Fields of Gray

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Abraham Lincoln (1809–61), the only elected President of the United States to never take office

The American Civil War was perhaps the most significant that ever took place in the United States. Just under a century after gaining independence from the British, the United States was at war with itself over the issues of slavery, states' rights, and an abundance of other reasons. The Confederate States of America, formed by southern slave states angered by the election of anti-slavery Republican Abraham Lincoln, declared war on the Union during April of 1861, and four years of bloody fighting would ensue between the two nations. The war would end in a Union victory, with General Robert E. Lee's surrender at the Battle of Appomattox Court House.

The preservation of the Union can be attributed to one of the greatest presidents we ever had: Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was able to balance both the military and political aspects of the American Civil War. The president was able to prevent further secession of slave states (namely Maryland), abolishing slavery, and leading the United States to victory against the Confederacy. His moderate and pragmatic approach to governing allowed the Union to win the most devastating conflict in American history and secure his place as one of the United States' greatest presidents. Unfortunately, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 by actor John Wilkes Booth, handing his presidency off to Andrew Johnson and cutting his legacy short.

Had Lincoln not been President during the American Civil War, it is very possible that things may have gone differently for both sides. Lincoln was typically at odds with the radicals in his own party, especially with issues regarding the war and the subsequent plans for Reconstruction. Prior to taking office, there was a conspiracy to murder the President-elect during his planned visit to Baltimore, known as the Baltimore Plot. Had that plot succeeded, American history would be changed forever. This co

Point of Divergence[edit | edit source]

President-elect Abraham Lincoln, decides to follow through with his planned visit in the city of Baltimore on February 23, 1861. While greeting a crowd of supporters at the Camden Street train station, an Corsican-American barber by the name of Cipriano Ferrandini approached the President-elect. When Lincoln reached to shake Ferrandini's hand, the barber drew a knife and stabbed the President-elect in his abdomen. Chaos erupted as the President-elect was in serious condition and Ferrandini attempted to flee the scene. A police officer at the station spotted Ferrandini fleeing and shot the assailant with his revolver. President-elect Lincoln would succumb to his wounds that afternoon.

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