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Abraham Lincoln: life and legacy
Frontier background and politics
Lincoln grew up in Kentucky and Indiana, moved to Illinois and trained himself in law. A Whig commitment to economic development shaped his early politics. He criticised slavery while initially opposing immediate abolition where it already existed.
Election and secession
The new Republican Party opposed slavery's expansion. Lincoln's 1860 victory without southern electoral support triggered secession by states whose declarations defended slaveholding society. His initial war aim was preservation of the Union.
War and emancipation
Military necessity, abolitionist pressure and the actions of enslaved people changed federal policy. The Emancipation Proclamation applied to areas in rebellion and authorised Black military service. Lincoln later supported the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery nationally except as criminal punishment.
Presidential power
Lincoln suspended habeas corpus in some circumstances, expanded the army and managed generals, Congress and a divided public. Historians debate the constitutional reach of these actions while recognising the unprecedented rebellion he faced.
Death and Reconstruction
John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln in April 1865. His death removed a political leader at the start of Reconstruction, encouraging speculation about the settlement he might have pursued. Emancipation was revolutionary, but equal citizenship still required conflict and federal enforcement.
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