CWR - Abraham Lincoln's Presidency (Lesson)
Abraham Lincoln's Presidency
Abraham Lincoln’s election to the presidency in 1860 immediately led to the secession of a number of states. Throughout the Civil War and ultimately his entire presidency Lincoln struggled to preserve the union of the United States. Two of his most famous speeches demonstrated his desire to reunify the states. While Lincoln did not believe the Confederacy was a separate nation-- just states in rebellion-- he expanded presidential powers while trying to reunite the nation.
Habeas Corpus
Habeas corpus is the legal precedent of the accused being taken before a judge to determine their imprisonment. The president of the United States can legally suspend the right of habeas corpus in times of a national emergency. While Lincoln had numerous supporters, and many Northerners were for the war against the South, there were numerous Southern sympathizers for whom the suspension of habeas corpus was intended. During the course of the war the habeas corpus rights of thousands of Americans were suspended as a measure of war. Lincoln believed his use of the suspension of habeas corpus was justified in his efforts to end the war and reunite the country.
The Emancipation Proclamation
The birth of the Republican Party centered around common beliefs to stop the spread of slavery. Members of other political parties who believed in abolition or ending the spread of slavery joined together to form the basis of the Republican Party. When elected president, Lincoln believed he could only prevent the spread of slavery and therefore would not abolish slavery. However, as the Civil War raged on, Lincoln saw the emancipation – or freeing – of African-American slaves was an important measure to end the war and reunite the nation. Following the historical deadly Battle of Antietam, Lincoln used his presidential powers to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation did not end slavery in the United States or in the Confederate States of America. As president, Lincoln had no authority to end slavery or amend the U.S. Constitution. However, with his role as Commander in Chief of the United States military he could issue an order to be followed in those states in rebellion. The Emancipation Proclamation was intended to also encourage slaves to escape North (or to Union lines) for freedom. The proclamation also was widely accepted by free Africans and pro-abolitionists in the North.
Lincoln’s use of the Emancipation Proclamation gave the war a moral purpose and also foretold that the war would have to be fought to a bitter end because of this moral purpose. Additionally, the proclamation bolstered abolitionist support for the war at a time when Northern support was lagging because of Union losses in the war.
In fact the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t free any slaves in the South because Lincoln had no control there and none in the border states where Lincoln did have control but was unwilling to enforce it because he didn’t want to give the border states any reason to secede since he had to have their support and their troops to win the war. The proclamation sent a message to all of the states of his intention to end slavery.
The Gettysburg Address
Following the devastating Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, a ceremony was held to dedicate a cemetery for those who died in battle. The organizers of the ceremony called upon the greatest speaker of the time to deliver an address to those gathered; his name was Edward Everett. Today we do not remember Everett’s nearly two-hour speech; instead we remember a three-minute speech delivered by the second speaker of the event-- Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln would later applaud Everett for his speech and refer to his as a “failure.” However, Lincoln’s speech was far from a failure and today is consider one of the greatest speeches in American history.
“I should be glad, if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes.”
-Edward Everett in a letter to Abraham Lincoln
In his address, Lincoln did not speak of the war or the Battle of Gettysburg. He did not refer to a “North” or “South.” Instead, Lincoln called for help to preserve the union as an act of remembrance to those who had fallen and respect to the forefathers’ purpose in the country’s founding. He asked those in attendance to jointly resolve that “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Listen to the Gettysburg Address. Links to an external site.
Second Inaugural Address
As with his Gettysburg Address, Lincoln believed his Second Inaugural Address was not successful. However, this speech is a lasting legacy of his determination to preserve the Union and reach an amicable reunion and reconstruction following the war. At this point in the war Lincoln could have easily congratulated others and self-congratulated himself on the eventual victory of the Civil War. Instead, Lincoln expressed his remorse for the loss of lives, the devastation and the failure to end the war peacefully much earlier. He confirmed his realization that slavery was a “vast moral evil” and thus the war was justified in its efforts to end that practice. Moving forward, Lincoln called on Northerners to withhold their vengeance. Famously his words would set the tone for a lenient period of Reconstruction; “with malice toward none; with charity for all.”
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address is perhaps Lincoln's most famous speech. How well do you know it? Find out in the activity below.