What would happen if Lincoln was not assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865? How would this affect US history?
I would think that Lincoln would eventually make a mistake, thus tarnishing his reputation as saviour of the Union.
For one thing Lincoln wouldn't be as revered as he is today. His head wouldn't be on Mount Rushmore and there cirtainly wouldn't be a giant statue of him sitting like an ancient greek god in its own temple. He would be remembered as the president who saved the Union but did a good deal of illegal things in the process. He would be liked by some and hated by some and overall he would be thought of as a mediocre president.
True. Its possible that he may have held in check the excesses of the Republican Party in the newly conquered South, but the fact that the Republicans did hold onto power there for so long by disenfranchising so many others wouldn't have bothered him much either.
I wouldn't put it past him that he may seek a third term. The man wanted to be another DeWitt Clinton and thought of himself as the heir to Henry Clay. The would be a great deal more honest research into his administration. He would have honestly freed the slaves and ended slavery - rather than the fact Andrew Johnson did that. Of course it also possible that he would have followed thru with his earlier attempts of shipping the newly freed blacks to some Central American country.
There is always the question if Reconstruction would have gone better with Lincoln living. Probably not much better is my first inclination. Much effort would have been done about getting the Southern economy back on its feet as soon as possible, but the move to any greater sort of Civil Rights is questionable.
Okay, he may not be martyr, but I can't see why'd there'd be "more honest research" since I see him, like everybody else, as having the same status as today.