Abraham Lincoln's Presidency


 

 

 
President Abraham Lincoln, November 1863 

Topics on this page

 

A. Background and Presidency

 

 

 

 

B. Views on Slavery

 

C. Emancipation Proclamation

 

 

D. Political Obstacles to Preserving the Union

 

Teaching about Lincoln (Why Lincoln Matters)

 

 Cross-Links

 

 

 

 

Focus Question: What were the major events in Abraham Lincoln’s presidency?

 

Election of 1860: In November 1860, Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the United States, defeating three other candidates. His election was seen as a major threat to the institution of slavery in the South, and it was one of the factors that led to the secession of several Southern states.

 

Civil War: The Civil War began in April 1861, just a few weeks after Lincoln took office. The war lasted for four years and was the bloodiest conflict in American history, resulting in hundreds of thousands of casualties and significant damage to the nation's infrastructure and economy.

 

Emancipation Proclamation: In September 1862, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all slaves in Confederate territory would be "forever free" as of January 1, 1863. This proclamation did not immediately end slavery, but it was a major turning point in the war and helped to shift the focus of the conflict to the issue of slavery.

 

Gettysburg Address: In November 1863, Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address, a short speech that is widely regarded as one of the most important speeches in American history. In it, he spoke of the importance of national unity and the sacrifices made by soldiers in defense of the country.

 

Second Inaugural Address: In March 1865, Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address, in which he called for reconciliation and unity between the North and South. Just a few weeks later, the Civil War came to an end with the surrender of Confederate forces.

 

Assassination: On April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer. His death shocked the nation and had a profound impact on the course of Reconstruction and the future of the United States.

 

 


Early Life/Beginnings 

 

 

 

 

This is a photo of Abraham Lincoln's one-room cabin growing up.

 


Timeline of Lincoln's Life

 

Click Here for a fun and interactive game about Abraham Lincoln on BrainPOP.

 

Overview of Lincoln's Presidency from the Miller Center, University of Virginia

Here is a link to the Library of Congress that has many primary documents associated with Lincoln

 

Concepts and Principles of Lincoln:

http://www.mrlincolnandfriends.org/concepts-and-principles/

 

Video describing Lincoln's presidency and life:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L80_q2tPveo

 

A Word Fitly Spoken: An Interactive Timeline of Lincoln's Most Famous Speeches on Union from TeachingAmericanHistory.org and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Page from Great Americans and Their Noble Deeds, 1901

 

Page from Great Americans and Their Noble Deeds, 1901

 

 

 

 

 

external image 200px-Quill_and_ink.svg.png Abraham Lincoln was the president of the United States between March 4, 1861 and April 15, 1865.

 

 

 

See also, Lincoln: Man, Martyr, Myth

 

See Abraham Lincoln, a new 79 page biography by historian James M. McPherson.

 

Lincoln is the only President to also hold a patent. See Abraham Lincoln, Inventor.

 

The election of 1860

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a video from Crash Corse that covers The Election and how it is Connected to the Civil War 

 

Click here for a video detailing the years prior to the election of 1860 that set the stage for the election

 

Here is a break down of the 1980 election from the Presidency Project 

 

 

Here is a link from History.com about the famous election of 1860.  It includes topics of the election that range from Lincoln's political history before the election, to the Southern reaction to the 1860 election results.  

 

 

Mural, Lobby to Main Reading Room, Library of Congress
Mural, Lobby to Main Reading Room, Library of Congress 

 

   

 

The Gettysburg Address



The Address Mashup

Learn the Address organized by Ken Burns has readings of the speech by famous and everyday
Americans.

 

 


Historian Shelby Foote and former Congressman James Symington analyze the Gettysburg Address in this excerpt from Ken Burns' famed documentary "The Civil War."

A reading of Lincoln's famous "A House Divided" speech.

 

Click Here to listen to President Obama recite the Gettysburg Address


See Lesson Plan Based on Word Mover on the Gettysburg Address using SOAPSTone that ask students to identify:

 

Focus Question: What were Lincoln’s views on slavery?

Depiction, 1864 cabinet meeting, presidency of Abraham Lincoln (1921)
Depiction, 1864 cabinet meeting, presidency of Abraham Lincoln (1921)

 

 

Eric Foner, a Leading expert and historian of the civil war, explains Lincoln's stance in this video here

 

Abraham Lincoln thought that slavery was morally repugnant.

