In 1865, Lincoln was instrumental in the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, which made slavery unconstitutional. Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation freed about 20,000 of slaves in Confederate-held territory, and established emancipation as a Union war goal. Grant, who had led the Union to several victories in the Western Theater. As the Union faced several early defeats in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, Lincoln cycled through numerous military commanders during the war, finally settling on General Ulysses S. He also became the first president to institute a military draft. As commander-in-chief, he ordered the suspension of the constitutionally-protected right to habeas corpus in the state of Maryland in order to suppress Confederate sympathizers. Lincoln was called on to handle both the political and military aspects of the Civil War, facing challenges in both spheres. The Civil War began weeks into Lincoln's presidency with the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, a federal installation located within the boundaries of the Confederacy. After being sworn in as president, Lincoln refused to accept any resolution that would result in Southern secession from the Union. His election served as the immediate impetus for the outbreak of the Civil War. A former Whig, Lincoln ran on a political platform opposed to the expansion of slavery in the territories. Almost all of Lincoln's votes came from the Northern United States, as the Republicans held little appeal to voters in the Southern United States. Lincoln took office following the 1860 presidential election, in which he won a plurality of the popular vote in a four-candidate field.
Lincoln presided over the Union victory in the American Civil War, which dominated his presidency. He was succeeded by Vice President Andrew Johnson. Lincoln was the first member of the recently established Republican Party elected to the presidency. The presidency of Abraham Lincoln began on March 4, 1861, when Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16th president of the United States, and ended upon his assassination and death on April 15, 1865, 42 days into his second term.
0 kommentar(er)
