The leader of an entire nation and its military forces needs to have a certain intuition and connection with its country. Without this, the leader would seem more like a ruler, which is why electing a president is a more appealing choice to most Americans. In the election of 1864, the fate of our whole country was indirectly affected by the outcome. 3 years into the Civil war, the union was electing, or reelecting, its new president. Abraham Lincoln and George McClellan both ran for president in 1864, but Lincoln came out on top after a very long fight to win for the presidency. Abraham Lincoln, looking back, seems like an integral person to America and its history. People today may believe that, but it was actually surprisingly difficult for Lincoln to win his reelection. There were many factors contributing to this uncertainty, one of them being his support of emancipation for slaves. According to USHistory.org, the Democratic Party was split right down the middle about their hopes for the war. Half of the democrats were extremely dead-set on ending the war with a peace treaty, and the other half wanted to continue the fight ("The Election of 1864"). In a presidential campaign, a completely split party …show more content…
Abraham Lincoln was, overall, a confident man. It is common knowledge to most that he was always telling stories and reeling audiences in with speeches. In the case of this presidential election, though, Lincoln was very certain that McClellan would win the election. Not only did he not have the support of half of the democrats, but he also would be the first president of nine to win reelection to serve his second term, according to USHistory.org. Andrew Jackson was the last president to serve his second term as the president of the United States, and Lincoln was very uncertain he would be the next to carry his presidency into his second