Abraham Lincoln Autocratic

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Abraham Lincoln was president of the United States during the most trying time that America has ever had. Being in charge of a country that is wracked with civil unrest over the practice of slavery made the presidency of 1860 through 1864 difficult. The statement, “Lincoln was one of the most democratic and one of the most autocratic of presidents,” means that Lincoln was a complex president. He was an extremely democratic man while he strived for the betterment of United States citizens during the war; however, he overstepped many constitutional limits during his presidency. He issued 48 executive orders during his time as president, which was more than any president before him, and was called a tyrant, or an autocratic man. The statement…show more content…
He believed that slavery was morally wrong, but he saw that the act was sanctioned by the highest law of the land: the Constitution. Lincoln spent the majority of his life learning about the laws of the United States and protecting citizens against unjust laws while he served as a lawyer. Rather than starting a war, Lincoln would have rather settled the issue diplomatically while following the laws of the United States, but he admitted he did not know how to achieve this goal through the current political system. Additionally, Lincoln saw that a civil war would tear families, states, and the country apart. However, Lincoln wanted what was best for the citizens of the country. Which is why he decided to settle the matter with the Civil…show more content…
However, Lincoln needed to be assertive to bring America back together as the United States of America. After Lincoln reasoned that slavery could no longer be solved diplomatically, he decided that the North were going to be victorious in the war. However, the South was determined to keep their “property,” and their way of life intact, and proved that they were not to be discarded as an easy victory for the North. The South had advantages over the North, examples are: the soldiers were trained better, the soldiers were more determined to win, and they were fighting on their own land. Lincoln was aware of their disadvantages and knew he had to take charge to keep the North in sights of victory. He signed 48 executive orders during his presidency, which was the most used by a previous president, and he suspended Habeas Corpus. Lincoln imprisoned tens of thousands of citizens for speaking out against the war, and tactics. Additionally, Lincoln was also a traitor. In Article 3, Section 3 of the Constitution, treason is defined as levying war against the States. Lastly, the deaths of over 50 thousand American lives rest on his shoulders due to Sherman’s March to the Sea. To conclude, Lincoln most definitely overstepped many constitutional limits, but he did so to win the

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