Abraham Lincoln: Civil War President Essay

â€Å"I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.† Abraham Lincoln What seems to be very superficial about the nature and character of Abraham Lincoln proves to be quite profound after an extensive investigation of his life. Mystifying his contemporaries and modern historians alike, the numerous volumes of scholarly research over the past 150 years is evidence of the challenges incidental to unraveling the complexities of the man many refer to as the â€Å"great emancipator.† Richard Carwadine’s Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power and William Gienapp’s Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America present excellent biographical research that contrast and compliment their subject and describe the extenuating circumstances that only adds to Lincoln’s complexity. Carwadine’s research â€Å"covers familiar ground but sets itself apart by focusing closely on questions about Lincoln’s political ambition and agenda and his exercise of power.† See more: The stages of consumer buying decision process essay The American public is quick to judge their presidents while assessing their achievements critically and without reserve. Carwadine argues that Lincoln’s â€Å"great achievement was to set ambitious but realizable political goals; to fathom the thinking of ordinary citizens and to reach out to them with uncommon assurance; and to hone his impressive skills as a manager of the often unstable and fractious elements that made up the political parties to which he belonged.† [2] Gienapp’s â€Å"primary ambition is to show how the green, upstart president handled the four years of crisis†¦and how he became such an extraordinary war leader.†[3] The transformation from his humble origins as a rail-splitter to masterful politician and leader of the nation appears to simply defy explanation. However, Lincoln remains and enigma for many people. He is confusing, difficult to understand, and by many accounts, appears to be incapable of executing the simplest of tasks. Yet, this is the wonder of Lincoln’s character and what makes him appealing to so many. â€Å"His ambition—and particularly his hunger for public recognition—had been evident from his young manhood in the early 1830s.† [4] Obviously, in order to develop a greater understanding of who Abraham Lincoln was, one must take a brief look into his childhood. Modern psychologists might suggest that Lincoln’s family was very dysfunctional. His father’s constant relocation of the family and never seeming to be satisfied to become more than a simple farmer, only contributed to the strained relationship between Lincoln and his father. Most prominent people throughout history have often cited a parent, sibling, or other close relative or friend as having been a great influence on their life. Not so for Lincoln who upon losing his mother to milk sickness, went on to form a constructive and enduring bond with his stepmother. A remarkable woman, Sarah Bush Lincoln exerted an enormous influence on Abraham†¦who he called â€Å"Mama.† He later said that â€Å"she had been his best Friend in this world and that no Son could love a Mother more than he loved her.† [5] The same cannot be said of Lincoln’s relationship with his father, which at best was superficial and distant. When Lincoln received word of his father’s failing health and was requested to return home at once, Lincoln declined to come to his father’s side. When his father passed on, Lincoln did not attend the funeral. It was a testament to his feelings toward his father. And, if Lincoln had ever harbored any ill will or inner hatred about his father, he never let it be known. Lincoln seldom discussed his relationship with his father, let alone his family, and his reticence was quite characteristic of the man who would someday maintain the same trait as president. I would argue that their troubled relationship was the primary reason that â€Å"throughout his life, Abraham Lincoln keenly regretted the lack of educational opportunities in his youth.† [6] Lacking the stability of a consistent family life, Lincoln was not afforded the type of educational opportunities that most of his contemporaries enjoyed. On the upside, Lincoln possessed the strong individualistic spirit that was epitomized by the frontier that served to enhance his image. Most would consider his constant reading as idleness, or simply being down right lazy. But for Lincoln, spending time in his books not only gave him time alone, which he craved, it also provided him the opportunity to learn and instill the all important characteristic of self-improvement. Not being one to hold grudges, â€Å"Lincoln’s own experience of getting on in life tended to sharpen rather than to blur his meritocratic vision, though the process was complex.† [7] This philosophy would become the foundation for Lincoln’s outlook on life and would eventually transcend his presidency. Many of Lincoln’s contemporaries, and modern historians, have suggested his views of self have contributed to his melancholic approach to life in general and the fatalistic view that pervades his thought process. Lincoln believed â€Å"there was no freedom of will, that men had no free choice.† [8] Perhaps this explains Lincoln’s indifference toward his father and family. It may even further explain his apparent negativism and melancholy perspective on life’s events. Contrary to popular belief, however, â€Å"fatalism†¦did not always show itself negatively in Lincoln, since it sometimes seems to have given him the assurance he needed to persist in whatever course of action he believed had been thus ordained.