Lincoln Presidency (4 mars 1861 – 14 avr. 1865)

Description:

Abraham Lincoln, a member of the Whig party, was an opponent of slavery, a fan of expanding into cities and commerce, and a self-taught lawyer. After a term as a congressman, he engaged in the Lincoln-Douglas debates to denounce slavery. He formed the Republican Party in 1858 and was chosen by them to run for Presidency in 1860. Lincoln was not about to have an easy Presidency; by the time he was inaugurated in 1861, seven states had seceded from the Union. He was well liked, however, gaining only few criticisms (like suspending the right of habeas corpus). Just after the Battle of Antietam, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in rebelling states. His Gettysburg Address is one of the most famous speeches in US history. Lincoln narrowly won a second term in office, during which he was killed in Ford’s Theatre by John Wilkes Booth on April 14/15th (the shooting occurred on the 14th and he slipped into a coma but didn't die until the next day).