IB HOA ~ Unit 1, Day 10•Objectives: students will be able to…

1. identify the major leadership differences between Presidents Abraham Lincoln & Jefferson Davis

Agenda:•submit HW•video clips → take notes & listen to/watch portion of 1) Jefferson-Lincoln speech from James Swanson (Senior Legal Scholar, Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, The Heritage Foundation); & 2) Abraham Lincoln’s leadership…

•complete Davis vs. Lincoln chart, using this packet (due next class)

Abraham Lincoln & Jefferson Davisb. 1809 – d. 1865 / b. 1808- d. 1889

“I worked night and day for twelve years to prevent the war, but I could not. The North was mad and blind, would not let us govern ourselves, and so the War came.”

- President Jefferson Davis

• “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.”

- President Abraham Lincoln

IB test question: To what extent were the

leadership abilities of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis alike?

• First, what is meant by leadership?– political, military, and personal

characteristics will be assessed…but also:– the extent to which both presidents were able

to: 1. appeal to the moral values of their people in

order to rally them to continue to support the war effort

2. keep inspiring followers to continue to make personal sacrifices to support the war effort

3. maintain the respect of their people

Youtube clips:

• Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln– start @ 7 mins./end @ 22:00

• "Bloody Crimes: The Chase for Jefferson Davis and the Death Pageant for Lincoln's Corpse”– start @ 7 mins./end @ 25 mins.

Notes:• 1 column: AL• 1 column: JD

–background/biographical info.–similarities–differences–views on slavery

Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, presidents of the USA & CSA, respectively, were born less than one year

and one hundred miles apart (in KY). The Jefferson Davis Monument (and museum) is located at Fairview,

Kentucky and is managed by the Kentucky Department of Parks.

AL’s & JD’s objectives:

• AL: to preserve the Union (by invading and militarily overwhelming the CSA) & to maintain a Union “worthy of saving”

• JD: to establish a new nation (by defeating the invading armies of the North and establishing the CSA’s legitimacy)

• Both: had to motivate entire national populations to bring about huge changes in the face of powerful opposition – i.e. getting their constituents to think beyond individual interests (e.g. fear, greed) for the good of the group/country (e.g. liberty, justice, equality)

AL, Background Information:• difficult to know much about his thoughts b/c he left hardly anything

written (unlike TJ’s letters); AL primary sources: mostly oratory

• believed America should be an example of democracy for the world and that slavery eroded this fine example; he was not in favor of imposing these democratic ideals on the world, though

• entire political spectrum claims him as their own (e.g. civil rights leaders, segregationists, et al)

• Slavery:– always moderate BUT history of moving toward abolition

• didn’t call for its end, only to end its expansion; once supported colonization, which was thought to be easier than dealing w/ a post-emancipation society

– By 1858: AL b/cm national anti-slavery public figure – during 1864 election, campaigned for an amend. to abolish

it • this a success b/c the 13th amendment (which abolished

slavery) was ratified before his death

Photographs showing March 4, 1861 inauguration of Abraham Lincoln in front of U.S. Capitol (which was

undergoing construction) and at the Battle of Antietam, 1862.

Lincoln’s familial ties to the CSA

• Lincoln reportedly wept when his brother-in-law, Ben Hardin Helm, was killed while fighting for the CSA. Lincoln's family, like the nation, was divided during the C. War

• Lincoln's sister-in-law, Emilie Todd Helm, was married to a CSA general who was killed during the C. War.

• When she visited the White House after her husband's death, it created a stir in Washington, and many newspapers complained about the rebel widow's visit.

JD, Background Information:

• from Mississippi

• before the Civil War, he was a planter, slave owner, soldier, politician, and U.S. Secretary of War

• known for his outstanding oratory skills– when people heard he was planning to speak, they

flocked to hear him

• opposed secession (thought CSA should be able to stay in Union w/ slavery), but when Mississippi seceded, he resigned from the U.S. Senate, giving one last speech about this

AL on Slavery:

“I have always hated slavery,” Lincoln once declared, “I think as much as any abolitionist.” He spoke of slavery as a “monstrous injustice,” a cancer that threatened the lifeblood of the American nation. But he did not share the abolitionist conviction that the moral issue of slavery overrode all others. William Lloyd Garrison burned a copy of the Constitution because of its clauses protecting slavery. But Lincoln, as he explained in a letter to his Kentucky friend Joshua Speed, was willing to “crucify [his] feelings” out of “loyalty to the Constitution and the Union.”- Eric Foner

AL, Racism, & Slavery ~ remarks from historian Eric Foner:

• not an abolitionist or Radical Republican

• did not favor immediate abolition before the war, and held racist views typical of his time

• but he was also a man of deep convictions when it came to slavery, and during the Civil War he demonstrated an increasingly deep anti-slavery conviction, reflecting strong moral and political growth

• shared many of the prevailing prejudices of his era

• also believed there was a primary principle of equality that transcended race – i.e. the equal right to the fruits of one’s labor

• At various times in his career he condemned slavery on economic, religious, political, & moral grounds.

• Ultimately, AL saw slavery as a form of theft, of one person appropriating the labor of another

Lincoln met with his cabinet for the first reading of the draft on

July 22, 1862.

