Skip to main content

Do you think the Civil War would have happened if Abraham Lincoln had not been elected President?

Counterfactual history is always hard, and professional historians try to stay away from wondering "what if." That said, it is fun to ponder what would happen if Lincoln was not elected.  It is entirely possible; after all, he only received 49% of the popular vote.  A Lincoln defeat would have left the Democrats in charge of the White House, and Stephen Douglas would not have wanted to alienate Congress by doing anything to end slavery....

Counterfactual history is always hard, and professional historians try to stay away from wondering "what if." That said, it is fun to ponder what would happen if Lincoln was not elected.  It is entirely possible; after all, he only received 49% of the popular vote.  A Lincoln defeat would have left the Democrats in charge of the White House, and Stephen Douglas would not have wanted to alienate Congress by doing anything to end slavery.  The Lower South would not have seceded--this would have taken away the immediate cause of the war.  


The next question now should be this:  how would America look in the era between 1861 and 1864?  The nation was already showing signs of strain:  John Brown's raid in 1859 and "Bleeding Kansas" already proved that people were ready to shed blood over slavery.  The Republicans would have had more power in 1864 as the North gained more immigrants than the South and would have probably won that election.  Lincoln was not even the party's first choice, and a ticket with a Radical Republican such as Edwin Stanton would definitely lead to war, this time with the border states seceding as well to maintain their slavery rights.  To answer your question, war would probably be inevitable when a Republican managed to take the White House due to the growth of the North.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more