service as a private again.

Marriage in 1842

Marriage and Mary Todd n n n Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd in 1842, when she was 23 and he was 33. Mary Todd Lincoln was the daughter of a wealthy slaveholding family in Lexington, Kentucky. She was well educated and was thought to have a vibrant attitude, quick wit. Their relationship was thought to be good, but they experienced much sadness due to the loss of two son’s. For some time she practiced spiritualism. Mary Todd was institutionalized by her son Robert due to her increased mental instability.

Early Public Life n n n Lincoln ran for the Illinois General Assembly and lost when he was only 23 years old. Was admitted to the Bar in 1837. Lincoln taught himself law, and was an able lawyer, and expert at cross-examination. Lincoln served four consecutive terms in the Illinois House of Representatives. It was here that he first spoke out against slavery (although he did support a law granting suffrage to whites only).

Going National n n Lincoln was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives in 1846 and served 2 years. He questioned the justness of the Mexican War, and lost support. He did not run again in 1848.

Prairie Lawyer (with a patent) n n From 1848 to 1854, Lincoln went back to practicing law, traveling widely, appearing before the Illinois Supreme Court 175 times and the U. S Supreme Court once. Lincoln also received a patent for a device he designed to stabilize river craft.

Return to the National Stage n n n In 1854 Lincoln ran for the U. S. Senate as a Whig and lost. In 1856 Lincoln helped form the Republican Party, The party was made up of disenchanted Democrats, ex-Whigs, and Free. Soilers.

The Most Famous Debate in History n n In 1858 Lincoln Ran against Stephen Douglas for Senate. He did not win. During the campaign there were 7 debates. The format was that the first speaker had 60 minutes, the second had 90 minutes, and the first speaker got 30 minute “rejoinder”. Douglas spoke first in 4 of the debates, Lincoln in 3. The key issue was slavery, and Douglas appealed to white prejudices, while Lincoln discussed the hypocrisy of slavery, while dodging abolitionist charges.

Lincoln vs. Douglas

Running For President n n Lincoln won the Republican Nomination for president in 1860, in part due to his moderate views on slavery. His Republican opponents at the convention were more zealous abolitionists. Lincoln did not make one speech during the campaign, but the Republican Party members produced posters, made speeches, and ran an active campaign.

Election of 1860: The Most Important Ever* n n n In the election of 1860, there were 4 major candidates: Rep. Lincoln, Dem. Stephen Douglas, Dem. John Breckinridge, and John Bell of the Union Party. Lincoln received 1, 866, 452 votes, Douglas 1, 376, 959, Breckinridge 849, 781, and Bell 588, 789. In all, 2, 815, 527 people voted against Lincoln in the popular vote, but not for the same candidate. Lincoln was not even on the ballot in 10 Southern states. In the electoral college, Lincoln won 180 -123. *Opinion!

Election of 1860

To the White House (and that beard) n n Lincoln left Illinois believing that the task ahead of him was greater even than his hero George Washington (he was heavily guarded. Before the election, Lincoln received a letter from a little girl from New York, Grace Bedell, asking that he grow a beard. He did.

Personality n n n Lincoln was known as a man with a great sense of humor, who loved to tell funny stories, and pull practical jokes. Lincoln worked hard all his life, and had great admiration for self-made men such as himself. He had a tough relationship with his father in part because of this. Lincoln was prone to “melancholy” for much of his life. Most psychologists believe he probably suffered from clinical depression.

Personality Continued n n n As a young man Lincoln was quite strong and engaged in wrestling matches against many opponents, winning some and losing some. Lincoln was known as a sly politician, and for his quick wit. Lincoln’s reputation for honesty began with a story that he had borrowed a book from a neighbor that he had put in a knothole of his boyhood home. The book was soaked after a rain, and so he worked for weeks to pay for it.

Secession n n After Lincoln was elected, South Carolina seceded from the Union on December 20, 1860. Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas did so by February 1, 1861. When Confederate troops fired on Ft. Sumter, and Lincoln called for 75, 000 volunteers, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas also seceded, bringing the total of seceding states to 11. Kentucky, Delaware, Missouri, and Maryland did not secede, despite their status as slave states.

The C. S. A.

Civil War President n n Lincoln’s entire presidency was spent dealing with the Civil War and Reconstruction. Immediately Lincoln had problems with his generals. Throughout the war he had as commanders: Irvin Mc. Dowell, George Mc. Clellan, John Pope, Mc. Clellan again, Ambrose Burnside, Joseph Hooker, George Meade, and Ulysses S. Grant. None was effective except for Grant, who did not take complete command until 1864.