† [9] While some scholars might determine Lincoln’s fatalist outlook would be a detriment to his abilities to lead the nation, especially during the Civil War, I would argue to the contrary; I believe it forced Lincoln to become more aware, more conscious, of his own ambitions and how he might individually impact society. Lincoln could become easily frustrated and moody, I believe, because of his strong desire to surpass his father’s legacy. Not only was he a man of convictions, Lincoln would continually strive to become someone of significance. Politics would become the avenue by which he could do just that. Gienapp argues â€Å"Lincoln’s greatest ambition had always been to serve in the Senate.† [10] He possessed a strong desire to serve humankind and had the fortune to establish himself as a politician. It was during his time in the Illinois legislature, and later, through his debates with Stephen Douglas over the extension of slavery, that Lincoln developed his political ideals that would aid him during the tumultuous times in the White House. Lincoln seemed to possess an innate sense for the understanding of his constituency and direction of public opinion. With the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, he sensed a new moral outrage that existed not only in his home state of Illinois, but also throughout much of the northern United States. Although Lincoln had always maintained his distaste for the institution of slavery, â€Å"his moral passion now ran deeper as he shifted his primary focus from economic issues to slavery.† [11] The adoption of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 would give rise to the formation of a new anti-slavery party that would eventually become the Republican Party. When discussion over the repeal of the Missouri Compromise surfaced, Lincoln â€Å"avoided any discussion in his speeches of nativism, prohibition, or even economic issues†¦instead, he focused exclusively on the Kansas-Nebraska Act.† [12] It was at this time in his career that Lincoln was becoming a well-known and popular orator among the Illinois populace and was often invited to speak outside his congressional district. Lincoln used these opportunities to begin to formulate and promote his thoughts on slavery. Although much of his argument was based on earlier anti-slavery leaders, such as Salmon P. Chase, Lincoln presented them in an unusually effective manner. [13] I believe it was during this time period that Lincoln also began to sense that he was destined to accomplish something great for mankind. I do not, however, believe he had intentions of becoming president, or ending slavery outright, but there seems to have existed a spark that ignited a unique passion within Lincoln that had not existed previously. I believe he began to formulate his most inward thoughts and outwardly transform them to conform to public opinion. I must point out, however, that this did not mean Lincoln simply told the public what they wanted to hear, rather he possessed a unique skill in knowing when to reveal his opinions to the public and present them in a way that appealed to their common senses. Although not a charismatic speaker, Lincoln was enchanting and knew how to move a crowd. â€Å"It was at this point in his career that the Declaration of Independence became a significant component of Lincoln’s thought. Hailing it as the first precept of our ancient faith, he henceforth designated it (rather than the Constitution) as the nation’s founding charter.† [14] This change of direction would become instrumental in Lincoln’s upward advancement through the American political process and explain the reasons why, as president, he would expand the constitutional powers of the presidency through the justification that his actions were out of necessity for the preservation of the Union. Just how did Lincoln become president? For many students of history Lincoln is an enigma. By modern standards, his humble background, gangly physical features (altogether homely as described by some), and irritating speech would hardly present the kind of credentials necessary to win a party nomination, yet alone, presidential election. However, in 1860, presidents were normally selected based on their potential to govern. A candidate’s skills and abilities along with previous governmental experience were paramount to winning the party’s nomination, and hopefully, national election. Supporters were drawn to Lincoln’s nomination for the Republican Party as president. Lincoln was not a front-runner by any means. Yet his national notoriety and speeches on slavery, the 1858 Senatorial debates with Douglas, and pragmatic and humble nature manifest itself a grass-roots appeal among the party’s delegates that would help to propel him to the presidency. â€Å"America’s new mass democratic forms had put a premium on the electable, or available, candidate. A sequence of nominations in every presidential race since 1840 had shown that national political standing and proven executive ability came in a poor second to supposed electoral availability.† [15] There are several avenues of research to follow regarding Lincoln’s presidency. I will conclude my paper by looking at the constitutional issues surrounding his decision to emancipate the slaves in 1863. â€Å"One of Lincoln’s strengths as a war leader was that he always kept his focus on the larger questions, rather than becoming embroiled in personal disputes.