Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States from 1861 to 1865, at the same time as the Civil War. Although Lincoln was not an abolitionist, he did not want slavery in the new territories. Before becoming President, he taught himself law and practiced it independently. He knew the US could not stay divided under different laws. He was a public speaker who inspired many through the Gettysburg Address, a speech about the deadly battle at Gettysburg. In 1863, he developed the Emancipation Proclamation, which said that only the slaves in the Union were now free. Sadly, Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, in Ford's Theater.
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"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." -Abe Lincoln
Jefferson DavisJefferson Davis was born in the South in 1808. He joined the military and had a long career filled with many accomplishments, including fighting in the Mexican-American War. Later he was elected as a US senator from Mississippi and a Secretary of War for President Franklin Pierce. He wanted to command Mississippi's military but instead, he was elected as President of the Confederacy against his will. He died of acute bronchitis in 1889 in Louisiana.
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"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. " -Jefferson Davis
Robert E. LeeBorn in 1807, Lee grew up with an aristocratic family. He attended West Point Military Academy to learn about war and after graduating became a Mexican War hero. He is often referred to as one of the greatest generals of all time. Because of this, President Lincoln even asked him to fight for the Union. Even though he was against seceding and thought slavery was evil, he refused to turn against his people and ended up leading the South. Eventually, he surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant when supplies and soldiers ran low. Lee died of a stroke at his home in 1870.
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"What a cruel thing war is... to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors." -Robert E. Lee
Harriet Beecher StoweHarriet Beecher Stowe was an abolitionist who informed people about the horrors of slavery. Although she was not directly involved with the war, she convinced many people to become anti-slavery through her book Uncle Tom's Cabin. Angered by the Fugitive slave act, Stowe wrote to teach people about why slavery is bad. In the book, a slave, "Tom," was sold from his family then beaten to death. After 10 years, the book sold over 2 million copies and was a huge success.
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"The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone." -Harriet Beecher Stowe