Gettysburg Address (1863)

Lincoln spoke at the dedication of the Gettysburg battlefield cemetery on November 19, 1863
In 272 words, and three minutes, Lincoln asserted that the nation was born not in 1789, but in 1776, "conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal"
He defined the war as dedicated to the principles of liberty and equality for all
Defying his prediction that "the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here", the Address became the most quoted speech in American history
Promoting General Grant

General Ulysses Grant's victories at the Battle of Shiloh and in the Vicksburg campaign impressed Lincoln
Responding to criticism of Grant after Shiloh, Lincoln had said, "I can't spare this man
He fights." With Grant in command, Lincoln felt the Union Army could advance in multiple theaters, while also including black troops
Meade's failure to capture Lee's army after Gettysburg and the continued passivity of the Army of the Potomac persuaded Lincoln to promote Grant to supreme commander
Grant then assumed command of Meade's army
Lincoln was concerned that Grant might be considering a presidential candidacy in 1864
Authorization for such a promotion "with the advice and consent of the Senate" was provided by a new bill which Lincoln signed the same day he submitted Grant's name to the Senate
His nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 2, 1864
Grant in 1864 waged the bloody Overland Campaign, which exacted heavy losses on both sides
When Lincoln asked what Grant's plans were, the persistent general replied, "I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer." Grant's army moved steadily south
Lincoln traveled to Grant's headquarters at City Point, Virginia, to confer with Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman
Lincoln reacted to Union losses by mobilizing support throughout the North
Lincoln authorized Grant to target infrastructure—plantations, railroads, and bridges—hoping to weaken the South's morale and fighting ability
He emphasized defeat of the Confederate armies over destruction (which was considerable) for its own sake
Lincoln's engagement became distinctly personal on one occasion in 1864 when Confederate general Jubal Early raided Washington, D.C
Legend has it that while Lincoln watched from an exposed position, Union Captain (and future Supreme Court Justice) Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr
shouted at him, "Get down, you damn fool, before you get shot!" But this story is commonly regarded as apocryphal
As Grant continued to weaken Lee's forces, efforts to discuss peace began
Confederate Vice President Stephens led a group meeting with Lincoln, Seward, and others at Hampton Roads
Lincoln refused to negotiate with the Confederacy as a coequal; his objective to end the fighting was not realized
On April 1, 1865, Grant nearly encircled Petersburg in a siege
The Confederate government evacuated Richmond and Lincoln visited the conquered capital
On April 9, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox, officially ending the war
Reelection

Lincoln ran for reelection in 1864, while uniting the main Republican factions, along with War Democrats Edwin M
Lincoln used conversation and his patronage powers—greatly expanded from peacetime—to build support and fend off the Radicals' efforts to replace him
At its convention, the Republicans selected Johnson as his running mate
To broaden his coalition to include War Democrats as well as Republicans, Lincoln ran under the label of the new Union Party
Grant's bloody stalemates damaged Lincoln's re-election prospects, and many Republicans feared defeat
Meanwhile, Lincoln emboldened Grant with more troops and Republican party support
Sherman's capture of Atlanta in September and David Farragut's capture of Mobile ended defeatism
The Democratic Party was deeply split, with some leaders and most soldiers openly for Lincoln
The National Union Party was united by Lincoln's support for emancipation
State Republican parties stressed the perfidy of the Copperheads
On November 8, Lincoln carried all but three states, including 78 percent of Union soldiers
On March 4, 1865, Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address
In it, he deemed the war casualties to be God's will
Historian Mark Noll places the speech "among the small handful of semi-sacred texts by which Americans conceive their place in the world;" it is inscribed in the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln said:

Reconstruction

Reconstruction preceded the war's end, as Lincoln and his associates considered the reintegration of the nation, and the fates of Confederate leaders and freed slaves
His main goal was to keep the union together, so he proceeded by focusing not on whom to blame, but on how to rebuild the nation as one
Lincoln led the moderates in Reconstruction policy and was opposed by the Radicals, under Rep
Benjamin Wade, who otherwise remained Lincoln's allies
Determined to reunite the nation and not alienate the South, Lincoln urged that speedy elections under generous terms be held
As Southern states fell, they needed leaders while their administrations were restored
In Tennessee and Arkansas, Lincoln respectively appointed Johnson and Frederick Steele as military governors
In Louisiana, Lincoln ordered General Nathaniel P
Banks to promote a plan that would reestablish statehood when 10 percent of the voters agreed, and only if the reconstructed states abolished slavery