The Emancipation Proclamation

Definition: an executive order that freed slaves in the rebel states (only); called for the raising of black Union troops to fight in CW; mostly symbolic

Significance: 1. changed the war objective of the USA (no longer was the C. War only about reunion…now it was about emancipation); 2. the first time an American President had endorsed any political rights for blacks, and it was the strongest gesture, opposing slavery, ever seen by any American pres., too.

Definition?~ The speech AL gave at the dedication of the Gettysburg Cemetery on November 19, 1863 ~ Lincoln spoke for approx. two mins.~Although he expressed disappointment in the speech initially, it has come to be regarded as one of the greatest in U.S. history

Significance?

The GA invoked the principles of human equality, espoused by the Declaration of Independence, re-defining the C. War as a struggle not merely for the Union, but as "a new birth of freedom" that would bring true equality to all its citizens, which would also create a unified nation in which states' rights were no longer dominant

The Gettysburg Address

JD’s attitudes on race & slavery:

• a vast slaveholder who had defended the expansion of slavery and slave owners’ rights while in the U.S. Senate

• paternalistic view re. slavery (believed it was in slaves’ best interest)

• believed the USA only opposed slavery b/c it was not needed for the northern economy

• supported secession (but only later, not initially)• became president of a government that was founded

on the principle that one race was to be subordinate to a superior race (this only stated by VP Alexander Stephens but interestingly, never by JD)

AL & adversity!• born to a poor family• mother died when he was 9 years-old• mostly self-educated, an avid reader• avoided hunting & fishing due to his aversion to hurting

animals• abusive father; strained relationship; assumed role of

frontier son, doing manual labor and giving all earnings to his father until his teenage years ended - but never liked this type of work; AL did send his father $ after AL left home

• adored his mother and step-mother, though• his first love died• lost most political elections• of the four children (all sons) of AL and Mary Todd

Lincoln, only one lived past the age of 18 (fever, TB, heart failure)

AL’s political

idol:Henry Clay

• American statesman; b. 1777 - d. 1852• Kentucky's most prominent 19th-c. politician,

representing KY in House & Senate• H. Clay…

– Leader of Whig Party (which opposed Jacksonian Democrats; supported Congress having more power than President; eventually split and dismantled over slavery issue….)

– known as “the Great Compromiser”– & Stephen Douglass = main drafters of the

Compromise of 1850– AL also agreed with his economic policies and

political ideals– Senator John F. Kennedy ranked H. Clay as one of

America’s top five U.S. senators of all time (in 1957)

– Clay opposed the Mexican-American war, Manifest Destiny, and slavery

• Clay = main proponent of the American System (an economic policy brought to fruition by Clay (& was also the brainchild of A. Hamilton) that supported a national bank; a national currency; federal spending for a national infrastructure (for railroads, dams, roads; tariffs (on foreign products to give Americans the incentive to buy American-made products)– Significance of the AS? One of the most

historically significant examples of a government-sponsored program to balance the nation's economy

AL’s Political Leadership:

• always moderate, a compromiser• shrewd, highly-intelligent politician, handling

problems w/ humor…– self-deprecating (often the butt of his own jokes)

• …and strategy – like a chess game• generally able to work seamlessly with opponents• appointed his political opponents to his cabinet so

that he could keep an eye on them, so they’d stop fighting him, and to bring them on to his side (e.g. Sec. of State William Seward, who became a loyal member of AL’s cabinet)

More on AL’s political leadership:

• AL = excellent people skills!• AL was always careful (e.g. early in war when some USA generals

freed slaves in border states, AL demanded these generals not do this b/c he did not want to alienate border states)

• In order for AL to persuade northerners that the Union Army should raise black troops, he argued that if black soldiers fought, it would lessen the burden on white soldiers

• He was also able to convince more and more northerners that freeing the slaves was the right thing to do, reminding them of the intent of the founding fathers, the words of the Declaration of Independence, etc.

• AL continued to make inspiring speeches (e.g. Getty. Add.)– reminded his people: their lives, country would only improve if

slavery were abolished– while many northerners were indifferent to slavery, some were still

racist, some believed CSA should be re-admitted to U. w/ slavery (e.g. General McClellan), no one protested the Emanc. Proc., 13th Amend., etc.

– In short, AL appealed to northerners’ sense of nationalism, unity (preserving the union), morality, democracy, justice, etc.

JD’s Political Leadership:• known as a great orator in the U.S. Senate (like AL), but this

skill eluded him as pres. of the CSA• unable to convince Euro. allies (France, UK) to support CSA • could not articulate moral justification/cause of war (for a

separate nation); instead, used threats, showed frustration rather than communicate effectively (e.g. Richmond housewives picketed over bread…JD threw his pocket $ at them, told them they had 5 mins. to leave or soldiers would fire at them)– his 2nd inaugural address criticized USA rather than inspire

his people with the ideals of a noble southern cause• known by subordinates/family/friends to have generous,

loving spirit– e.g. w/ slaves, paternalistic in nature, happily distributing

gifts to slave children after a long trip• much less effective when dealing w/ peers, though• product of planter class; used to being lord of manor over

others• when dealing w/ people who were not his subordinates, he

lacked the skills needed for the give and take of politics– frequently lacked the patience & motivation to reconcile differences,

compromise w/ political foes, etc.

