In 1837, Lincoln moved to Springfield and began practicing law. He was reappointed four times as a representative of the Illinois Board. From there he aspired to become a representative of the Illinois House of Representatives in Washington.
He was elected in 1846 and at the end of 1847 he sat in Washington, opposing the war against Mexico, which he considered unconstitutional and unjust. In this opinion he votes several times to send additional regiments. His views were considered anti-patriotic and a cause of discontent among Illinois voters, so Lincoln did not seek a renewal of his office. In war, on the opposite side of the future adversary causes war. Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States United States military becomes a hero.
Back in Springfield, he picks up his job as a lawyer and prospers, building a large client base in Chicago. He defended the companies included in the Illinois Central Railroad to obtain a charter from the state. He is fighting against McLean County, who wants to impose a tax on the activities of this company. On this occasion, he receives 5,000 dollars, but the company must obtain the requested amount of money. Among the cases, he also handles several criminal cases. Defending Duff Armstrong, accused of murder, he must confront the witness that he saw his client among the killers by moonlight. From one of the almanacs, Lincoln argues that he could not see the scene and was absolved of witnessing the moon. An experienced lawyer’s career helps give Lincoln a reputation as a famous man who is eloquent and honest.
Abraham Lincoln was elected to the US Congress as a practicing lawyer. From this time, his anti-slavery is evident, but not in favor of voting rights for black people. He is known as an advocate for railroad companies, but also for his speech against the admission of new states to the United States, especially during the senatorial elections of 1858. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which abolished the boundaries. The spread of slavery (Missouri Compromise) presents Lincoln in the political arena. Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas voted for a referendum on the issue of slavery in the territories in question. In 1858, Lincoln gave a speech highlighting the dangers of dissension in the country over the issue of slavery. He made it known by public speaking.
Lincoln was chosen by the Republicans for the presidential election in 1860. He was elected on November 6, 1860 and became the 16th with 39.9% of the vote, due to divisions in the Democratic Party. The other candidates were Stephen A. Douglas (29.5%), John C. Breckenridge (18.1%) and John C. Bell (12.5%).
After the election, while the new president has not yet been sworn in, seven states seceded: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia , Louisiana, Texas. The last six decided on February 4, 1861 to form the Confederate States of America, which Lincoln refused to recognize. The states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri and Arkansas decided to remain in the Union, but they warn Lincoln that they will not receive troops in their own territory.
However, he received numerous death threats and a plot by extremists to assassinate the new president before his plans to inaugurate on the morning of February 23, 1861 in Baltimore collapsed. In March 1861 he said the Union could not be broken.
Works cited:
Richard Carwardine. Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power
David Herbert Donald. Lincoln (1995)
William E. Gienapp. Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War: A Biography
Mark E. Neely. Abraham Lincoln Encyclopedia (1984)
Mark E. Neely. Earth’s Last Hope: Abraham Lincoln and the Promise of America (1993)
Stephen B. Oates. Malice to the Ninth: The Life of Abraham Lincoln (1994)
