Ed Wk Day One 2009 Abraham Lincoln

Now that was an interesting class! Abraham Lincoln was incapable of duplicity, a lawyer never known to lie, cared little for money, would not criticize, hold grudges or seek revenge; he never smoked, chewed, gambled, profaned, or drank. He served water.

AL talked about God in all his address. He would call America, "almost chosen". He didn't want people to judge the south. The north was the major contributor to the slave trade.

A nation dived against itself cannot stand was his motto. He said he would rather lose the election than not use this phrase. The phase was understood by the south and the north.

The nation was in trouble in the 1850's. Curruption was rampant. AL get back into politics because of this. The the Kansas Nebraska Act would permit slaves in new states. (1854). There was mobocracy, illegal elections, secession issues, the Declaration of Independence was being assailed, the constitution was being attacked and there were 4,000,000 slaves. The Dread Scott Decsion (1857) by the Supreme Court called the black man an inferior order. The Know Nothing party was anti immigration and anti catholic as their platform went from 30,000 members to 1,000,000 members in a year. It was a racist party. There were denials of freedom of the press, speech and religion. There were huge problems in America.

AL started realizing that it this war was the will of God. It would go on until Americans turned from their sins. That's what AL preached! He signed into law the anti slavery anti polygamy bill but said he had no intention of enforceing it.

He used Book of Mormon phrases in his speeches. (I am instrument of God (I think)).

The lost talk of AL: He spoke for an hour and a half. All 40 reporters including his note taker didn't right it down. He was so powerful that everyone put their pens down.

I broke one campaign promise: He said he didn't have the legal right to change slavery in the slave states. He ended up as the executive and commander in chief confiscating the southern states' property calling it the emmancipation proclamation. The civil war was won because 160,000 slaves joined the north as solders.

Most soldiers were fighting for the union, not to free the slaves. AL had to work with the union troops on this matter.