Abraham Lincolns Presidency - Free Essay Example

President Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States of America. He was elected in the year 1860, beating out Stephen A. Douglas in the election of 1860. Lincoln would be the first republican president the country would ever have. He would have Hannibal Hamlin as his Vice President during his first term as commander in chief . President Lincoln was probably one of the presidents that went through the most ups and downs during his presidency , him getting through all these things is why he is considered to be one of the greatest presidents to ever serve. In 1861 Lincoln was inaugurated as the sixteenth president of the United States and as the nations first republican president. A lot of the southern states saw his victory being won with votes from the free states. From the time of our new presidents election against Douglas and his inauguration seven of the countries lower southern states had already succeeded. During Lincolns inauguration Lincoln tried to persuade the south that he would not interfere with slavery, so that those that have slaves would not want to succeed, because the main reason for the south wanting to leave was the fear of Lincoln ending slavery around our country. With the succession of the seven southern states they went by the name the confederacy. The confederate congress without a doubt decided they want to adopt the Confederate Constitution. Which declared them sovereignty of states , which meant they were able to for forbid passage of any bills passed to abolish slavery. During Lincolns attempt to resupply Fort Sumter, the confederate army, under the command of General P.G.T Beauregard decided to open fire on Fort Sumter. At exactly 4:30 am Confederate President Jefferson gave order to Beauregard to open fire in the Charleston Harbor, sparking up the beginning of the Civil War. The American Civil War began on April 12,1861, at approximately 4:30 a.m., when General Beauregard opened Fire on Fort Sumter. Beauregards bombing lasted for about thirty-three hours. It would be until the Union Major Robert Anderson Surrendered the Fort to the south, with that the Confederate would take down the American flag and raise their own, to show they had taken over Fort Sumter. Following the Fort Sumter attack, President Lincoln called for about seventy five thousand voluntary troops to help put down the rebellion, in which the south was. He declared the official beginning of the Civil War. In four and a half years about five million Americans would serve during this war and more than six hundred thousand would fall fighting for what they believed in. This would make The American Civil War the bloodiest war in our countries history. In response of the Declaration of the Civil War between the North and South , the state of Virginia decided to succeed as well from the union. This was followed by the succession of three other Southern states like, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas, this meant that there were only four border salves states left. Lincoln not really worried because the south only had about forty-two ships and thirty thousand five hundred fifty miles of coastline . Knowing this he ordered a blockade of southern ports that will weaken the Confederacy by them not being able to have importation of supplies. With this happening, the first casualties of the Civil war was occurring in Maryland. During the time of the war the House of representatives decided to pass the Morrill tariffs . This law signals a new impulses toward protection and it would increase centralization of the counties federal government. Congress would become regulators of imports, would double duties, and levying taxes on goods associated with manufactures. Other thing that were happening during this time was the move of the Confederate Capital. With the joining of the four states into the South, the capital that was previously in Montgomery, Alabama, would make its move to Richmond, Virginia. This being because Virginia was the most populated in all the southern states . The first battle of bull run would be the first battle of the civil war. With the orders of Abraham Lincoln the Union would attack Richmond in July of 1861. With General McDowell leading the union army and Beauregard leading the Confederate during this major battle. The confederate army would meet the Unions trooops at a creak known as Bull Run, giving the battle its name. General Jackson waited with his troops for McDowells troops to make the first move, giving Jackson his nickname of the Stonewall. With this the confederate gained control and the unexperienced union troops had no choice but to retreat from the battle. This would give the victory to the South. During the Civil War, General Winfield Scott would retire as the commander in chief of the union army, this only meant for a searching of a new one. So after the regiment of General Scott , President Lincoln would name George McClellan , as the new commander of the union army . But not only was the Civil war a big thing that happening during Lincolns presidency, he also lost some of his children along the way. His son William Wallace Lincoln would die from typhoid fever, this would be Lincolns second son that would have died. The Iconclad warfare would be the first duel between two iconclad warships. This would occurs because of the lack of supplies coming into the south, happing because of the