JD’s & AL’s ability to maintain cause (morale):

• JD failed to implement clergymen into CSA armies– Christian clergymen in South had long endorsed slavery– during war many southerners believed that when they

were winning – and then when losing – that this was God’s will, reflecting God’s approval/disapproval of slavery

– Yet JD failed to emphasize religious guidance/leadership of/for CSA troops

• Conversely, AL was successful in implementing Christian clergymen in USA armies– most northern clergymen opposed slavery, so they were

more capable of impacting the attitudes of N. soldiers

The CSA & black soldiers:

• From the beginning, General Robert E. Lee pushed JD not only to enlist former slaves into the Confederate Army, but also, to promise them emancipation after the war for their service, but JD procrastinated.

• Finally, toward the end of the war when JD finally pushed this idea forward, many in the CSA violently resisted, arguing, “If slaves will make good soldiers, then our whole theory of slavery would have to be wrong….”

• Ultimately, JD failed to convince CSA governors and the Confed. Congress that black troops should be raised.

To what extent did these leaders inspire their people/soldiers to fight?

• JD – Did CSA soldiers fight for JD? ...or for Robert E. Lee? – @ Appomattox right before the CSA

surrender, one CSA soldier said to Lee, “General, say the word, and we’ll go in and fight ‘em yet!”

• AL – Union army was larger and more powerful than ever toward war’s end, proving his ability to inspire continuous sacrifice among his people.– However, it should also be noted that both

sides instituted conscription/drafts….

How much did their people respect them?

• This question harder to answer/measure.• Both men had their admirers and detractors

among politicians, generals, journalists, et al.• Evidence is largely anecdotal, no data/opinion

polls - so difficult to gauge• Both men were martyred, causing virtually all

criticism to be buried (after AL’s assassination and JD’s arrest)– JD was shackled and chained, which outraged

southerners (and some northerners); AL was the first president to be assassinated, which stunned and saddened the Union

Military Leadership?• JD…• never granted authority to appoint military commanders b/c CSA

governors extreme states' rights partisans opposed this, which limited Davis' ability to manage the war through a unified command structure– did appoint Robert E. Lee commander of the Army of NVA who raised a

relatively large army (while this advanced the hopes for the CSA, in the end, it

was not enough)• AL…

– USA's superior #s & industrial capacity, ultimately, made it impossible for CSA to defend itself against such a formidable, well-equipped USA.

• BOTH… – AL and JD had challenges w/ war strategy and execution. AL had

trouble finding generals, willing to fight Lee's army (i.e. be aggressive enough) although AL did seem to have a grasp of the broad strategy of the war.

– When AL finally found an effective commander in General Ulysses Grant, the war turned dramatically in the North's favor.

– Both men seem to have micro-managed their generals too much. Due to his military background (he had attended West Point), JD interfered in too many local command decisions. In short, Davis lost an appreciation for the "big picture" by becoming entangled in too many details. AL certainly annoyed some of his generals by not delegating enough. Some referred to him as an “armchair” general, sending battle plans from Washington, D.C.

– Overall, JD was less effective than AL as a commander-in-chief….

AL’s critics (existed on both sides!):

• the South upset for the obvious reasons:– AL = leader of their enemy, making AL

the biggest enemy of all– CSA insulted that AL did not honor

their right perceived states’ rights, secession, etc.

– AL’s suspension of Habeas Corpus

• the North was war weary• …upset about death toll• frustrated by a long war• some felt Union should

surrender & let CSA leave the union

JD’s Critics (also on both sides):

• USA: these northern political cartoons, portrayed JD in women’s clothing…and as a traitor.

• CSA: perceived as cold, indifferent, impatient, ineffective, negative

President Lincoln’s legacy?-…his memory has been honored in a variety of ways including the penny, $5 bill, Lincoln Memorial, & Mt. Rushmore- considered one of THE greatest U.S. pres.s

Inside the Lincoln Memorial, a majestic statue sits in repose with the following words inscribed . . . “In This Temple/As in The Hearts Of The People/For Whom He saved The Union/The Memory Of Abraham Lincoln Is

Enshrined Forever”

President Jefferson Davis’ Legacy?

• Ultimately, southerners appreciated his defiance, refusal to accept defeat, and resistance to Reconstruction

• His reputation was restored in the South…– became a martyr after serving two years in prison for

treason– and after writing two books: The Rise and Fall of the

Confederate Government & A Short History of the Confederate States of America

• Over time, admiration for his pride and ideals made him a Civil War hero to Southerners, and his legacy became part of the foundation of the New South….

Informal Works Cited:

• Eric Foner articles, notes from speech on AL– Professor of American History, Columbia

University• “Measuring the Presidents: Modern Leadership

Theory provides a framework for comparing the presidential skills of Lincoln and Davis”– By Gordon Leidner

•in Columbiad: A Quarterly Review of the War Between the States (Spring 1998 issue)