Abraham Lincoln: Commander In Chief

As Commander in Chief, Abraham Lincoln made numerous decisions that impacted the outcome of the war. He used a broad interpretation of his Oath of Office to justify nearly any action he took. Many of these actions overstepped the bounds of the Constitution, but all were made with the greater good of the country in mind. Despite having the best intentions, Lincoln did make mistakes throughout his presidency, such as how he handled the military. However, these mistakes were not enough to tarnish Lincoln’s legacy. His actions as Commander in Chief were one of the leading reasons that the Union was victorious, and the Emancipation Proclamation earned him an everlasting spot in U.S. history. Many may point to the Emancipation Proclamation as Lincoln’s best decision, and with good reason - it was a controversial action that single-handedly shaped the course of America’s future. However, this did not take the type of genius that Lincoln showed off later in his career. In this sense, Lincoln’s best decision was starting a program of reconstruction early on in the war. It would have been easy to put off that problem until the war was finished, but Lincoln chose to start implementing a new government as quickly as possible. Of his plans for

In a stroke of genius, it allowed for a small minority of Northern sympathizers to take over a Southern state and create a government. The Ten Percent plan also pardoned all Southern citizens and most officials, creating a feeling of leniency among those in the South. In this way, Lincoln managed to completely take over states with small amounts of supporters within them, while at the same time appearing amicable to the South. He successfully accomplished his goals and started the process of reconstruction while avoiding a public outcry. For this reason, the Ten Percent plan was the best decision of Lincoln’s