Abraham Lincoln's Presidency

Abraham Lincoln was very much found of learning new things and due to which, he had many political and professional experiences before he became the president of the United States. When he moved to Salem, he became very popular among the people due to his humble nature. To take his career to next level, he announced his candidacy in 1832 by publishing a letter in the Springfields Sangamo Journal ( McGovern 21). Announcing the candidacy, gave Abraham Lincoln a good sense of leadership and helps increase his interest in politics. Moreover, he used his leadership skills to suppress the riots caused by the Black Hawk Indian tribes, as he had no military experience. Lincoln participated in the very first election in his life at the Salem’s state

representative elections. He delivered a very good speech addressing the important issues at that time. As he said, “My politics are short and sweet, like the Old woman’s dance. I am in favor of a national bank. I am in favor of the internal improvement system and a high protective tariff. These are my sentiments and political principles. If elected I shall be thankful; if not it will be all the same”
( McGovern 22). In his speech, represented himself as a humble yet competitive person who wanted to bring a change in the Salem. He
2. The main conflict between North and South that led to war. What was the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)? The Dred Scott decision (1857)? Why did each one bring Lincoln out of private life and "rekindle" his political career?
The Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854, give the opportunity to the rich and powerful white supporters to practice slavery as long as the people of Kansas and Nebraska had no problem with it. As the Kansas and Nebraska act replaces the Missouri compromise of 1850 which prevents the slavery. The people who wanted to expand their profits by investing in slavery, sponsored Senator Stephen Douglas. Douglas was the chairman of the Territories committee and afterwards he passed the bill which divided the north and south territories of the Missouri River. As they become new states, the decision for keeping the was based on the popular sovereignty and give the local citizens the right to either keep the slavery or reject it. On the other hand, Lincoln saw this bill which favors the slave master and became the anti slavery leader of Illinois. As he delivered his first speech in October of 1854, he mentioned that, “ slavery represented a threat to the nation and assault on the vision of the founding fathers ( McGovern 38). This act give him a chance to come out from his political life and involved him more into the politics. As described in the book, “…it represented an opportunity for him to move from respected attorney and sometime politician to statesman and prominent national figure” ( McGovern 38). Due to which, Lincoln joined a new party named the Republican Party and this party used“Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable” ( McGovern 39).
The The Dred Scott decision (1857), was another important legal decision which rules in the favor of slavery. ‘In Dred Scott v. Sandford, Chief Justice Roger Taney, writing for a divided court held that a black slave who had been transported to a free state had no standing to sue for his freedom. “Negroes are beings of an inferior order, “wrote Taney, “…and altogether unfit to associate with the white race…they possessed no rights which the white man was bound to respect.” Further, wrote Taney in dictum, the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional insofar as it had outlawed slavery in the territories, for that prohibition violated the property rights clause of the Fifth Amendment. Taney’s ruling on the constitutionality of the Missouri Compromise was irrelevant, since that legislation had been invalidated by the Kansas-Nebraska Act, but that ruling was nonetheless significant” ( McGovern. 40). Taney described the African Americans don't have any rights to which a white man is bound and since he is not bound to any rights, he is not doing any unlawful thing. But Abraham Lincoln was against the Dred Scott decision, and he thought that this will help legalize the slavery everywhere in the other States. But after all the efforts and entrenches, the Sothern and the Northern States went on war with each other. He stretched the limits of his presidency by ordering a draft for the States who had failed to meet their volunteer quotas and issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
3. Why saving the Union was important. What arguments did Lincoln make against southern secession? In what ways did he repress civil liberties during the war and otherwise "stretch the limits of presidential authority"?
On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln made arguments about the southerners secession. During his inauguration, he provided ensured the Southern for their property and particularly about their slave ownership. As he said, ‘He saw no reason to speak of issues other than secession and the Union, he told the crowd of thirty thousand people assembled at the East Portico of the Capitol; no other issues caused “special anxiety; or excitement”’. “…their property, peace, and personal security “were in no danger.” (McGovern 55). This give the Southern States a scene of security form Abraham Lincoln that their constitutional rights are protected and safe under his presidency. He also stated that he had no intentions to end slavery in the States where it exists and he is not willing to interact with any of the affairs. In general, he was trying to maintain a peace between the northern and the southern States and to avoid the Civil war. But after all these efforts and providing securities to the Southern States, they went on war with the Northern State. Afterwards, Lincoln stretched his presidency by ordering a draft for the States who had failed to meet their volunteer quotas and he issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. As an instance,“Confederate states were in “actual armed rebellion against the authority and government of the United States,” and the measure was “a fit and necessary war measure” for suppressing that rebellion; Lincoln claimed the authority to free slaves only in those rebel states. Still, as with nearly everything he did, Lincoln faced criticism for his proclamation. He defended his action in a letter that was read aloud at rally in Springfield …’(McGovern 62). Because back in the days, slaves were considered as property and during the war, both enemies and friends can use the property for their advantages. Henceforth, the slaves were used as an army in the Northern side of the war to win over the Southerners.
