Aim: How did the Presidents handle the Civil War and Reconstruction?

16. Abraham Lincoln Born: February 12, 1809, Hardin County, Kentucky Occupation: Lawyer Wife: Mary Todd Children: 4 boys President Political Party: Republican Vice Presidents: Hannibal Hamlin and Andrew Johnson Died: April 15, 1865 (Assassinated) Buried: Springfield, Illinois Historical Ranking: Great

Lincoln as President Between election day in 1860 and the time Lincoln took office on March 4, 1861, one southern state after another seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. Lincoln's main goal was to keep the Union together and not to necessarily end slavery. However, war would finally break out on April 12, 1861 when Southern forces fired on the North held Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. Lincoln had a great ability to talk to the American people and convince them that the war had to be fought to keep the union together.

Lincoln as President (continued) Lincoln hated slavery and wanted to see it end. He believed that he had the Constitutional power to do that. He said; "What good would it to hold the Union together by force if slavery, which started the war was not ended". On September 22, Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation which stated that as of January 1, 1863 "all slaves in any state still in rebellion against the union would be free" After 4 years of war and 600,000 dead Americans, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant. The Civil War was over. On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln who was recently sworn into his second term. The President died the next day and Andrew Johnson was sworn in as President.

17. Andrew Johnson Born: December 29, 1808, Raleigh, North Carolina Occupation: Tailor Wife: Eliza McCardle Children: 3 boys and 2 girls President: Political Party: Democratic (National Union Party) Vice President: None Died: July 31, 1875 Buried: Greeneville, Tennessee Historical Ranking: Average

Johnson as President Johnson's Presidency was marred by the end of the civil war and the mess of bringing the union back together. Johnson wanted to treat the southern states with dignity and allow them back into the union just as Lincoln had planned to do. However, the Republican controlled Congress wanted the southern states to be punished. The Republican Congress impeached Johnson and he was found not guilty by one vote. Johnson lost his re-election bid to Ulysses S. Grant. Johnson became a Senator following his Presidency. Before Johnson died he stated; "I did my duty to my God, my Country, and my Family. He was buried with a copy of the US Constitution.

18. Ulysses S. Grant Born: April 27, 1822, Point Pleasant, Ohio Occupation: Soldier Wife: Julia B. Dent Children: 2 boys and 2 girls President: Political Party: Republican Vice Presidents: Schuyler Colfax and Henry Wilson Died: July 23, 1885 Buried: New York City Historical Ranking: Failure

Grant as President Grant was a great military general, he won the Civil War for the North. However, as President he was a failure. Although Grant himself was honest, his cabinet and those he surrounded himself with during his Presidency were not. Grant wanted Southern states to be treated well; however, he allowed "Radical Republicans" in Congress to control what happened to the south and Grant used Federal troops to enforce whatever laws Congress put in place to punish the south. When Grant left office, he moved to NYC and wrote an autobiography to provide for his family. Four days after finishing, Grant died from throat cancer. The book was a huge success.

19. Rutherford B. Hayes Born: October 4, 1822, Delaware, Ohio Occupation: Lawyer Wife: Lucy Webb Children: 7 boys and 1 girl President: Political Party: Republican Vice President: William A. Wheeler Died: January 17, 1893 Buried: Fremont, Ohio Historical Ranking: Average

Hayes as President The election of 1876 was the mostly hotly contested election in history. When the election was over Democrat Samuel J. Tilden won the popular vote over Hayes. In the electoral college, Tilden had 184 votes (with 185 being needed to win) and Hayes had 165. Four states with 20 electoral votes were being contested. Both sides claimed victory in those states. However, the election went to the House of Representatives. 8 Republicans and 7 Democrats were left to decide the election. After negotiations, the election was given to Hayes in exchange for the withdrawal of Federal troops from the South.

Hayes as President (continued) On April 24, 1877, the last Federal troops were withdrawn from Louisiana. The long period known as Reconstruction was finally over. Then over the next 23 years; 11 million new immigrants poured into the country from Europe and China. Hayes oversaw the beginning of the change from an agricultural nation to an industrial nation. Hayes tried to eliminate political corruption; however, Congress battled him the whole way. Because he could not end corruption, Hayes refused to run for a second term.

20. James A. Garfield Born: November 19, 1831, Orange, Ohio Occupation: Lawyer Wife Lucretia Rudolph Children: 4 boys and 1 girl President: 1881 (6.5 months) Political Party: Republican Vice President: Chester A. Arthur Died September 19, 1881 Buried: Cleveland, Ohio Historical Ranking: None

Garfield as President While in Congress, Garfield had been accused of taking bribes but the accusations could not be proven and he denied the charges. When Garfield was elected President he sought to clean up government and institute a federal civil service system. Up to this time government employees were appointed by political friends. On July 2, 1881, Garfield was shot by a man who he had denied a job. Garfield died 2.5 months later. The country was shocked at his murder and began to demand that Congress clean up corruption within the federal government.