Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)

Honest Abe may have been ahead of his time and many scholars have given him a very high ranking. But I can't give him more than two stars when in reality, he sat on the fence when it came to the slavery issue. He did not believe in extending slavery, but he was not an abolitionist. ... He was a racist, and did not believe that blacks were equal to whites. His only purpose was to save the Union from Confederate domination, and if he saved the Union and slavery still existed, he would have been happy with those results.

Lincoln was a tyrant, usurper and a despot who actually SUPPORTED a constitutional amendment to protect slavery (the Corwin Amendment of 1861) and opposed the 13th amendment to ban slavery and which was not even presented to Congress or to the states until AFTER Lincoln's death .

Lincoln disbanded four states duly elected governments (those states which had NOT seceded) in violation of Article 4, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution;
Lincoln had a sitting U.S. Representative from Ohio jailed and stripped of his citizenship without a trial for calling him "King Lincoln" (Clement Vallandigham). and then ignored the orders of the Supreme Court (Ex parte Vallandigham)
Lincoln suspended Habeas Corpus in violation of Article 1, Section 9, clause 2 to which only CONGRESS may suspend Habeas Corpus.
Allowed West Virginia to be unconstitutionally created violating Article 4, Section 3.
Ignored the Supreme Court in Ex parte Merryman.
Even the Emancipation Proclamation was unconstitutional in that it was essentially an Executive Order, had no authority in actual law, ordered slaves freed in an autonomous country yet did nothing for slaves in the U.S. (and even if the Confederacy could be considered still in the union, would violate the Full Faith and Credit, Equal Protection and and Privileges and Immunities clauses of the Constitution as it only declared slavery illegal in some states.)
Established an income tax in violation of Article 1, Section 8, clause 1.

Lincoln was one of the WORST Presidents along with John Adams, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, LBJ, Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama.

Lincoln could have stopped the Northern states from violating the commerce clause by putting tariffs on southern goods. Instead he chose to suspend habeas corpus when the Congress recessed. He implemented an Income Tax to pay for the War without Amending the Constitution. He told Kentucky that if they stayed neutral they would be fine because it was a war against secession and not slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation freed zero slaves in the states. Simply read Lincoln's first inaugural address and compare it to Jefferson's. Complete 180

Personally, he wasn't perfect. But a simple message to deliver: He did the toughest job any president had to do. That was to ensure the preservation of America

Abraham Lincoln was a brilliant politician. The Emancipation Proclamation was a great political move, and probably affected the outcome of the civil war more than any battle. England, and to a greater extent France were involved in great debate about the extent of aid to render to the Confederacy. The Emancipation Proclamation firmly placed the Union on the moral high ground, thus strongly influencing the two countries against substantial aid to the CSA.  Additionally by freeing slaves in the CSA only, and not in Border States Lincoln kept Border States from joining the Confederacy. It was a brilliant move politically, however one doesn’t have to dig very deep to realize it was just that, a political move.

 In general Presidents receive too much credit when things go well and too much blame when they don’t. Abraham Lincoln was president of the United States of America during the most troubling time in our nation’s history. In saving the Union, and the fact that slaves were freed (albeit more for political reasons than moral) he should rate as a one of the best.   

Freed the slaves and saved the Union. The greatest president in our nation's history.

A good president, but also made many mistakes. Lincoln was great in many regards, but also poor in many, balancing out the result of his presidency.

He was a man of integrity, honesty and had a respect for individual rights and human freedom. He was responsible for declaring Thanksgiving a National Holiday, establishing the U.S. department of Agriculture and he helped to develop the West with the Homestead Act. Of course you all know about the Gettysburg Address and the Emancipation Proclaimation. It would be safe to put him in the top 3 Presidents.

1) I agree with Louie.

2) Today, I voted the way I suspect Abe might have if he had the information we have.