Grant

Civil War President n n n Lincoln worked diligently to familiarize himself with military tactics and technology. Union forces fared poorly in the war at first, with disastrous losses at both Battles of Bull Run, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. Even when the Union troops did well, they could not capitalize on their success in the Peninsula Campaign, Antietam, and Gettysburg.

Civil War President n n n Union troops were successful though, in the Western Campaigns at Shiloh and Vicksburg, the latter of which gave them control of the Mississippi. Eventually Lincoln realized that Grant is the right general to lead the whole Union Army. Grant adopts Winfield Scott’s Anaconda Plan, which he first put into place by capturing Vicksburg. He next sent William Tecumseh Sherman to capture Atlanta and then march to the Atlantic Ocean. Finally, he attacks Robert E. Lee in the vicious campaign of 1864. This campaign ended in the siege of Petersburg that summer.

Civil War President n n n Sherman captured Atlanta and marched to Savannah, and was in the process of invading the Carolinas by the Spring of 1865, using “total warfare”. Phillip Sheridan laid waste to the Shenandoah Valley, destroying much valuable farmland, again using ‘total warfare” The Army of the Potomac finally ended the siege of Petersburg, and eventually forced the Army of Northern Virginia to surrender at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865. The rest of the Confederates surrendered within a short while.

Surrender

The Hardships of Civil War Presidency n n The Civil War was the bloodiest war in U. S. history, and one of the bloodiest in all of history. It literally pitted families against one another, including the family of Lincoln’s own wife. The casualties in the Civil War were especially ghastly and Lincoln spent a great deal of time with the wounded. This effected him tremendously (Not to mention the death of his beloved son Willie, which occurred during the war).

Domestic Policy Lincoln had many important domestic policies that often go overlooked, such as: n The Revenue Act of 1861, which established the first tax, and the reworking of the same act in 1862. n Legal Tender Act of 1862 (first paper money) n Pacific Railway Acts of 1862 &1864, which eventually would lead to the Transcontinental Railroad. n Homestead Act of 1862, granting 160 acres of land to anyone willing to live on it and cultivate it for 5 years. n National Banking Acts, which strengthen federal banks.

Suspending Habeas Corpus n n Habeas Corpus is a writ of law that protects people from unlawful detention or arrest. President Lincoln suspended Habeas Corpus in 1862, in accordance with the suspension clause located in Article I of the Constitution.

Emancipation Proclamation n n Lincoln was initially hesitant to attempt to emancipate the slaves, fearing any such measure would turn the border states against the union and that Northerners who fought for sustaining the Union only, would also turn against him. After the Union “victory” at Antietam, Lincoln felt he had enough political capital to do it. The proclamation was made on September 22, 1862, and was put in effect on January 1, 1863. It only freed slaves in the states that were in rebellion, thus they were not actually free until Union troops got to them.

Reconstruction “Let em’ up easy. ” n n Lincoln favored an easy reconciliation with the South and wanted generous terms. He made the Amnesty Proclamation, which gave amnesty to anyone who had not held civil office in the C. S. A. , had not harmed Union P. O. W’s, and would sign a pledge of allegiance. Lincoln vetoed a measure that would make it harder for a state to rejoin the Union. In regards to the free slaves, Lincoln suggested colonization, but it was never seriously pursued due to expense.

Assassination n n President Lincoln attended a play called “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theater in Washington on April 14, 1865. He was killed there by John Wilkes Booth, a well known actor and Confederate spy. Lincoln was pronounced dead the next day. The assassination was part of the plot to kill not only Lincoln but also Secretary of State William Seward and Vice President Andrew Johnson. Lincoln was the first president to be assassinated.

Legacy n n n Lincoln is considered to be one of the top presidents of all time. His is one of four faces on Mt. Rushmore. Lincoln is known for his able presidency during the worst war in our history and the Emancipation Proclamation. He also supported the 13 th Amendment, but did not live to see it ratified. Some historians have minimized Lincoln’s freeing of the slaves, indicating that the slaves freed themselves by fleeing to the Union lines and then joining the Union Army. The establishment of the Homestead Act and the Pacific Railways Act were critical actions that helped extend America to the west. Lincoln is also remembered by historians as a shrewd politician. Lincoln is Lunsford’s second favorite president.