Abraham Lincoln And Jefferson Davis Essay, Research Paper
Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis
Sunny Herren
American History
Mrs.Lynn
5 February 1997
In this study I compare two great historical figures: Abraham Lincoln,
the 16th president, steered the Union to triumph in the American Civil War and
abolished bondage, and the first and lone president of the Confederate States of
America, Jefferson Davis. Abraham Lincoln was the President of the Union, and
Jefferson Davis struggled to take the Confederacy to independence in the U.S.
Civil War. Lincoln was treasured by the African Americans and was considered an
earthly embodiment of the Savior of world ( DeGregorio 20-25 ) . On the other
manus, Davis was both admired and hated. Lincoln had a different position of how the
U.S. should be in get rid ofing bondage. Davis was a politician, president of the
Confederate States of America, and besides a successful plantation owner. He had beliefs
for the South to go on in the old ways with bondage and plantations. Both
Lincoln and Davis had strong feelings for the protection of their land ( Arnold
55-57 ) .
Both Abraham and Jefferson Davis shared several differences and
similarities. Lincoln was known to hold an easy traveling and jesting type attitude.
In contrast, Davis had a pique such that when challenged, he merely could non
back down ( DeGregorio 89 ) . Davis had been a fire-eater before Abraham Lincoln & # 8217 ; s
election, but the chance of Civil War made him glooming and down. Fifty-
three old ages old in 1861, he suffered from a assortment of complaints such as febrility,
neuralgy, and inflamed oculus, hapless digestion, insomnia, and emphasis. Lincoln besides
suffered from unwellnesss during the war. He had terrible instances of concerns and
emphasis.
Both presidents had a batch of force per unit area of them due to the fact of
supporting their part. Lincoln had troubles turning up because of the
deceases early in his childhood, poorness, and small instruction. Davis ; nevertheless,
studied at a Roman Catholic school in Kentucky and at Transylvania University,
and entered West Point in 1824. Davis seemed to hold had an outreaching
environment to his success. The major difference, personality wise, was Davis & # 8217 ; s
failing in his inability to acquire along with other people where Lincoln was a
good liked and easygoing adult male.
Both work forces shared a common bond in their instruction towards war. Davys
served at frontier military stations and in the Black Hawk War before vacating in
1835. Lincoln gained the regard of his fellow townsfolk and was elected
captain of his company in the Black Hawk War. Lincoln started his political
calling running unsuccessfully for the Illinois legislative assembly in 1832. Tow old ages
subsequently he was elected to the lower house for the first of four successive footings
as a Whig. Davis moved to Mississippi where he managed a plantation and studied.
In 1845, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat. He
shortly had to go forth due to the Mexican War. Desiring to be made the commanding officer of
the Southern ground forces, he was alternatively elected president of the Confederacy on
February 8, 1861. In 1860 Republicans nominated Lincoln for the presidential term on a
platform of slavery limitation, internal betterments, homesteads, and duty
reform. He took curse of office on March 4, 1861. The Civil War started after
Lincoln took curse, and the conflict at Fort Sumpter occurred. The upper South had
non yet seceded and when Lincoln took action to support Ft. Sumpter, the
Confederates opened fire get downing the Civil War. The South, lead by Davis,
suffered due to his hapless wellness, which didn & # 8217 ; Ts make him an ideal main executive.
Davis became progressively unpopular as the war continued. Both President Davis
and President Lincoln still had to cover with Congress- in Davis & # 8217 ; s instance with a
weak one, in Lincoln & # 8217 ; s instance with a much stronger one ( Eaton 160-163 ) .
During the last twelvemonth of the war, Jefferson Davis & # 8217 ; s addresss were in fact
animating that spring of 1865. Davis was in hapless wellness under the strain of war,
he changed perceptibly. He developed a closed sphinx like personality. The
eventually of the war happened at Appomattox. Lee, Davis & # 8217 ; s ground forces commanding officer,
surrendered to Grant & # 8217 ; s ground forces under Lincoln. When Jefferson Davis heard about
Lee & # 8217 ; s surrendered he wept, but refused to acknowledge licking. The combined Union and
Confederate casualties amounted to 33 to 40 per centum of the forces involved. The
Northerners had lost 359,000 dead, the Southerners, 258,000 ( Canfield 85-87 ) . At
the 2nd inaugural, Lincoln summed up his attitude in the celebrated phra
Se “with
maliciousness toward none, with charity for all. & # 8221 ; Lincoln publicly announced his
support for black right to vote. This act sparked, the immorality, John Wilkes Booth to
take action on which he had been plotting for an onslaught against the president.
