322
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 28 Aug 2024
322 points (98.5% liked)
HistoryPorn
7049 readers
216 users here now
If you would like to become a mod in this community, kindly PM the mod.
HistoryPorn is for photographs (or, if it can be found, film) of the past, recent or distant! Give us a little snapshot of history!
Rules
- Be respectful and inclusive.
- No harassment, hate speech, or trolling.
- Foster a continuous learning environment.
- No genocide or atrocity denialism.
Pictures of old artifacts and museum pieces should go to History Artifacts
Illustrations and paintings should go to History Illustrations
Related Communities:
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
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.
Lincoln wouldn't have magically resolved everything, as Lincoln was still from the moderate wing of the Republican Party (even if he became more radical as the war wore on), but it's hard to imagine a worse successor than Andrew Johnson, who wasn't even part of the big tent antislavery party. Traitorous fuck, no better than the copperheads.