At the polling place, the card that showed how to mark the ballot used Abraham Lincoln as an example. I didn't think much of it until I got home, but then I realized that - even though Lincoln wouldn't recognise the GOP of today with its solid ex-Dixiecrat base - the local Commissioner of Elections (a Republican) had probably chosen him for partisan reasons. 

In my opinion, a far better choice would have been George Washington, rather than a member of either current major party.

He introduced measures that resulted in the abolition of slavery, issuing his Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and promoting the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which passed Congress before Lincoln's death and was ratified by the states later in 1865.

What can I say? He's my very favorite. He had tenacity (failed at almost every job he had except for Lawyer and President), and was an honorable, moral man - a true gentleman. Not perfect, but had a backbone and was a brilliant thinker. Had a great sense of humor - usually at his own expense. He grew his whiskers because a little girl wrote and suggested it. Led the country during the bloodiest war in our history. He understood that it pit brother against brother and how deep their feelings went. When the war was over, he insisted on full pardons for every Confederate, and vowed to help rebuild and bring industry to the south. Why can't there be men like him today who lead us? All I can say is, "What a man!"

2nd only to FDR

A fascinating, eloquent, and original visionary, Lincoln was the right man at the right time; probably the finest mind ever to occupy the White House, his humble roots are all the more astonishing. America would have been spared much of the 100 years of enmity after the Civil War had he lived.

one of best Republicans ever. I think he'd be sadden to how his party runs today.

He is another great president. He saved the union. He also started the end of slavery.

He did the country a great deed.

to Jjzz, I would be weary of any leader wh has teh reputation of never lying. Everyone lies and as they say they best liars never lie, but if thats too over your head, it means that perhaps he was such a great liar that everyone believed him. Hitler had the same reputation to the germans that Lincoln has to America. And to the last writer, the confederates were forced to fire on sumpter because they legally had rights to it. The union soldiers were invading it, a piece of information not usually taught and that changes the whole perspective. You can't make it as simple as, "well anyone who frees slaves is a hero in my book." First off he didn't free anyone (thats right, the emancipation proclamation only applied to those states not yet conquered by the union which means they couldn't control them therefore making the proclamation a useless piece of lip flapping). Secondly lincoln had no intention of freeing slaves and he even wrote to horace greely, editor of the new york tribune and personal friend that, "If I could end the war without freeing a single negro, I would do so." It is illogical reasoning being used when saying that "he is a hero in my book if he frees slaves" The war f the northern aggression only prolonged slavery and helped keep it alive. Please do your research before coming onto this message board so that you may understand all ramifications of this war, then make your judgements. This war was not so black and white as slavery and not slavery. Listen im only 19 years old and I'm mature enough not to say something as lame as "death to all yankees" or even worst, "if you think Lincoln stinks, you stink" However I would have loved to fight for states rights back then unlike any war we have today where its all about money, there is no goal. But I'll leave you with this, "Sic Semper Tyrannus!" in the words of the true well intentioned great emancipator, John Wilkes Booth.

Lincoln had no choice but to go to war all you Condederate lovers. I'm pretty sure the south REBELLED then ATTACKED Fort Sumter. So we therefore had to retaliate and fight back. I do respect the southern heritage and culture however. But Lincoln is an inspiration to me. A great world leader.

Any person that does his best to free people from slavery forced upon them by the ppl who kidnapped them from their homeland, get a "great" review in my mind

The man had courage!

If this thing had six stars, I'd have give him more. One of the three greatest Americans in our country's history.

Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, he was honest, never lied, was honest, he always wanted to help people, (to all people who think he stinks=YOUR TRASH!)

UPDATE:  The historians are really doing a number on him, and I have to admit making some points that I had not considered before.  I am considering reducing from 4 to a 3.

ORIGINAL COMMENT:  He had to react. I would hope that his gross violations of the Constitution would have been remedied in his second term. The revisionists are starting to take the hide off him.

Trying to keep the Union together at all moral cost, cost Abe a star here.

