Abraham Lincolns Assassination Essay -- slavery, abolition, confedera

Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States was elected president on November 6, 1860. Not even on the South’s ballot, Lincoln received 40% of the popular vote. As a strong republican, Lincoln believed in the abolition of slavery. Lincoln became president in the highest conflict between North and South in history, and wanted to preserve the Union. He believed that the South should not be punished after the Civil War, because he thought that they had already been punished enough. Abraham Lincoln’s lenient policies along with the effects of the Civil War led to his assassination. In the 1860’s, disputes began to arise about the amount of power that should be given to the State and Federal governments. During this time, the South believed that slaves were private property, and were necessary to their economy; whereas the North wanted to preserve the Union. Just before Abraham Lincoln was about to become President, South Carolina seceded from the Union because they thought the nation was falling apart. Then just two months later, in February of 1861, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana seceded, creating the Confederate States of America. The Confederates, also known as the Southerners then established a capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, electing Jefferson Davis as their President (Miers, E. S. 1865). On March 4, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was re-inaugurated for his second term as the President of the United States. During the War, the Confederates’ general was Robert E. Lee; the best general in the United States, and the Union’s general was Ulysses S. Grant. After several Union victories, including those of Vicksburg and Gettysburg, Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy fell ... ...man, D. J. (2012). Lincoln's last days: the shocking assassination that changed America forever. New York: Henry Holt and Co.. Somerlott, R. (1998). The Lincoln assassination in American history. Springfield, NJ: Enslow Publishers. Swanson, J. L. (2006). Manhunt: the 12-day chase for Lincoln's killer. London: Portrait. The Death of President Lincoln, 1865. (n.d.). The Death of President Lincoln, 1865. Retrieved October 12, 2015, from http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/lincoln.htm The Effect of President Lincoln's Death on National Affairs. (1865, April 17). The New York Times. The Lincoln Assassination and its Aftermath. (n.d.). American Civil War. Retrieved October 14, 2015, from http://www.americancivilwar.asn.au/conf/2006/lincoln_assassination.pdf Redford, R. (Director). (2011). The conspirator [Motion picture]. United States of America: Lions Gate Films.