It is these events and enactments which Lincoln oversaw that make him the most influential president in American History.
How has Lincoln influenced America?
First and foremost: Lincoln being elected president of the United States sparked the chain of events that led to the Civil War. While this was certainly not intentional, if Lincoln had not been elected president then the Southern Slave States would have not feared for their right to slavery and seceded.
On the other side of this, Lincoln successfully ended the Civil War and restored the Union. When the war ended Lincoln wanted to reconcile with the South rather than alienate them; in keeping with that mindset Lincoln issued his Amnesty Proclamation that would give pardons to anyone who had not held a Confederate civil office, had not mistreated Union prisoners, and would sign an oath of allegiance.
On the other side of this, Lincoln successfully ended the Civil War and restored the Union. When the war ended Lincoln wanted to reconcile with the South rather than alienate them; in keeping with that mindset Lincoln issued his Amnesty Proclamation that would give pardons to anyone who had not held a Confederate civil office, had not mistreated Union prisoners, and would sign an oath of allegiance.
Photo of the original Emancipation Proclamation.
The most noted of changes after the Civil War was the abolition of slavery in the United states. When the war was over Lincoln wanted to end slavery once and for all by making a constitutional amendment that would outlaw slavery completely. After two attempts the amendment was sent to the state legislators to be ratified and on December 6, 1865, it became the thirteenth amendment of the United States constitution. Prior to the Civil War slavery was already on the decline if for no other reason than because it was becoming less and less economically feasible, making it questionable as to how much significance the Civil War ending slavery really has. However, the Civil War was a quick (relative to it dying out on its own) and decisive end to slavery which could brook no room for questioning, which in itself holds significance.
In order to fund the Civil War, Lincoln signed into law two important enactments: the Revenue Act of 1861 and the Revenue Act of 1862. The act of 1861 instituted the first Federal U.S. income tax statute. According to the act, the tax was to be "levied, collected, and paid, upon the annual income of every person residing in the United States, whether such income is derived from any kind of property, or from any profession, trade, employment, or vocation carried on in the United States or elsewhere, or from any other source whatever. . .” The act also raised various import tariffs and instituted a new property tax; the income tax provision was considered a necessary evil needed to fund the war effort but it lacked sufficient enforcement and so was repealed in 1862.
The 1862 act established the office of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, a department in charge of the collection of taxes; the act also adjusted income tax to become the first progressive income tax which separated citizens ability to pay taxes by income.
In order to fund the Civil War, Lincoln signed into law two important enactments: the Revenue Act of 1861 and the Revenue Act of 1862. The act of 1861 instituted the first Federal U.S. income tax statute. According to the act, the tax was to be "levied, collected, and paid, upon the annual income of every person residing in the United States, whether such income is derived from any kind of property, or from any profession, trade, employment, or vocation carried on in the United States or elsewhere, or from any other source whatever. . .” The act also raised various import tariffs and instituted a new property tax; the income tax provision was considered a necessary evil needed to fund the war effort but it lacked sufficient enforcement and so was repealed in 1862.
The 1862 act established the office of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, a department in charge of the collection of taxes; the act also adjusted income tax to become the first progressive income tax which separated citizens ability to pay taxes by income.
A political cartoon from the 1864 election.
Another act signed into law by Lincoln was the first Homestead Act of 1862, an act that gave any eligible applicant -which was anyone who had never taken up arms against the U.S. government (including freed slaves and women); was 21 or older, or the head of a family- ownership of land, also called a "homestead", very cheaply. The act was proposed in the hope of promoting independent farmers rather than wealthy slave-owning planters, but was always defeated in congress by southern democrats prior to the Civil War. After the southern states seceded, the bill managed to pass through congress successfully. Many future enactments of the bill were used to regulate property ownership and promote farming, the Enlarged Homestead Act of 1909 actually lead to the Dust Bowl.
The National Banking acts of 1863 and 1864 were two acts created under Lincoln's presidency which would go on to create the (federal-state) dual structure that is now a defining characteristic of the U.S. banking system and economy. These acts were put in place because a lot of America's gold and silver coin reserves were depleted by the Civil War; in response to this Congress approved the issue of $150 million in national notes known as greenbacks. These greenbacks were backed only by the national government's promise of value. In order to regulate currency and eliminate multiple types of bank notes circulating at once, the act of 1863 created national banks that issued government backed notes and taxed state and local bank notes until they were pushed out of circulation. The act of 1864 eliminated state government banks by issuing federal bank charters.
The National Banking acts of 1863 and 1864 were two acts created under Lincoln's presidency which would go on to create the (federal-state) dual structure that is now a defining characteristic of the U.S. banking system and economy. These acts were put in place because a lot of America's gold and silver coin reserves were depleted by the Civil War; in response to this Congress approved the issue of $150 million in national notes known as greenbacks. These greenbacks were backed only by the national government's promise of value. In order to regulate currency and eliminate multiple types of bank notes circulating at once, the act of 1863 created national banks that issued government backed notes and taxed state and local bank notes until they were pushed out of circulation. The act of 1864 eliminated state government banks by issuing federal bank charters.
During the war Lincoln suspended the writ of habeus corpus. The writ could only be suspended in the interest of ending rebellion under the constitution, but it was unclear as to whether it was the president or congress who had the power to suspend it. Lincoln set the precedent that presidents had the power to suspend the writ, which led to the unforeseeable consequence of President Franklin D. Roosevelt abolishing the writ in order to imprison Japanese Americans during the Second World War, using Lincoln to justify his own wartime actions.
On a lighter note, Lincoln also instituted Thanksgiving as a national holiday by proclaiming a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens", to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26.
Lastly, Lincoln personally purged the vampire scum from America during the Civil War.
On a lighter note, Lincoln also instituted Thanksgiving as a national holiday by proclaiming a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens", to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26.
Lastly, Lincoln personally purged the vampire scum from America during the Civil War.