Brilliant and self made, patient and kind. Greta orator, but more concerned with actions than appearances. Kept our country together AND freed the slaves (at least on paper).

Whether by accident, on purpose or coersion, he wound up making the decision that was hands down the greatest in terms of shaping an America with less adversity than others in terms of rights for people regardless of race.

Destroyed a once great republic

Lincoln was a racists, Power monger, Tyrant. Who trampled the Constitution. Invaded an independent nation in order to collect taxes that were slipping from the grasp of the north. Lincoln did not free the slaves ! John Wilks Booth did so.

A great President because he was not a politician! He did what he had to do to preserve the union.

What ever he done may be good for America but I don't think he had made good for the future world people.

I find it very interesting that the amateur revisionist historians on this site are overlooking the fact that the CSA started the Civil War by firing on Fort Sumter. Moreover, the armies of CSA, buoyed by their early military successes, briefly considered attacking Washington DC and conquering the entire United States. The Civil War, from the Union perspective, was predominantly defensive in nature when it began. Further, I am sick and tired of Southerners, in 2007 no less, still railing against Lincoln's horrible abuses of the US Constitution and his rough-shod treatment of states' rights. No, the Consitution doesn't allow a state to violently secede. You can say that it does, but it doesn't. What was Lincoln suppposed to do? Stand idly by while Southern armies ransacked the North and imposed slavery from Delaware to Maine? And what was he supposed to do after the Union army had recaptured Confederate military conquests? Should he have left the hostile CSA and it's army intact so that it could continually attack the Union? No, he should have done what he did, and he did it well. And any Constitutional "abuses" that can be cited are, in reality, allowed in time of war. Today, 142 years after the end of the Civil War, American Southerners have to somehow accept that they initiated a war to defend their own racist, self-serving, inhuman practices. To advance any other collective hypothesis is to practice the most ridiculous sort of self-deception and historical revisionism.

Lincoln was the greatest president as he had to deal with the worst crisis in the countrys history. Lincoln was not responsible for starting the Civil War. It was the slaveholders. Their hand picked president Jeff Davis deliberated started a shooting war by firing on Sumpter to encourage the upper south to join the confederacy. Lincoln showed great restraint. Despite illegal seizure of all Federal property in the South but Sumpter and 3 smaller forts, Lincoln attempted to find a way of peacefully encouraging Southern Unionists which he falsely believed could influence the seceded states to rejoin the union. Once Davis attacked Sumpter the Civil War Genie was out of the bottle. So over 600,000 Americans died because the south felt they could no longer guarantee the growth of slavery. The south had controlled the federal government from 1791 until 1861. It was only when Lincoln was elected without slave state support that the south lost control of the government which they had used to protect slavery including trampling on states rights when it suited them. Southerners, at times, favored a strong federal government as evidenced by the fugitive slave law ,which was upheld by the Southern dominated supreme court. The also favored and were successful in using the Federal government to censor free speech when they wanted to ban use of the US mail to deliver anything they found subversive. The Southern states only used the argument that secession was legal when the free states finally had control of the national government. No one north or south supported this theory until 1860. There were no Independent States or a voluntary union until the south lost control of the Federal Government. Slavery was not becoming uneconomical. The market value of the four million slaves in 1860 was $3 billion more than the value of land, cotton or anyting else in the south and more than was invested in manufacturing and railroads in the whole United States. Lincoln and the vast majority of northerners felt if they let the south secede, it would show the world that democracy as a form of government was not viable. There was no major constitutional right which Lincoln ignored. Lincoln did not threaten the existence of slavery anywhere it existed in 1861. The argument about tariffs was a false issue since the south had many proponents of strong protective tariffs.The American Civil War was the greatest crisis in American history. The fact that Lincoln managed to hold the nation together despite the Civil War brought about by the slaveholders, makes him the best president in US History.

