Abraham Lincoln Essays Examples

Civil War in the USA 1861-1865 is the biggest event in the history of this country since it has left a lasting mark on all subsequent development of the United States of America. Negro slavery was destroyed in the course of bloody battles in the US. An outstanding role in the struggle for the abolition of slavery played a great citizen of America Abraham Lincoln. He remained in the history as a man who prevented the collapse of the country and freed the slaves.
The main cause of the Civil War was the sharpest contradiction between different socio-economic systems that existed in one state - the bourgeois North and the slaveholding South. The first Republican President Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860. His victory was an alarm for the slaveholders of the South and led to the secession of output of the southern States from the Union. Firstly, South Carolina left the United States in late December of 1860. Then it was followed in January 1861 by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and in April-May, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina. These 11 States formed the Confederate States of America (Confederation), adopted a Constitution and elected as its President the former Senator from Mississippi Jefferson Davis.
The Confederate capital was Richmond, Virginia. Released States was 40% of the entire US with a population of 9.1 million people, including over 3.6 million blacks. Hence, 23 states remained in the US. The population of the Northern States exceeded 22 million people, its territory is located almost the entire industry of the country, 70% of the railroads, 81% of bank deposits.
The first major battle took place in Virginia at the train station in Manassas on 21 July 1861 33 thousand soldiers of General-northerner Irvine Mac-Dowell resisted 32 thousand confederates, led by Pierre Beauregard and Joseph Johnston. The Northern armies crossing the Creek Bull Run, attacked the southerners, but were forced to retreat turned into a rout.
The defeat at Manassas forced the Lincoln government to take energetic action in the deployment and strengthening of the units, mobilization of economic resources of the North, the construction of fortifications. Developed a new strategic plan ("Anaconda plan"), providing for the creation by the army and Navy of the ring around the southern States, which was supposed to gradually compress until the final suppression of the rebels.
Under the influence of failures at the front, the threat to Washington and requirements of the population of the Northern States, Congress in 1862, has implemented a number of measures in order to change methods of warfare. Simultaneously, a law was passed for the confiscation of property of rebels.
Of particular importance was adopted on May 20, 1862 Homestead act, entitled the citizen of the United States, not to fight on the side of the South, to the land, as well as Lincoln's Proclamation of September 22, 1862 exemption from January 1, 1863 the Negro slaves in the rebellious States (the Northern States slavery was prohibited by law). The blacks were freed without ransom, but without land. They could serve in the army and Navy. Through the proclamation the Union army had obtained nearly two hundred thousand black volunteers, mostly from the southern States.
Indeed, military operations have been crucial to the progress of the war. From the perspective of Lincoln was very important to find a binding policy framework, which would give a meaning to this struggle. The Confederate government in this respect was relatively simple: the southern States fought for their independence and preserving their slavery-based social system and the protection of their own territory. The North fought for the principle of the unity of the nation - and only later, and secondarily, for the eradication of slavery.
Only if the President will be able to convince the political idea for which cost great sacrifices, there was a prospect of success. Thus Lincoln had to obtain the consent of the Republican faction of the political spectrum which stretched from the conservatives to the radicals. So, the radical Republicans promoted immediately after the war to abolish slavery and demanded from the President to the release of black Central goal of the war.
Wing of the majority party, and Lincoln himself, were, by contrast, was gradual emancipation combined with financial compensation for slave owners and set the struggle for the unity of the nation to the forefront. Aware that only United can stand against the Democratic Party, Lincoln was able to miraculously tie the various factions through compromise. It was to his credit that during his presidency was the normal political process and there was historically unusual situation of wartime, in which not only the military, but voters may decide the fate of the nation.
Lincoln was deeply convinced that democracy and the military must adhere to an orderly political course of events. Indeed, the two-party system in the North remained unharmed during the Civil War and even strengthened the rear of the President, as conflicts and protests could be directed in the party-political mainstream, which was not in the South
Constantly referring to the principles of loyalty and patriotism during the war, Lincoln was able to attract to their side of the democratic party. The only acceptable solution is for the President was the abolition of the seceded southern States their Declaration of independence and the return to the Union - it would, as clearly expressed in the Lincoln room for negotiation on the issue of slavery. First of all, important to him was the preservation of the nation, although he felt a natural dislike of the southern social system.
In his last speech, Lincoln was strongly in favor of the peaceful restoration of the southern States in the Union. Their reconstruction has included, in addition to the destruction of slavery, and the beginning of the confrontation of American society with the position of freed blacks. Lincoln understood the fundamental task of legal and political equalization of slaves.