 


Lincoln-Douglas Debates

 

 

Click here for podcasts of the seven “Lincoln-Douglas Debates” held in seven different Illinois towns over six months starting in August 1858. Douglas won that senate election, but the debates served to not only solidify the Republican anti-slavery stance in people’s minds, but also to increase Lincoln’s profile, and make him a contender for President in 1860.

Abraham Lincoln on Slavery and Race from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

 

Read about Frederick Douglass's responses to Abraham Lincoln from the White House Historical Association.


Click here for a long list of noteworthy quotes delivered by Abraham Lincoln.

Focus Question: Why Did Lincoln Issue the Emancipation Proclamation?

 

Cartoon, Lincoln's provisional emancipation proclamation, Harper's Weekly, October 11, 1862

Cartoon, Lincoln's provisional emancipation proclamation, Harper's Weekly, October 11, 1862

 


1) Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st, 1863, freeing slaves in the confederate states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The Emancipation Proclamation did not free slaves in states that were still part of the union.

2) He stated "decisive and extreme measures must be adopted." Emancipation was "a military necessity absolutely necessary to the preservation of the Union. We must free the slaves or be ourselves subdued."

3) Lincoln hoped to activate newly freed Blacks to fight against the South, a move that provoked great opposition among Northern Democrats and border state Unionists.

Source: "Commander in Chief," James M. McPherson, Smithsonian, January 2009, pp. 38-45.


For kid-friendly information on the Emancipation Proclamation followed by a short quiz on the information, see Civil War for Kids: Emancipation Proclamation.

Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln, Abraham (January 1, 1863). Retrieved April 19, 2007, from The Avalon Project Web site.


An informative 6 minute video detailing the battle of Antietam and the issue of the Emancipation Proclamation.

A long list of different lesson plans centered around the Emancipation Proclamation.

 

 

Juneteenth or Freedom Day for African Americans

 

Juneteenth day celebration in Texas, June 19, 1900
Juneteenth day celebration in Texas, June 19, 1900


June 19 is celebrated as the date that slavery was abolished in Texas in 1865.

For more, go to the Juneteenth website from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The date was first celebrated in the Texas capitol in 1867 under the direction of the Freedman's Bureau and became part of the public calendar of events in 1872.

The Emancipation Proclamation Story That Should be Taught in Schools focuses on the efforts of African Americans to resist slavery and fight for freedom.

 

Click Here for a video on how Juneteenth Day was started and what it means to people

 

 

Emancipation Day, April 16, 1862

 

District of Columbia Emancipation Act freed more than 3000 slaves living in the District of Columbia.

 

Click Here for a video about Emancipation Day in Washington D.C. 

 

Focus Question: What political obstacles did Lincoln encounter?


Lincoln’s major political obstacle was preserving the union.

 

 

 

 

Ulysses S. Grant, Commanding General of the Union Army from 1864 onward

 

 

Ulysses S. Grant, Commanding General of the Union Army from 1864 onwardGeorge McClellan, Commanding General of the Union Army (1861-62)

George McClellan, Commanding General of the Union Army (1861-62)



Click here for a sample of an APUSH DBQ question on Lincoln's Presidency.

 
Click here to view a letter from Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd, urging McClellan's replacement.

Mary Todd Lincoln


Here is a biography on Mary Tod Lincoln

 

Here is a link to a mini-biographical video on Mary Todd Lincoln

 

 

 

 

Mary Todd Lincoln's father, Robert Smith Todd, had a significant influence on Abraham Lincoln, particularly during his presidency.

 

Robert Todd was a successful businessman and politician in Kentucky, and he provided Lincoln with important connections and resources during his political career. Todd introduced Lincoln to influential people in Kentucky and helped him establish his political network in the state. Todd was also instrumental in securing Lincoln's nomination for president at the 1860 Republican National Convention.

 

During Lincoln's presidency, Robert Todd served as an informal advisor to the president, offering political insights and advice on a range of issues. Todd also visited the White House frequently, and his daughter Mary Todd Lincoln often turned to him for support during her difficult tenure as First Lady.

Despite his support for Lincoln, Robert Todd was a slave owner, and his views on slavery were more moderate than Lincoln's. Lincoln's views on slavery evolved over time, but he was generally more opposed to the institution than Todd. Nevertheless, Todd's influence on Lincoln remained strong throughout his presidency, and Lincoln often turned to him for support and guidance.

