Abe Lincoln: An Extraordinary Leader

We all know that Abe Lincoln led a difficult life. But did you know he was also an extraordinary leader?

He had a deep sense of responsibility, honesty, and fairness which he instilled in the 13th Amendment. He also believed in work ethic and through his moral leadership tried to improve the lives of slaves. On top of this, he showed resilience when it looked like the Union was about to split apart.

The Civil War was a long and bloody conflict. The Southern states tried to secede because they felt that Lincoln's policies were too harsh, but Lincoln did not back down. History tells us how the war came to an end, but what people don't know is that Lincoln had a plan in place even before the war began. His plan was to abolish slavery and bring an end to northern slavery as well. He knew he had to take another path if he wanted the Union to remain united.

Blaming himself

Lincoln wasn't always sure what his route would be. He had made up his mind that abolition must be the solution, but he didn't know exactly how it could work in practice. Although slavery was abolished in the northern states in the 1830s, this didn't change much for slaves. Compromise seemed the only way out until Lincoln's views changed.

After 300,000 Americans had died, he decided to abolish slavery once and for all. He even called upon his ancestors and asked them to help him get rid of slavery once and for all. But he also blamed himself for what happened because of his decision not to allow slavery in new territories during his first 4 years in office.

Lincoln knew that getting the support of Congress would be difficult, so he decided to act under his executive powers before Congress reassembled after voting on the 13th Amendment – which banned slavery completely – on 31 January 1865. He regretted the decision and tried to persuade Congress to vote against it, but he was unsuccessful.

The Emancipation Proclamation

Eventually, Lincoln got Congress to support the 13th Amendment. On 1 January 1863, seven months after Congress had passed legislation which would allow him to take action under his own responsibility, he issued a decree which freed all slaves in the southern states. Although this was a step in the right direction, it wasn't enough. Lincoln knew that the Northerners had an ill-feelings toward him after this decision and that they would not be able to support anything else he wanted them to do.

The African-American population had reached its peak at that time and Lincoln knew that eventually he would need to solve this problem in order to unite the country. He hoped that with the help of his Secretary of War General Ulysses S. Grant, he could come up with a solution for slavery once and for all.

The Emancipation Proclamation

On 1 January 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued with the aim of freeing slaves in states controlled by the Union army. However, Lincoln's plan was not without its flaws and it only freed a small proportion of slaves because it did not apply to four states – Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina – which were under Confederate control.  Lincoln knew that the Emancipation Proclamation could be changed, but he didn't want to betray those who had just fought for him. He hoped that these four states would come under Union control and he would be able to change his decision from the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Emancipation Proclamation was a step in the right direction, but it wasn't enough. Lincoln came up with a new plan which freed all slaves in the entire Southern territory controlled by the Union army. He decided to apply for Congress to vote on this after his inauguration on 3 March 1865, but he was unsuccessful as those opposed to his plan voted against it. The opposition to Lincoln's plan was so strong that his attempt to change the Emancipation Proclamation also failed.

Lincoln was disappointed by this failure but he didn't give up. He decided to try again in July of the same year, but once again he was unsuccessful. He hoped that a new amendment to the Constitution would help him, which turned into the 13th Amendment banning slavery completely. This amendment finally got the two-thirds voting majority and became part of the Constitution on 18 December 1865.

Inspection of troops at City Point, Virginia (3 April 1865)

Lincoln's Investigation of Generals Grant and Lee

President Lincoln didn't just have problems with Congress during his time in office. He was also constantly struggling with generals and their armies. He had to deal with General Robert E. Lee, General Ulysses S. Grant and other generals who disagreed on how slavery should be dealt with in the South.

Lincoln's plan for the Union was radical for his time and he knew that this would not be popular at first. He hoped that his plan would just be accepted and he hoped that his policies would help America become a stronger nation and even win the war against the Confederacy. However, General Grant and others did not agree on what should happen next, especially after the Emancipation Proclamation became law in January 1863. They wanted Congress to vote on Lincoln's plan and make a decision before it became law.

But if Lincoln thought that these generals would become reasonable people because of his policy, he was wrong. His plan for America became official when the 13th Amendment was adopted in December 1865, but the Union was still split in two parts – the North and the South. The strategy for reuniting these two parts had not been decided until April 1865 by President Lincoln, General Grant and General Lee.

Grant and Lincoln believed that Lee's army should be defeated because this would set an example to all other Confederate armies, while Lee thought that they should unite against the Union forces – which were led by Grant – first. Eventually Lee agreed to meet with Grant in a peaceful place and Lincoln and Grant agreed to attend this meeting.

The Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln

They all met at an old schoolhouse in Appomattox Court House on 9 April 1865, where the war had ended. General Lee signed a document agreeing that his army would surrender, effectively putting an end to the Civil War four days later on 13 April 1865. Lincoln was pleased with this result, as was the rest of the country.

But Lincoln's joy would not last for long. After taking part in a play at Ford's Theatre on the night of 10 April, he was shot by John Wilkes Booth and died early the next morning on 14 April 1865. Some believe that this was a result of the assassination attempt on General Grant's life, but it is still unclear.

Benjamin Franklin Butler: The Most Extreme Case of Treason

Lincoln didn't only have problems with the generals and Congress, he also had to deal with Benjamin Franklin Butler – a governor in New Orleans. Lincoln thought that Butler was extreme in his policy towards slaves in New Orleans and he felt that he did not take enough action against them. He decided to get rid of him after the election of 1864 because he believed that Butler would ruin his work during his second term as president.

Conclusion

Lincoln's work in office was not easy. He often came into conflict with Congress and he had problems with generals who refused to follow his orders. Lincoln still managed to unite the North and the South, but he did not live to see the fruits of his labour. He was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre on 14 April 1865, just a few days after Lee's army surrendered as part of the terms agreed during their meeting on 9 April 1865.

During this time, Lincoln tried his best to ensure that slavery would be abolished all over America.