Yet our record bloodshed in the Civil War soon to come still wouldn’t be enough to completely remove it all. Sure slavery was abolished, but things were still horrible for so many reasons for the following 100 years, and somewhat still are today.
Let’s not pretend that Lincoln being there would have magically resolved it all. Let’s also not pretend he’d have cared to implement it to the level anyone might think.
We mythologize him, but he was ultimately a politician making calculated decisions for his career. That’s why he wasted effort seeking more electoral votes by getting Nevada made into a state. That’s why he chose Johnson to ensure he’d have some favorability with the south.
He did the right thing because it was politically convenient.
It’s pretty much a light switch though. Lincoln put this program in place and Johnson turned it off as soon as he could. Lincoln may not have won the peace but he would have at least tried.
Yet our record bloodshed in the Civil War soon to come still wouldn’t be enough to completely remove it all. Sure slavery was abolished, but things were still horrible for so many reasons for the following 100 years, and somewhat still are today.
I blame Reconstruction ending too soon, honestly.
i blame reconstruction in the first place, it was co-opted by the people who made this shit an issue in the first place
That’s what happens when you kill it’s driving force and replace him with a sympathizer.
Let’s not pretend that Lincoln being there would have magically resolved it all. Let’s also not pretend he’d have cared to implement it to the level anyone might think.
We mythologize him, but he was ultimately a politician making calculated decisions for his career. That’s why he wasted effort seeking more electoral votes by getting Nevada made into a state. That’s why he chose Johnson to ensure he’d have some favorability with the south.
He did the right thing because it was politically convenient.
It’s pretty much a light switch though. Lincoln put this program in place and Johnson turned it off as soon as he could. Lincoln may not have won the peace but he would have at least tried.