 

 

            Even there are some evidence that connects  Abraham Lincoln and vampires  https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/lincoln-stoker

 


external image Red_apple.jpg PBS lesson plan on Reconstruction & Lincoln's role (goes along with the Ken Burns Civil War Documentary)

Many people don't know about Lincoln's service in the Black Hawk War. During this war, groups of Native Americans were attempting to move back onto their ancestor's homelands. Lincoln served as a captain and learned a lot of military tactics during his time serving. Click here for more details on his service.

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

 Lincoln's Constitutional Dilemma: Emancipation and Black Suffrage For a new take on Lincoln's struggles and how he was perceived.

Ford's Theatre: Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. Ford Theatre Society historian Sarah Jencks discusses Lincoln's speech with teachers.


 

Teaching About Lincoln


Overseas, Lincoln worked to gain support for the Union and to keep countries like France and Great Britain from recognizing and aiding the Confederacy.

 

A. Lincoln, 1863
A. Lincoln, 1863


In “Why Lincoln Matters,” (USA Weekend, January 30-February 1, 2009), presidential historian Michael Beschloss presents seven themes for teaching about Abraham Lincoln, 200 years after his birth.

1) Scholars and the public recognize Lincoln as our best president. Teachers can discuss what makes a president great, both in that person’s own time and in our historical memory.

2) Lincoln’s story embodies the American Dream, rising from poverty and illiteracy to become President. Teachers can explore how people can overcome challenges to achieve success.

3) Lincoln was a man of high moral character and purpose, known as “Honest Abe.” Teachers can explore his character and his actions as a study in moral leadership.

4) Lincoln made significant contributions to race relations in America. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation, a seminal document in the quest to end slavery and, yet many felt he did not go far enough in promoting freedom and legal equality for African Americans. Teachers can discuss Lincoln in the context of the struggles of African Americans in this country.

5) Lincoln is a popular culture figure whose name is found in many parts of our culture—automobiles, Lincoln logs, pennies, land of Lincoln. Teachers can explore Lincoln’s enduring place in the popular culture.

6) Lincoln’s life contains many mysteries. Teachers can explore how he rose to the presidency and what might have been different if he had lived.

7) Lincoln understood the power of words. His speeches contain phrases and language that influenced people during his lifetime and remain relevant today. Teachers can study how Lincoln used language to convey his messages.

Abraham Lincoln's Assassination

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watch this video about the weird history that happened after Lincoln's assassination 

 

external image Test_hq3x.pngSample MCAS Test Question (2008)

President Abraham Lincoln temporarily suspended the writ of habeas corpus during the Civil War. When he did this, which of the following rights of citizens did he temporarily revoke?
A. the right to bear arms
B. the right to own property
C. the right to vote in Congressional elections
D. the right to be formally charged when arrested
Correct Answer: D


external image Test_hq3x.pngTest Question
What was the source of the following phrase: "Government of the people, by the people, for the people?"


ANSWER: D (Center for Individual Freedom, History & Civics Quiz, 2000).

Additional Resources:


external image Red_apple.jpgThe Multiple Dilemmas of Abraham Lincoln presents students with five difficult decisions Abraham Lincoln made between his election in November 1860 and the battle of Fort Sumter in April 1861 and asks the students to investigate primary sources to compare what they would do with what Lincoln himself chose to do.


Smithsonian's Timeline of the Civil War



 

For More Information on Abraham Lincoln

 

(2007). Education Links. Retrieved April 19, 2007, from Abraham Lincoln Online Web site: http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/education/educate.htm

VandeCreek, Drew (2000). Lincoln's Biography. Retrieved April 19, 2007, from Lincoln/Net Web site: http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/abio.html

Abraham Lincoln Papers. Retrieved April 19, 2007, from Library of Congress Web site: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/malhome.html

Abraham Lincoln. Retrieved April 19, 2007, from The White House Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/al16.html

The Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College
http://www.knox.edu/lincolnstudies.xml

Podcasts of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, as interpreted by two Lincoln scholars; this link also gives good summaries of the debates in podcast list
http://www.knox.edu/x20497.xml

Picture of President Lincoln from http://www.americanpresidents.org/classroom/overview.asp
Also includes lesson plan for unit on President Lincoln

Other Sources: 
Our Lincoln: New Perspectives on Lincoln and His World, Eric Foner (ed.) W.W.Norton, 2008
Out of Many: A History of the American People. Armitage, Susan H.; Mari Jo Buhle; Daniel Czitrom; John Mack Faragher; Fourth Edition; Prentice Hall, N.J.; 2003.