SO!
To come back to the Civil War era. What would reconstruction have been like had not Lincoln been assinated?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I don't know about reconstruction had Lincoln not be short. But I wonder if the building of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads would have been different.
What would Reconstruction have been like if Lincoln not been assassinated? Oh brother, historians have been puzzling over that one for decades. Would he have had the clout to put through his humane policies, or been impeached by the Radical Republicans like Andrew Johnson was? We just don't know. We'll never know.
One thing is certain: John Wilkes Booth probably did more long-term damage to the South than Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan combined.
Firelock76 What would Reconstruction have been like if Lincoln not been assassinated? Oh brother, historians have been puzzling over that one for decades. Would he have had the clout to put through his humane policies, or been impeached by the Radical Republicans like Andrew Johnson was? We just don't know. We'll never know. One thing is certain: John Wilkes Booth probably did more long-term damage to the South than Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan combined.
Tactical success - strategic failure
Firelock76Would he have had the clout to put through his humane policies, or been impeached by the Radical Republicans like Andrew Johnson was?
Wayne,
Clairvoyance is not my strong suit so I avoid predicting "what if" to impossible situations. But I have to believe that the guy who presided over wining the Civil War would have been more than a match for any radical Republicans who choose to challenge him.
John
John WR Firelock76Would he have had the clout to put through his humane policies, or been impeached by the Radical Republicans like Andrew Johnson was? Wayne, Clairvoyance is not my strong suit so I avoid predicting "what if" to impossible situations. But I have to believe that the guy who presided over wining the Civil War would have been more than a match for any radical Republicans who choose to challenge him. John
And the thing that really gets overlooked by most, Andrew Johnson despite being the VP, was not of Lincoln's party, so without Lincoln he was just so much fresh meat. The saying that politics make strange bedfellows was never truer.
Balt, it wan't even a tactical success on Booth's part. The crazy SOB wound up dead and his name lives in infamy.
BaltACDAndrew Johnson despite being the VP, was not of Lincoln's party, so without Lincoln he was just so much fresh meat. The saying that politics make strange bedfellows was never truer.
You are right, Balt. As I recall, Abe Lincoln was not at all confident he would win in 1864. He and the war were not popular in his own day. He added Andrew Johnson to the ticket in an effort to attract Democratic votes, especially Free Soil Democratic votes. Whether or not it got any Democrats to vote for a Republican or even sit on their hands and not vote at all I don't know.
Firelock76 his name lives in infamy.
In the dictionary next to the word "infamy" there is a picture of John Wilkes Booth. He shows how a crazy person can alter history.
John WR BaltACDAndrew Johnson despite being the VP, was not of Lincoln's party, so without Lincoln he was just so much fresh meat. The saying that politics make strange bedfellows was never truer. You are right, Balt. As I recall, Abe Lincoln was not at all confident he would win in 1864. He and the war were not popular in his own day. He added Andrew Johnson to the ticket in an effort to attract Democratic votes, especially Free Soil Democratic votes. Whether or not it got any Democrats to vote for a Republican or even sit on their hands and not vote at all I don't know. John
After the surrender of all of the Conderate armies, many Republicans more or less screamed, "The South caused the war,so they must pay for it" (just as "Germany caused the Great War of 1914-18, and had to pay for it"). As a result, even though the war was officially ended, the North continued to attack the South until after Rutherford Hayes was elected, and the occupying troops were withdrawn.
Johnny
DeggestyAfter the surrender of all of the Conderate armies, many Republicans more or less screamed, "The South caused the war,so they must pay for it"
But of course after the American Civil War ended the south didn't have much left to pay for the war with.
Hayes actually lost the popular vote in 1876. A special electoal commission of Congress with a Republican majority awarded him all the disputed electoral votes and he became President with an electoral vote majority of 1 vote. http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/rutherfordbhayes Part of the deal making for those electoral votes was to withdraw the last of the occupying troops from the South.
John WR Firelock76 his name lives in infamy. Wayne, In the dictionary next to the word "infamy" there is a picture of John Wilkes Booth. He shows how a crazy person can alter history. John
You're kidding? Really?
Would I kid you?
John WR Would I kid you?
Nah!
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