blockade that President Lincoln ordered for earlier in the war. The southern Virginia and the unions Monitor would battle off to a standoff. In May the union was forced the confederacy to abandon the Norfolk given that victory to the North. During the time of the standoff slavery would be abolished inn the District of Colombia (D.C). But also General Robert E. Lee would be made the new commander of the Confederacy army after his predecessor was wounded. The second battle of Bull run was taken place as well. General Stonewall Jackson and Lee would be proven to be way to much for the Northern Troops under the command of General Pope, and would retreat back to Washington D.C.. The battle would give a huge victory to the Confederacy . The battle of Antietam was the first major battle of the civil war that was take place in Union soil. Being taken place in Sharspburg, Maryland and Antietam Creek. It is considered to be the bloodiest single-day battle in American victory, with a combination of twenty-two thousand seven hunkered and seventeen dead, wounded, and missing. The union would get the victory over the Confederacy in this war and the battle was lead by General Lee of the south and General McClellan of the north. The emancipation proclamation was one of the biggest events that happened during out 16th presidents presidency. The Emancipation Proclamation was an announcement or order for Lincoln that would free the slaves in the American Civil War. On the day the announcement was given all the slaves that were in the ten states that were in the rebellion with the Union would be freed forever. Though this did not free all the slaves immediately it only freed those that were in the South that were not under the norths control. But in time the proclamation would free over a million slaves. After the Midterm elections, which would give republicans control of both the House of Representatives and Senate, the Battle of Fredericksburg would happen. This battle was fought in Virginia , with the Confederate army defeating the Union, Lees troops will come on top of Burnsides troops. With the union losing about thirty thousand men, and the South would rise to five thousand. With the Battle of Chancellorsville near Washington D.C. . General Lees, amazing plan would give the confederate a brilliant very over Unions General Hooker and his troops. Following Lees success, Lee wanted to begin his second invasion into Unions territories. But with the victory of the Confederate in the battle Chancellorsville came a big defeat when General Stonewall Jackson was shot by his own troop, having his left arm taken away from him. Jackson would eventually die eight days later from pneumonia. The battle of Gettysburg would be the turning point of the American Civil War . It would be the Confederates best change to achiever victory, but it would give the union the new life and the victory at the end of the battle. The union would stop the invasion of the confederate army and would force Lee to withdraw to Virginia. Although the battle did not have the largest number of troops that fought during the war, it did have the high number of fatalities of any other battle during the Civil War. Th battle became the most decisive battle of the war because it drove the confederate out of the north, chanting the whole momentum of the war , what is now known as the turning point of the civil war. Lincoln also after this battle would give his historic Gettysburg address at the battlefield. The Gettysburg address would be a short speech given by Abraham Lincoln, it would pay tribute to all the lives of soldiers who scarified for the union and equality. The Union would eventually come to and end in the spring of April 9,1865 when General Lee surrender at the McLean house in the village of Appomattox court house. The civil war would put and end in slavery. In 1865 Slavery would be a polished everywhere in the United States by the 13th amendment. The civil war would be a big event in American history but it showed that that the country was one nation, whose parts could not separate it. The 13th amendment stated that slavery would not exists in the United States of America or in any of it territories. So slavery would be abolished not only in the north but all around the United States. The 13th amendment was passed by the House of Representatives on January 31,1865. President Lincoln would be re-elected in 1864 during the civil war. His new Vice President would be Andrew Johnson. They would beat out Democratic candidate George McClellan. Lincoln would win with fifty five percent of the popular vote, and 212 electoral votes. Our 16th president inauguration as president for his second term would come in March 4th of 1865. Following President Lincolns re-election came a big disaster. Our 16th president would be shot in the back of his head by an actor/ confederate supporter John Booth, at the Ford Theater in Washington D.C.. President Lincoln would die early the next day, with his death President Andrew Johnson would be sworn in as the 17th president of the United States. President Lincoln would have to had gone through a lot during his presidency, because of him believing that slaves shouldnt be slaves anymore. He went through deaths of this children and of course The American Civil War. With him beating all odds he became one of the best presidents this country has ever had and with all his accomplishment would help our country out in the future.