What Would Abe Lincoln's Legacy Be Like If He Wasn't Assassinated?

Soundgarden

Banned
If there was any United States President who was both deeply loved and bitterly hated during his day, look no further than to the great emancipator himself.

At an astounding 6'4, this larger than life figure refused to be intimidated and wouldn't go down without a fight, wheather its politically, emotionally, or physically.

The log cabin born president was no stranger to death, as he grew up witnessing it starting from his mother at 9, then his sister(who was also pregnant when she died), and his first romantic interest Ann Ruthledge.

Despite his less-than-ideal lifestyle, he never let those shortcomings(or challenges) get in the way to make a name for himself. After a few failed ventures, and periods of unemployment, Honest Abe finally caught a break as a lawyer and a legislator. During that time, he also served a one term as a congressman.

While he certainly didn't get the presidential nomination because of his looks, his speaking skills and mannerisms caught the attention of ongoers everywhere. Some felt like they were speaking to God himself.

Come the 1860 Presidential election, this great orator won handlely, and shortly thereafter controversy assured. His anti-slavery views became well known and as a result, the South from Virginia downward seceeded from The Union.

This lead to a bloody civil war that lasted 4 years and claimed the lives of over 600,000 men. During that time, Abe Lincoln became kinder and more humble, and would stop at nothing to keep the prosperity of that evolving and eventually most powerful nation.

As the Civil War was drawing to a close, Lincoln was shot and killed by actor and Conderate Sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. For all the hardship he had to put through not only during his presidency, but his whole personal and professional life, it is only fitting that he became a martyr for the nation.

Because of that tragic night in Ford's Theatre, he is looked at as a sympathetic figure, and in many ways, it added to his already legendary status.

However, lets say that night in Ford's Theatre never happened(or Booth was unsuccessful at killing Lincoln), how do you think Lincoln's legacy would turn out?

Its heavily speculated that Reconstruction wouldn't be a mess and the South would return to normalcy sooner, but what else would it add to Lincoln's legacy?

I find it to be a miracle that he survived his first term considering the unhealthy level of hate he had and that he was on many of the Civil War battlefields. If he were to survive his entire second term, he'd be looked at as a unstoppable figure.

The United States credibility(as well as the office of The Presidency itself) would be held at a higher ranking. He'd still be wildly popular with today's society and the Lincoln Memorial, Mt. Rushmore, and other monuments to honor him would still be erected.

Any thoughts?
 
Well, living longer means that he cannot have it both ways - can't be at once the generous victor who will let the rebels up easy, and the griend of the Blacks as well.

In the end, reconciling the South will be more important than the Freedmen's rights - the Union always came first with Abe - so his reputation will stand high for the next century, but suffer in the Civil Rights Era, because he "didn't do enough" for the negro.
 
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Due to the fact that he saved the Union, he would still be a popular and beloved historical President. Would we still have a Lincoln Memorial, hard to say, but it is likely.I see no major obstacles to him having a successful second term, so no poison pill there to tarnish his legacy.
The only tarnish on his legacy may be his sometimes heavy handed measures to keep the Union together. He did suspend the Writ of Habias Corpus and keep suspected enemies of the state in prison without trial. Since he was not assassinated and martyred, there will be historians and detractors who will focus on that.
However, he will still be remembered as one of the greatest Presidents in American history.
 

Soundgarden

Banned
Well, living longer means that he cannot have it both ways - can't be at once thee generous victor who will let the rebels up easy, and the friend of the Blacks as well.

In the end, reconciling the South will be more important than the Freedmen's rights - the Union always came first with Abe - so his reputation will stand high for the next century, but suffer in the Civil Rights Era, because he "didn't do enough" for the negro.

Frederick Douglas refered to Lincoln as a "white man's president." I'm sure he's not the only negro at the time who felt that way. You can at least say the assassination protected his legacy in some ways for reasons you just mentioned.
 
The confederate states as a whole despised Lincoln. At the time of Lincoln's assassination, Lee had surrendered, and Davis and his cabinet were in hiding. Johnson waited until May 9th to issue a proclamation that the conflict was coming to an end.

So if Boothe was stopped in his attempt to kill Lincoln, and Abe comes through the ordeal without being injured, there are a myriad of possible timelines that the nation and the President could take. I happen to think that Lincoln might have been able to obtain a more formal surrender of the CSA sooner, and then had his terms for reentry of the rebellious states into the Union confirmed and ratified by Congress without too much controversy.

But the ensuing 4 years of his second term would have likely brought Lincoln into conflict with political opponents and people within his party and inner circle. He would continue to be vilified by those in the south and I would expect that his popularity would suffer a lot. Especially if he tried to go too far in granting the freedmen their rights. Any effort to give freedmen land, would be roundly rejected by many of his closest supporters. On the other hand if he makes reconstruction easier on the South (and hence harder on the freedmen), he will suffer a backlash from other Republican supporters.

While it takes a great leader to lead as Lincoln did, through a time of war, and bring about a victory and restoration of the Union, sometimes such leaders do not do so well trying to lead during peace. As such, at the end of his second term, I would imagine that Lincoln will not have the legendary status of greatness that was cemented upon his assassination. He will clearly be seen as a great President during his first wartime term, but only average during his second peacetime term.
 
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