† [16] From the onset, Lincoln made it clear that his intentions toward the Confederacy were to not interfere with slavery where it existed. He consistently maintained his opposition to the extension of slavery into the Western Territories. Despite his claims, eleven Southern states would secede from the Union and form the Confederacy. The question now before the president was what course of action is required to end the state of rebellion that existed in the Southern part of the United States. â€Å"The steps that Lincoln took during the early stages of the war showed an impressive and instinctive grasp of strategic essentials. He had three main objectives. He must nourish and sustain northern political support†¦do all in his power to strengthen the Unionist elements in the upper tier of slave states†¦prevent the war from becoming an international conflict.† [17] The slave question was the most difficult issue before the president. â€Å"Because he had no constitutional power to interfere with slavery in the states, and because he needed to retain the support of Border States and Democrats, Lincoln†¦repeatedly defined his policy as restoration of the Union—which of course meant a Union with slavery.† [18] The issues over emancipation were complex. The Confederacy was already using slaves as laborers in their war effort. If Lincoln were to emancipate escaped slaves that reached Union lines, they too could be used for service in the Union army and navy. However, Lincoln was reluctant to adopt such a policy for fear of losing the Border States. Secessionist movements already existed in Maryland and in the war’s early months, threatened to envelop Washington, D.C. and thus separate the nation’s capitol from the North. But as the war became a prolonged affair, Lincoln began referring to the term â€Å"indispensable means† to preserve the Union. [19] Determining what exactly this meant was left to Lincoln’s interpretation that his actions, or â€Å"means that under normal conditions would be deemed unnecessary, even extraconstitutional, might in extremis become an indispensable necessity to achieve a lawful end† [20] and as â€Å"field hands and military laborers, slaves gave the Confederates formidable strength. Extraordinary measures—emancipation by proclamation—had become the indispensable means to preserve the national existence.† [21] Unfortunately for Lincoln, the issuance of the proclamation was also political. Without any major Union victory on the battlefield, emancipation might appear to be a last-ditch effort at winning the war. By mid-1862, when Lincoln first formed the basis of the proclamation, the Union army had yet to win a decisive battle against the Rebels in the Eastern Theater. The president would appear to have no real backing for issuing the emancipation proclamation until a decisive victory had been won. That opportunity came in mid-September when Lee’s army was forced to retreat from Maryland after the battle of Antietam. Lincoln then took advantage of the Union â€Å"victory† and formally announced the proclamation on September 22, 1862. The emancipation proclamation would go into effect on January 1, 1863 and would only affect those slaves residing in Southern states that remained in rebellion. â€Å"With a stroke of the pen, Lincoln had changed the nature of the war. Both sides understood that the war had been fundamentally transformed, that the Union was no longer fighting to restore the old Union but to create a new one.† [22] Gienapp and Cawardine hold similar viewpoints in their overall assessment of Abraham Lincoln, however, their focus varies. In the scope of the Civil War, Gienapp concludes that Lincoln â€Å"became an accomplished and extraordinary president†¦had a sure sense of timing, knew when to stand firm and when to compromise, and displayed an absolute genius for getting individuals of diverse viewpoints to work together.† [23] There is nothing profound about his assessment and accurately represents the humble nature of Lincoln. Cawardine’s conclusion transcends Lincoln’s death that is embraced by what Henry Ward Beecher described as â€Å"a new impulse of patriotism.† [24] Furthermore, he â€Å"bequeathed an enhanced and ambitious nationalism to his successors†¦whose†¦practical policy grew from a strong sense of moral purpose and his course as president was shaped not by impulsive, self-aggrandizing action or self-righteousness, but by deep thought, breadth of vision, careful concern for consequences, and a remarkable lack of pride.† [25] Even though Lincoln may remain an enigma to modern historians, one is hard pressed to fail to recognize the fortitude and courage of a man so humble, so simple, so unqualified to be president, but to recognize he truly arrived at his life’s ambition—to be a humble servant of his fellow man. What a powerful testament and legacy Lincoln left for posterity. [1] Rasmussen, R. Kent. Library Journal. Vol. 131, Issue 20 (Dec., 2006), p. 181. [2] Carwardine, Richard. Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power. (New York: Knopf Publishing), 2003, p. x. [3] Gienapp, William. Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America. (New York: Oxford University Press), 2002, p. xi. [4] Carwardine, p. 3. [5] Gienapp, pp. 4-5. [6] Ibid., p. 5. [7] Carwardine, p. 19. [8] Guelzo, Allen. â€Å"Abraham Lincoln and the Doctrine of Necessity†. The Journal of Abraham Lincoln Association. Vol. 18, No. 1 (Winter, 1997), p. 57. [9] Ibid., p. 58. [10] Gienapp, p. 53. [11] Ibid. p. 50. [12] Ibid. [13] Ibid., p. 51 [14] Ibid. [15] Carwardine, p. 111. [16] Gienapp, p. 97. [17] Carwardine, p. 164. [18] McPherson, James. â€Å"How President Lincoln Decided to Issue the Emancipation Proclamation†. