What Changes Could Happen in the American Political Scenario If Lincoln Was Not Assassinated - Literature review Example

The article “If Lincoln hadn't died ... Would the disastrous Reconstruction era have taken a different course?” is studied in order to summarize its content. The author here asks a legible question in the introductory part of the article that, what changes might have been happened in the American political scenario if Lincoln was not assassinated. The article further responds by suggesting that Lincoln's assassination made little contribution to the reconstruction concept, wherein Lincoln craved for the unity of blacks and whites in America. The article says that Lincoln and his successor Andrew Johnson were met with a similar fate and couldn’t do much about the reconstruction plan. The article points out the radical attitude of Congress who detests the reconstructing plans of Lincoln.
The article exemplifies that failing to give justice to blacks was a real tragedy as blacks played an important role in forming American history. Here the reconstruction plan of Lincoln is shown as a means to win the war and end slavery. The author showcases the personalities of Lincoln and Johnson to be contrasting as the former was open-minded and the latter was stubborn and racist. The article explains that, if Lincoln was not assassinated he would have been different from Johnson and would have listened to Black before formulating white men‘s government. In such a case, Lincoln would manage to agree with radicals and blacks to form an amicable government. The article concludes by explaining the liberal mindset of Lincoln who favored radicals and blacks at the same time.
Thaddeus Stevens’s speech of December 18, 1865
Here the attempt is to summarize the article named “Thaddeus Stevens speech of December 18 1865 and to understand the content of the article in precise. This article in the introductory lines specifies the reads about the unfriendly relationship of rebels states with the constitution of the government. The author states that the rebel states have lost connection with the government because of their illicit actions and are in a dead state. According to the author, they can get life only with the permission of the government. The author comments that the states are dead and are like carcasses within the union and can be only become part of the union with the consent of the latter.
The article reemphasizes that, the state has destroyed its own existence by tearing apart its constitutional framework in an attempt to build up its own policies. Read More