Abraham Lincoln:16th President of the United States, 1861-1865
Life in the United States during Lincoln's administration revolved almost entirely around the Civil War. To raise money to fight the war, Congress levied the first income tax in the history of the country. For the first time, federal officeholders had to take an oath of loyalty to the Union. Pioneers flocked to the western frontier, and mining towns sprang up overnight. The government gave free farms to settlers, and set aside land for colleges that later became state universities.
| Election of 1860 | Election of 1864 | |
| Place of Nominating
Convention Chicago Ballot on Which Nominated 3rd Northern
Democratic Opponent Stephen A. Douglas Electoral Vote 180 (Lincoln),
72 (Breckinridge), 39 (Bell), 12 (Douglas) Age at Inauguration 52 |
Place of Nominating
Convention Baltimore Ballot on Which Nominated 1st Democratic Opponent George B. McClellan Electoral Vote 212 (Lincoln)
to 21 (McClellan) Age at Inauguration 56 |
| Lincoln's Vice-Presidents and Cabinet | |
| Vice-President | Hannibal Hamlin Andrew Johnson (1865) |
| Secretary of State | William H. Seward |
| Secretary of the Treasury | Salmon P. Chase William P. Fessenden (1864) Hugh McCulloch (1865) |
| Secretary of War | Simon Cameron Edwin M. Stanton (1862) |
| Attorney General | Edward Bates James Speed (1864) |
| Postmaster General | Montgomery Blair William Dennison (1864) |
| Secretary of the Navy | Gideon Welles |
| Secretary of the Interior | Caleb B. Smith John P. Usher (1863) |
| United States Events During His Administration | |
| States
Admitted West Virginia (1863), Nevada (1864) Territories Created Arizona (1863), Idaho (1863), Montana (1864) Population in 1861 32,351,000 |
|
| Apr 21, 1861 | The Civil War began. |
| 1861 | The first paper money issued by the federal government under the Constitution was authorized by Congress. |
| 1861 | The Transcontinental Telegraph was completed. |
| 1862 | Congress created the Department of Agriculture. |
| Apr 16, 1862 | Congress abolished slavery in the District of Columbia. |
| May 20, 1862 | Congress passed the Homestead Act. |
| Sep 22, 1862 | Lincoln issued a preliminary proclamation of emancipation. |
| Jan 1, 1863 | Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. |
| 1863 | Free mail delivery was established in cities. |
| Mar 3, 1863 | Congress passed the first draft law in U.S. history. |
| Nov 19, 1863 | Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. |
| Apr 9, 1865 | The Civil War ended. |
| Apr 14, 1865 | Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth. |
| Apr 15, 1865 | Lincoln died of his wound. |
| World Events During His Administration | |
| 1861 | A gold rush to New Zealand began. |
| 1861 | French troops invaded Mexico. |
| 1862 | Bismarck became Prime Minister of Prussia. |
| 1863 | The world's first successful subway was built in London. |
| 1864 | Napoleon III made Maximilian of Austria the Emperor of Mexico. |
| 1865 | Russia captured Tashkent, and all Turkestan fell under Russian rule. |
The Robinson
Library
American History.--United States: General History
and Description.--Civil War
Period, 1861-1865.--Abraham
Lincoln's Administration, 1861-1865.--Abraham Lincoln.
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