Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln is arguably our country’s most famous president. He led America through the Civil War, abolished slavery, preserved the Union, modernized our economy, and strengthened the federal government. But as a champion of African-American rights, including voting rights, the 16th president was highly disliked by Confederate states.
His killer, John Wilkes Booth, happened to be a Confederate spy whose motive for killing Lincoln was to avenge the Southern states. The president was shot while at the theatre and died the next morning. As a result, Lincoln’s death damaged relations between the North and South. His successor, President Andrew Johnson, presided over the Reconstruction era, was indulgent on the Southern states, and bestowed amnesty to many former Confederates, much to the frustration of the North.
Lincoln’s death created a significant toll on the country because he had a good plan for Reconstruction. He wasn’t seeking to damage the South. He wanted to welcome them back in to sort out their differences. He also wanted to integrate African Americans into society…We can safely say that Johnson missed the mark on both those fronts.