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. No. 37 (Autumn, 2002), p. 108. [19] Carwardine, p. 198. [20] Ibid. [21] Ibid., p. 207. [22] Gienapp, p. 125. [23] Ibid., p. 192. [24] Carwardine, p. 321. [25] Ibid. BIBLIOGRAPHY The journal articles and essays listed below provided a deeper understanding of Abraham Lincoln and were complimentary to the primary research materials for my paper. Each reading provided additional insight on Lincoln and served to enhance my completed paper. I’ve only cited direct quotes and ideas from individual articles while inferring generalizations from the complete works listed below. The following essays provide critical analysis of Lincoln’s overall approach to the political process through the examination of his personal views and attitudes to the political climate during the antebellum and Civil War years. Carwardine, Richard. â€Å"Lincoln, Evangelical Religion, and American Political Culture in the Era of the Civil War†. Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association. Vol. 18, No. 1 (Winter, 1997), pp. 27-55. Rawley, James. â€Å"The Nationalism of Abraham Lincoln Revisited†. Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association. Vol. 22, No. 1 (Winter, 2001), pp. 33-88. Siemers, David. â€Å"Principles Pragmatism: Abraham Lincoln’s Method of Political Analysis†, Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 34, No. 4 (Dec. 2004), pp. 804-827. The following essays offer a concise overview of Lincoln’s handling of emancipation and the issue of civil liberties for blacks; and the complications associated in dealing with the abolitionist movement and retention of Border States during his tenure in office. Berwanger, Eugene. â€Å"Lincoln’s Constitutional Dilemma: Emancipation and Black Suffrage. Papers of the Abraham Lincoln Association. Vol. 5 (1983), pp. 25-38. Gienapp, William. â€Å"Abraham Lincoln and the Border States†, Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association. Vol. 13 (1992), pp. 13-46. Guelzo, Allen. â€Å"Lincoln and the Abolitionists†, The Wilson Quarterly (1976-), Vol. 24, No. 4 (Autumn, 2000), pp. 58-70. McPherson, James. â€Å"How President Lincoln Decided to Issue the Emancipation Proclamation†, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, No. 37 (Autumn, 2002), pp. 108-109. An in-depth examination of Lincoln’s alternative to the law of war is masterfully presented in Burrus Carnahan’s Act of Justice: Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and the Law of War. (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky), 2007. Although there exists a great deal of scholarship on the question of constitutional authority and executive power, these listed below offered a succinct overview of the manner in which Lincoln answered his critics and charges of extending executive power beyond what was historically granted the president and its impact on the modern executive. Balz, Herman. â€Å"Abraham Lincoln and American Constitutionalism†, The Review of Politics. Vol. 50, No. 2 (Spring, 1988), pp. 169-197. Fehrenbacher, Don and Tudor, Jacob. â€Å"Lincoln’s Wartime Leadership: The First Hundred Days†, Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association. Vol. 9 (1987), pp. 1-18. Guelzo, Allen. â€Å"Abraham Lincoln and the Doctrine of Necessity†, Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association. Vol. 18, No. 1 (Winter, 1997), pp. 57-81. Hyman, H. M. â€Å"Abraham Lincoln, Legal Positivism, and Constitutional History†, Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association. Vol. 13 (1992), pp. 1-11. Kleinerman, Benjamin. â€Å"Lincoln’s Example: Executive Power and the Survival of Constitutionalism†, Perspectives on Politics. Vol. 3, No. 4 (Dec., 2005), pp. 801-816. McLaughlin, Andrew. â€Å"Lincoln, the Constitution, and Democracy†, International Journal of Ethics. Vol. 47, No. 1 (Oct., 1936), pp. 1-24. Underwood, James. â€Å"Lincoln: A Weberian Politician Meets the Constitution†, Presidential Studies Quarterly. Vol. 34, No. 2 (Jun., 2004), pp. 341-365. Obviously, no study on Lincoln would be complete without the investigation into the conduct of the Civil War itself. The works listed below presented valuable insight into the challenges facing the newly elected president, the issues surrounding the restoration and Reconstruction of the nation, the origins of the development of the Union policy of total war, and lastly, the unique perspective of the manner in which the Southern soldier fought during the war. Donald, David. â€Å"The Confederate as a Fighting Man†, The Journal of Southern History. Vol. 25, No. 2 (May, 1959), pp. 178-193. Kaczorowski, Robert. â€Å"To Begin the Nation Anew: Congress, Citizenship, and Civil Rights after the Civil War†, The American Historical Review. Vol. 92, No. 1 (Feb., 1987), pp. 45-68. Ramsdell, Charles. â€Å"Lincoln and Fort Sumter†, The Journal of Southern History. Vol. 3, No. 3 (Aug., 1937), pp. 259-288. Sutherland, Daniel. â€Å"Abraham Lincoln, John Pope, and the Origins of Total War†, The Journal of Military History, Vol. 56, No. 4 (Oct., 1992), pp. 567-586. Scholarly research on the life and political career of Abraham Lincoln is nothing new. For my paper, the primary books selected for my research are not extraordinary, but serve to compliment the volumes of works dedicated to our nation’s sixteenth president. A well-known Civil War historian wrote one of my selected books while a non-American authored the second. I thought this would enhance my research that might present two varying biographical perspectives on Lincoln. I can honestly state that I was not disappointed by either work. Gienapp, William. Abraham Lincoln and Civil War. (New York: Oxford University Press), 2002. Carwardine, Richard. Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power. (New York: Knopf Publishing), 2003.