4. Freeing the slaves. McGovern states that the Emancipation Proclamation "transformed the meaning of the war and redefined…the notion of freedom in America." What was Lincoln's early attitudes toward slavery and racial equality? On what grounds did he justify emancipation?
Lincoln had a bad attitude towards slavery and he wanted to end it from the beginning as he believed that no human being has the right to insalve the other human being (McGovern 66). Moreover, his parents belonged to an anti-slavery Baptist Church and they left the slavery behind in the Kentucky. Due to which, ‘He had first publicly proclaimed his opposition to slavery in the Illinois legislature in 1837, calling the institution “an injustice and founded on bad policy”’ (McGovern 66). But he also believed that racial equality and race are two different things and the reasons he did not like the slavery were the founding principles of America. As Americans was founded on the basis of civil liberties and equality for everyone in regards of their race and religion. Besides this, he never agreed on the idea of equality and interracial marriages which make it unclear on Lincoln’s view on slavery. He justifies the Emancipation Proclamation by promising the sales their freedom. As described in the book, “And Lincoln knew that freedom would also provide the slaves themselves with an incentive to fight for the Union. Slaves had to act boldly in running from their masters and finding their way to Union lines, but Lincoln was confident that they would be willing to take the risk of freedom was the reward” (McGovern 71).
5. How the North won the war. McGovern states that Lincoln began the Civil War advocating "limited war" but later replaced it with "total war." What does he mean by these? How did Generals Ulysses S Grant and William Sherman implement the policy of total warfare?
Lincoln’s first priority was to create peace between the northern and southern States. He wanted the both side to reunite in order to limit the violence. The phrase “limited war” was the state of the war in which the union breaks in between the two States. In the state of limited violence, there will be no harm caused to the slaves and to the property and the government will not take any legal action against the rebellions and ultimately there will be no infringement of anybody’s rights (McGovern 80). On the other hand, in the state of “total war” situation, everything is a fair game and that’s why Lincoln contacted Emancipation Proclamation to put his plan into action. Because these generals can easily transform from the stage of limited war to total war. They applied the policy of total war and implement Lincoln’s Anaconda Plan. According to this plan, the Naval Blockade will cut off the confederates supplies in the east and in the meantime, the Union army will regain its strength and set the Mississippi for their army in the West. As an example, “Taking advantage of Lincoln’s directive that authorized Union commanders to “seize and use any property, real or personal, which may be necessary or convenient…for supplies or other military purposes” …” (McGovern 87). Furthermore, the grand plan also helped the generals to win the war by outnumbering the enemy army and b destroying their supplies.
6. Republican reform. What major domestic reforms were passed during Lincoln's 1st and 2nd terms.
During Abraham Lincoln’s first term, the congress passed the Legal Tender Act in 1862 which authorizes the Greenbacks.

This act authorized the production and distribution of the paper money (McGovern 119). Furthermore, to secure the government income, the Internal Revenue Act was passed in 1861. This act was the first federal tax in the history of the United States and provided the a reliable source of income to pay the interest on war bonds (McGovern 119). In 1860, the Morrill Tariff Act was passed to collect tax on all the dutiable items that are brought into the United States. This Act also protected many industries including steel, iron, minerals and fisheries (McGovern 119). In Order to encourage the implementation of national currency, the National Banking Act of 1863 was also enchanted during the 1864 (McGovern 119). Furthermore, for the proper utilization of the public lands for the small farmers, the congress passed the Homestead Act of 1862 (McGovern 120). The far most important act that was passed during Abraham Lincoln’s first term was the Morrill Land Grant Act. This act helped in the establishment of the State university system throughout the Mideast and West (McGovern 120). And during Lincoln’s second term, the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and 1864 was passed which helped in the communication and transportation sector. As the construction of a railroad and the telegraph line was done from Omaha to Sacramento for the movement of passengers and mails (McGovern 121). Moreover, he also issued a Proclamation of Amnesty and reconstruction of the war affected southern areas. These reforms were created to help in the reconstruction after the

war.