How Did Lincoln Contribute To The Civil War
Abraham Lincoln is one of the most well-known Presidents because of the things he did. Lincoln helped the United States get through the Civil War, which had the highest casualty rate of Americans than any other war. South Carolina threatened to secede if Lincoln won the election, so the state seceded on December 20, 1860. (South Carolina, 1862) After Lincoln was elected he had to travel to Washington, D.C. from Illinois. On the trip, Lincoln was supposed to go through Baltimore, Maryland. General Winfield Scott sent national troops to Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore to protect Lincoln. Railroad official Samuel Morse Felton heard rumors of an assassination attempt, so he hired the Pinkertons to investigate. Allan Pinkerton investigated and found that the plan was to stab Lincoln as he
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switched rail cars in Baltimore. Since the station was supposed to be filled with people, the conspirators figured if several people are armed with knives at least one would be able to get to Lincoln and stab him.
(Alden, 1868) In order to be safe, Lincoln took a secret train out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Lincoln arrived at Baltimore in the middle of the night and snuck through. Abraham Lincoln made it to the White House, where he had to deal with the Civil War. In total eleven states seceded from the Union, and the battle had begun. In May of 1861, General David Hunter issued an order to free all slaves in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Lincoln overturned the order and said that only he had the authority to do that. (Proclamation 90, 1862) Lincoln also suspended Habeas Corpus in Maryland, and arrested officials who were trying to get the state to secede. (Ridgway, 2001) The secession of Maryland meant that D.C. would have been surrounded by Confederate States. Lincoln was able to prevent Maryland’s secession and helped reunify the nation. After the war Lincoln was able to pass the 13th Amendment, which ended slavery. Lincoln was re-elected, but he was assassinated in 1865 by John Wilkes
Booth. In a time when tensions between the Southern Democrats’ pro-slavery ideology and the new Northern Republican Party’s anti-slavery ideology heated up, war between the two broke out. This time in history is important because it is what causes the death of Lincoln and the after effects. When Lincoln was on his way to the White House, General Winfield Scott sent troops to guard the rails at the cities of Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore. (Alden, 1868) The nudge is that when Samuel Morse Felton, the railroad executive, heard talk of Lincoln being assassinated he assumed that the claims were all talk rather than taking it seriously. Felton also would have believed that if anything were to happen, the national troops would deal with it. This nudge is important because it prevents the railroad executive from hiring the Pinkertons to investigate. Without the Pinkertons, no evidence of an assassination plot would have been discovered, so Lincoln would have went on with his schedule as planned instead of sneaking through Baltimore at night. In this history the Pinkertons never would have been involved, and the only protection Lincoln had would have been the national troops. It did not happen this way because Felton believed it should be taken more seriously and that the troops were not enough. Due to this Felton hired the Pinkertons.
A short term effect of Felton not taking the claims seriously is the assassination of Lincoln in Baltimore and Hamlins presidency. This little nudge would have led to the assassination of Lincoln because he would have stuck with the schedule. When addressing the people, Cipriano Ferrandini would have approached Lincoln and stabbed him. (Stashower, 2013) Lincoln would have been killed while switching cars and addressing the people like originally planned. Without hiring the Pinkertons, Lincoln would not of snuck through Baltimore during the night. After Lincoln’s assassination, his Vice-President Hannibal Hamlin would have become president because when a president is not able to do their job, the vice-president takes over. If Felton did not take the claims seriously, then Hamlin would have become president because it would have led to the death of Lincoln.
Another short term effect of Felton not taking the claims seriously is the secession of Maryland. General David Hunter issued a General Order in May of 1861 that freed slaves in several southern states, but unlike Lincoln, Hamlin would have allowed it. (Proclamation 90, 1862) This order would have made the teetering Maryland vote to secede because the congressmen would be afraid of losing slaves. The state would vote 53 to 13 to secede, and then would start supporting the Confederate States. (Scharf, 1882) This short term ramification is caused by Hamlin allowing the order from General David Hunter which scared the state of Maryland because the state felt their way of life was at stake. If Felton did not take the conspiracy seriously, then Lincoln would of died which would of led to Hamlin becoming president, and Hamlin would of allowed the order which would have scared Maryland into secession.
The first long term ramification is that the Confederate States take over the Capital of the United States. With the secession of Maryland, the Capital of the United States would have been surrounded by the Confederate States. After a couple years of fighting, on July 11, 1864, the Confederate States would have attacked D.C. and taken the President, Treasury, and the arsenal. (Lewis, 1988) The divergence point caused this long term ramification because the loss of Maryland to the Confederacy meant an easy capture of the Capital by the Confederates. Due to the Capital being surrounded, the Confederates had little resistance from the Union in taking over the Capital. Felton ignoring the claim would lead to Lincoln’s assassination, Hamlin’s presidency, and Maryland's secession which would give the Confederacy an easy victory.
The second long term ramification is that the Confederate States of America win the Civil War. If Felton would have dismissed the talk of assassination then Lincoln would have been killed, Hamlin would have been president, Maryland would have seceded, and the Confederates would have taken D.C. which would have led Confederate States winning the war. If the Confederates had control over the Capital, then the United States would of had to surrender. Felton ignoring the claim of a possible assassination attempt would cause Lincoln to die, Hamlin take over, Maryland secede, and D.C. to be taken over which would allow for the Confederates to win the war.
