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16th President of the United States | |
| Predecessor | James Buchanan |
| Successor | Hannibal Hamlin (de jure)
George B. McClellan (de facto) |
| Vice President | Hannibal Hamlin |
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Member of the U.S House of Representatives from Illinois's 7th District | |
| Predecessor | John Henry |
| Successor | Thomas L. Harris |
| Born | February 12, 1809 Hodgenville, Kentucky |
| Died | May 8, 1892 Springfield, Illinois |
| Spouse | Mary Todd (m. 1842; died 1885) |
| Political Party | Whig (before 1854)
Republican (1854-1862) Liberal Republican (1877-1892) |
| Profession | Lawyer
Writer |
Abraham Lincoln (12 February 1809-8 May 1892) was an American lawyer, author, and statesman who served as President of the United States from 1861 until his forced resignation the following year. Lincoln lead the United States in their Civil War, and presided over the disastrous defeat and the subsequent coup by General George B. McClellan.
Biography[]
Early Life and Career[]
Born in a log cabin in Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln was raised on the frontiers of Indiana, before becoming a prominent lawyer and a member of the Whig Party. Lincoln became a representative for his Illinois district before leaving the Whigs and joining the rising Republican Party. He became famous for his debates with Stephen Douglas, leading to his nomination as the Republican candidate for the 1860 Presidential Election.
Presidency[]
Election and Civil War[]
Lincoln's election was seen as a threat to slavery in the south, which immediately lead to the secession of several southern states, forming the Confederate States of America. By the time Lincoln entered office, nearly all of the South was in open rebellion. The die was cast when Confederate troops attacked and took over Fort Sumter in South Carolina. The early campaigns against the CSA were met with failure, as Confederate troops managed to repulse an early Union attack at Manassas. However, these early failures would soon be overshadowed by a massive diplomatic blunder.
Disaster and Removal from Office[]
The Trent Affair, where several British sailors were shot dead during an altercation involving Confederates being harbored on a British ship, lead to the British entering the war on the side of the CSA. British ships blockaded the East Coast, and a joint Confederate-British expedition under Robert E. Lee lead to the fall of Washington and the second burning of the White House. In reaction to the disaster at Washington. General George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac forced Lincoln to resign his office, leaving it to his Vice President, Hannibal Hamlin. Hamlin immediately sued for peace, and Lincoln quietly retired to his home in Springfield.
Post Presidency[]
Arrest and Imprisonment[]
In the wake of his expulsion from office, Lincoln's retirement was interrupted after McClellan took full control. McClellan's Special Constabulary raided Lincoln's home, and took him, his wife, and his two sons to Philadelphia, where Lincoln was put on trial by the McClellan Regime for "dereliction of his duty as commander-in-chief". Lincoln was sentenced to life imprisonment in Eastern State Penitentiary. While imprisoned, Lincoln wrote his memoirs, "A House Divided", in which he accepted some of the blame for mishandling the Trent Affair, but put the failures at Manassas and Arlington firmly in the hands of General McClellan. Lincoln remained imprisoned for 12 years, where he continued his writing career, eventually writing several fiction novels, which were published after his release. In 1877, with the fall of McClellan, Lincoln along with all other political prisoners were pardoned.
Later Life and Death[]
Lincoln returned to Springfield after his release, and published his memoirs, as well as his novels, and received widespread success. While Lincoln was used as a scapegoat for the Union defeat in the Civil War during the McClellan era, his image was somewhat rehabilitated, though he never again held public office. Lincoln rejoined the Republican party, though he refrained from campaigning for any candidates, fearing his image may damage their campaign chances. In his retirement years, Lincoln wrote for a variety of newspapers as a politics expert, and an advocate for Republican policies, as well as remaining a vocal anti-slavery and anti-Confederate writer. Lincoln continued to write, and was even invited back to the White House to attend the funeral of John C. Fremont. This proved to be Lincoln's last public appearance, as he died two years later at the age of 83 from natural causes. Despite his controversial reputation, Lincoln was granted a full state funeral, and Prime Minister Hearst spoke at his funeral.
Legacy and Public Image[]
Lincoln is an extremely controversial figure in the United States, and is generally despised and depicted as a tyrant in the Confederacy. While some in the Union praise his strong anti-secession stance, and defend his conduct during the war, others criticize his failure to keep Britain and France neutral, which dealt the killing blow to the Union's chance of winning. While Lincoln initially claimed that he would be willing to accept slavery if it meant restoring the Union, his views drastically changed in the post war era, and by the time of his death, Lincoln was a staunch advocate for civil rights. Lincoln's legacy lives on in his writing, as his novels and memoirs have sold copies across the globe.