Age of Lincoln



Age of Lincoln

1850

- Clay’s Compromise of 1850: California entered as free state and land gained from Mexico granted slavery based on popular sovereignty; strengthening of the Fugitive Slave Act – obligation of Northerners to return slaves that escaped and more power to Southerners to enter North and falsely claim right to slaves

- Strengthening of Fugitive slave act infused abolitionists (including William Lloyd Garrison)

- Slave trade was abolished in Washington D.C. As part of issue, Virginia reclaimed part of D.C.

- John Calhoun, Stephen Douglas, Daniel Webster involved in Compromise

1854

- Kansas-Nebraska Act: overturned compromise of 1820, left slavery up to popular sovereignty.

- Dred Scott decision (1857): milestone that led us closer to conflict; Supreme Court under Tawney

- Birth of Republican party in response to Kansas-Nebraska Act

- First Republican Candidate was Fremont

- Republican party carried on legacy of Whig party and largely regional, Northern party (almost exclusively so)

- Democrats had pockets of strength in the North but increasingly contained to the South

1858

- Lincoln-Douglas debates influenced Lincoln’s victory

- Douglas alienated South and opposing Southern Democrat emerged: Breckenridge and John C. Bell

- Breakdown of Jackson era

1860

- South threatens secession if Lincoln is elected and secede once he is elected

- Lame duck period creating problems again: South organizing rival center of power; lost half of the country

- South create own constitution similar to Union’s; Jefferson Davis becomes president of South

- Opening months of Presidency: increases army and size of navy – powers within prerogative of Congress; suspends writ of habeas corpus; imposes naval blockade (eventually deemed congressional because Congress “would have acted” that way);

- Preservation of the union and territories that had seceded

- Letter to South Carolina -- ????

The War

- Bull Run believed to be quick battle

o civilians thought it was going to be entertaining

o Union’s loss at Bull Run caused war to continue

- Lincoln did not war due to military prowess; ground South into submission

- Battle of resource bases

- Compromise of 1850 gave union ten more years to increase industrial base

- Clinton did allow electoral politics to continue

- Don’t view Lincoln as a dictator ( even though he did bend the rules): did not take it to logical conclusion, he viewed war as single case; did not take out all politics

- Lincoln moderate in prosecution of war and view of South

- Robert E. Lee

o Approached originally by both sides to lead; stuck with Virginia and joined Confederacy

o Union didn’t have strong leader until later in the war with Grant (who still wasn’t great)

o Lee’s decision to lead South caused his mansion in Arlington to be taken from him and made into Arlington National Ceremony

Emancipation Proclamation (went into effect in January 1863)

- freed slaves only in South – blatant attempt to damage economy and gain anti-slavery forces in North

- slaves in south could rebel and join northern forces

- propaganda value made domestic and international

- man power gain for north and loss for south

- made nuance clear: slaves not freed in border states in fear of losing them

- could not free slaves in states that weren’t rebelling – respected the constitution and we see his limits; believed it required constitutional amendment; this was special case for rebelling states

- only acted unconstitutionally in “arena of conflict”

- Lincoln used war to gain further power

- Conflict and rhetoric of conflict drives change especially when it comes to presidential power – Lincoln is first figure where we see this happening

- Done in context of military leader trying to damage enemies economically

- International law (Treatise of 1855) held that war leader could do whatever he could to hobble opponent’s resources

- Argument about property

Actions Lincoln took in response to Southern secession

- Suspends habeas corpus, martial law

- Naval blockade hobbled Southern economy

- Led South walk into civil war – Fort Sumter

Lincoln’s Legacy

- Did not prevent elections from taking place

- Aimed to get rid of slavery showed his good nature

- Tried to frame his actions around a broader interpretation of the constitution

- Reluctance to step beyond constitutional rights – stressed that reading of constitutional elasticity did not go beyond national crisis

- Framed as war to protect rule of law and constitution; he sidestepped constitutional bounds in order to protect constitution

Why such a good reputation?

- Martyr: died on high note and not enough time to tarnish his reputation

- Lincoln lived above mistakes that he made

- Lincoln saved country from splitting apart

- As person, great American figure: log cabin to the White House;

- Fits into national story

- Overcome splits within own party and administration—Dark horse candidate

- Lincoln not prone to dominate or engage in conflict and yet handled opponents very well

- Greatly exceeded all expectations due to his previous lack of accomplishments

- President between poor presidents

- Divisive figure but still great

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