John Wilkes Booth was a outstanding Shakespearean histrion with hawkish Confederate
understandings. He believed that most Americans hated Lincoln so adamantly that
they would acclaim his bravo as a national hero. He was aroused by the chance
of ballots for inkinesss, and he was determined to transport out his blackwash strategy.
Lincoln was shot at Ford & # 8217 ; s Theatre in Washington D.C. on April 14, 1865. The
president died the following twenty-four hours ( Sandburg 522 ) .
Davis was a suspect in the slaying of Lincoln. The Northerners, non
knowing of any inside informations of the blackwash, made him a suspect. Davis was
captured and became really unpopular in the Confederacy ; he was called a tyrant.
But his cruel intervention as a captive by the U.S. Government made him a sufferer
after a clip and restored him to plunge popularity in the South ( Eaton 490 ) .
These work forces gave many positive historical parts. Lincoln was
elected with the bipartizan support and was reelected as a Whig to three
consecutive footings, Lincoln supported a system of improved transit for the
province and creative activity of a province bank. Whig Congressman Lincoln served on the station
Roads Committee and the War Department Expenditures Committee. Lincoln had
intense resistance to the extension of bondage into the districts which
prompted him to abandon the Whig party and fall in the new Republican Party in 1856.
Lincoln issue toward bondage grew stronger. Lincoln one time quoted & # 8220 ; There is no
ground in the universe why the Negro is non entitled to all the natural rights
enumerated in the Declaration of Independence- the right to populate, autonomy, and
the chase of happiness. & # 8221 ; Lincoln was elected as president and continued there
to lend to the U.S. Soon the President would hold his custodies full with the
Civil War. Eleven provinces seceded from the Union in 1861 to organize the Confederate
States of America. In September 1862 President Lincoln issued the Emancipation
Announcement. Lincoln is praised for his excellence in taking the military personnels to
battle for the independency of slaves. The Civil War marked the terminal of bondage
everlastingly. Lincoln ranked foremost of 31 presidents: best of the 5 & # 8220 ; great & # 8221 ;
presidents, he ranked above George Washington ( DeGregorio 232-240 ) .
No adult male in American history had to confront heavier odds and greater
disheartenment & # 8217 ; s than Jefferson Davis. He had been called the adult male who
symbolized the solemn strong beliefs and tragic lucks of 1000000s of work forces. The
people of the South didn & # 8217 ; t agree with everything Davis believed, which made him
unpopular, but he won their regard and fondness after the war through his
enduring in prison and through his womb-to-tomb defence of the Southern cause
( Canfield 129-131 ) . In my sentiment both Lincoln and Davis had an utmost impact
on American history. Lincoln had the largest job in stoping bondage. He, in
my sentiment, had the greatest impact on America. In that rough period of clip,
being in favour for the black equality race was unsafe yet brave.
Lincoln had have been one of the stronger presidents with all the troubles
he ran into. The determinations were really critical and were thought out with extreme
attention. By Lincoln functioning as president, we prospered in many ways. His actions
brought approximately great challenges that he, and the undermentioned male parents of our state
would travel through. The combine of both races and more freedoms would stir
problems for many old ages to come. Although his actions stopped bondage, it
didn & # 8217 ; t halt the rough intervention of the black race which carried out for decennaries.
Lincoln & # 8217 ; s Presidency was dominated by the war. The state was traveling through
major alterations socially and economically. Though Davis led the South through
dramatic alterations, no alteration has of all time had more importance than the abolition of
bondage. Both the North and the South gained cognition from this horrid
experience of war. Lincoln & # 8217 ; s accomplishments? salvaging the Union and liberating the
slaves? and his martyrdom merely at the war & # 8217 ; s terminal assured his go oning celebrity.
Both work forces have made their historical Markss due to their great workss, and ways
they both sacrificed their devotedness to determine our state. I agree with most
historiographers that Lincoln had qualities that made him a great American solon.
His acute mind, wit and daring, and compassion wholly contributed to his
presidential term in uniting the state and widening freedom.