Cartwright: The Role Of Abraham Lincoln In Politics

Abraham Lincoln was always into politics. When he was young, he worried about the nations' problems. When he entered politics when there was two major parties the Whigs and Democrats. The Democrats usually ruled the Congress, presidency, and many state offices. The Whig party, on the other hand, had championed banks, businesses, and corporations. They believed in a strong federal government and limited state rights. The Whig party was not antislavery party. Abraham choose the Whig in his sentence, "I am always a Whig in politics." He had served in the Illinois state legislature since his first successful election in 1834. He was in a tough campaign for Congress. His opponent was Democrat Peter Cartwright. Cartwright was a Methodist preacher, so he spoke very well and had a lot of friends in the districted.
Cartwright asked him, "May I inquire you, Mr. Lincoln, where are you going?" Lincoln responded,"If it's same to you, I am going to Congress." Cartwright sputtered with anger. Weeks later, Lincoln was elected to Congress by a margin of fifteen-hundred votes. In a letter to a friend ,Joshua Speed, Lincoln said,"As a nation, we began by declaring that all men are created equal. We now practically read it all men are created equal except Negroes." Lincoln was the Republican candidate for the presidential campaign in 1860. His opponents were Stephan A. Douglas-Democrat, John C. Breckinridge-Democrat, and John Bell-Whig. On October 15, 1860 eleven year old Grace Bedell convinced Abe to grow a beard, so women would like it and make their husbands vote for him. On election day November 6, 1860 Lincoln got the results of the election. He had 1,865,593, Douglas had 1,382,713, Breckinridge had 848,336, and Bell had 592,906 votes. He was elected the United States of America's 16th