One little nudge is enough to completely change the outcome of the history of the United States. If Samuel Morse Felton never hired the Pinkertons to investigate the claim of a possible assassination attempt, then the Confederate States of America could have been around today.
switched rail cars in Baltimore. Since the station was supposed to be filled with people, the conspirators figured if several people are armed with knives at least one would be able to get to Lincoln and stab him.
(Alden, 1868) In order to be safe, Lincoln took a secret train out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Lincoln arrived at Baltimore in the middle of the night and snuck through. Abraham Lincoln made it to the White House, where he had to deal with the Civil War. In total eleven states seceded from the Union, and the battle had begun. In May of 1861, General David Hunter issued an order to free all slaves in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Lincoln overturned the order and said that only he had the authority to do that. (Proclamation 90, 1862) Lincoln also suspended Habeas Corpus in Maryland, and arrested officials who were trying to get the state to secede. (Ridgway, 2001) The secession of Maryland meant that D.C. would have been surrounded by Confederate States. Lincoln was able to prevent Maryland’s secession and helped reunify the nation. After the war Lincoln was able to pass the 13th Amendment, which ended slavery. Lincoln was re-elected, but he was assassinated in 1865 by John Wilkes
Booth. In a time when tensions between the Southern Democrats’ pro-slavery ideology and the new Northern Republican Party’s anti-slavery ideology heated up, war between the two broke out. This time in history is important because it is what causes the death of Lincoln and the after effects. When Lincoln was on his way to the White House, General Winfield Scott sent troops to guard the rails at the cities of Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore. (Alden, 1868) The nudge is that when Samuel Morse Felton, the railroad executive, heard talk of Lincoln being assassinated he assumed that the claims were all talk rather than taking it seriously. Felton also would have believed that if anything were to happen, the national troops would deal with it. This nudge is important because it prevents the railroad executive from hiring the Pinkertons to investigate. Without the Pinkertons, no evidence of an assassination plot would have been discovered, so Lincoln would have went on with his schedule as planned instead of sneaking through Baltimore at night. In this history the Pinkertons never would have been involved, and the only protection Lincoln had would have been the national troops. It did not happen this way because Felton believed it should be taken more seriously and that the troops were not enough. Due to this Felton hired the Pinkertons.
A short term effect of Felton not taking the claims seriously is the assassination of Lincoln in Baltimore and Hamlins presidency. This little nudge would have led to the assassination of Lincoln because he would have stuck with the schedule. When addressing the people, Cipriano Ferrandini would have approached Lincoln and stabbed him. (Stashower, 2013) Lincoln would have been killed while switching cars and addressing the people like originally planned. Without hiring the Pinkertons, Lincoln would not of snuck through Baltimore during the night. After Lincoln’s assassination, his Vice-President Hannibal Hamlin would have become president because when a president is not able to do their job, the vice-president takes over. If Felton did not take the claims seriously, then Hamlin would have become president because it would have led to the death of Lincoln.
Another short term effect of Felton not taking the claims seriously is the secession of Maryland. General David Hunter issued a General Order in May of 1861 that freed slaves in several southern states, but unlike Lincoln, Hamlin would have allowed it. (Proclamation 90, 1862) This order would have made the teetering Maryland vote to secede because the congressmen would be afraid of losing slaves. The state would vote 53 to 13 to secede, and then would start supporting the Confederate States. (Scharf, 1882) This short term ramification is caused by Hamlin allowing the order from General David Hunter which scared the state of Maryland because the state felt their way of life was at stake. If Felton did not take the conspiracy seriously, then Lincoln would of died which would of led to Hamlin becoming president, and Hamlin would of allowed the order which would have scared Maryland into secession.
The first long term ramification is that the Confederate States take over the Capital of the United States. With the secession of Maryland, the Capital of the United States would have been surrounded by the Confederate States. After a couple years of fighting, on July 11, 1864, the Confederate States would have attacked D.C. and taken the President, Treasury, and the arsenal. (Lewis, 1988) The divergence point caused this long term ramification because the loss of Maryland to the Confederacy meant an easy capture of the Capital by the Confederates. Due to the Capital being surrounded, the Confederates had little resistance from the Union in taking over the Capital. Felton ignoring the claim would lead to Lincoln’s assassination, Hamlin’s presidency, and Maryland's secession which would give the Confederacy an easy victory.
The second long term ramification is that the Confederate States of America win the Civil War. If Felton would have dismissed the talk of assassination then Lincoln would have been killed, Hamlin would have been president, Maryland would have seceded, and the Confederates would have taken D.C. which would have led Confederate States winning the war. If the Confederates had control over the Capital, then the United States would of had to surrender. Felton ignoring the claim of a possible assassination attempt would cause Lincoln to die, Hamlin take over, Maryland secede, and D.C. to be taken over which would allow for the Confederates to win the war.
One little nudge is enough to completely change the outcome of the history of the United States. If Samuel Morse Felton never hired the Pinkertons to investigate the claim of a possible assassination attempt, then the Confederate States of America could have been around today.