Rode roughshod over the constitution, suspended civil liberties with draconian whim, and regarded blacks as a "nuisance"

That being said, his task was to preserve the Union, and win the war, and he accomplished that. Ignoring some of his methods, this was an honorable task, albeit not always accomplished in an honorable way.

I suspect that he would have corrected the constitutional and legal violations that he created in his second term, but the cavalier ease with which he instituted them has always troubled me.

Yes, Lincoln may have violated the Constitution, but in doing so he took a somewhat backward republic and turned it into the global democracy we are proud of today. He recognized the limits of the legalistic thinking that was always willing to find some clause to protect the rights of slaveowners while ignoring the more basic and universal rights of humanity. Yes, it is true that he did not hold blacks in as high esteem as we would wish, but we should recognize that this was part of his strategy of incorporating the views of the opposition -- even in beginning the war was careful not to speak too much of the divisive issue of slavery in the hope that some Southerners would refuse to join the Confederacy. Remarkably, he managed to adhere to his radical principle of equality while also ensuring that all viewpoints were considered. Lincoln is our only president whose greatness is beyond question.

BEST. PRESIDENT. EVER.

I mean most of the other "good ones" had a bad side that was kept in the shadows...But Honest Abe? Nothing.
He was simply the best.

I, being a Canadian, do not know so much about American presitants but from what ive heard about him it seems he must have been a pretty important guy who changed a whole lot of what America would be today.

I don't understand why he is the highest rated president on here, he was a federalist who fought a devastating war to destroy a constituional right and to make his party and the federal government dominant. He used thousands of men from the north and immigrants in a false war to "save the union" He was also to put it bluntly a racist, who had no use for blacks. A master politican, that everyone views as a demigod.

Abraham Lincoln was the most divisive, tyrannical and power hungry president in American history.  Because of his lust for power more than 620,000 people died in an unnecessary war.  Lincoln was a racist bigot who used the "N" word and wanted to send the Negroes back to Africa.   Even he admitted that his Emancipation Proclamation was a political ploy that did not free a single slave.  That didn't come about until the 13th ammendment was passed after the War Between the States was over and Lincoln was dead. 

Unfortunately, history is written by the victors of war and for 150 years most people have heard only the Federal spin on the War Between the States.  Most Americans would be greatly enlightened to make an honest balanced study of history and learn the real truth about Lincoln.

A good place to start would be by reading "The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War, by Thomas Dilorenzo

Honest Abe, freed the slaves

I would not have supported  every decision that he made but give credit where credit is due, he held the nation together in one of the greatest struggles in American History.

a great man who gave up his life for his beliefs. an inspiration for us all.

The most overrated American president. The Great Emancipator planned to send the slaves to Liberia after the war, stating that they would be a burden on society, and thinking of them as vastly inferior human beings. He should have simply let the South go its own way. Eventually slavery would have died out as the industrial revolution gained momentum and the southern states would probably have asked to be readmitted. The Constitution did not forbid cecession and he violated the Constitution by going to war to stop it.

Lincoln started an avoidable war- a war that cost more than 650,000 American lives. He suspended Habeas Corpus and censored the press. These things represent the greatest US President?

"The Great Emancipator" was really a power hungry tyrannical scumbag that had people imprisoned, whisked away, deported and more than likely murdered for having anti-war views, either written or verbal. Slavery would have died out in the south anyway, it was unethical and immoral. As a result of the north winning the Civil War, the federal government began the trend of assuming more and more control of our lives (a trend that continues today) and the rights of states became almost nonexistent.

Without a doubt the greatest United States President. Went from living in a log cabin to being President of the United States. Truly a man of the people. Helped the United States get through the darkest period of the countries exhistence, the Civil War. The only thing I wish Lincoln had done was come out and say he was against slavery during the 1860 Presidential Election instead of staying neutral on the issue.

I have said that President Lincoln was a white man, and shared the prejudices common to his countrymen towards the colored race. Looking back to his times and to the condition of his country, we are compelled to admit that this unfriendly feeling on his part may be safely set down as one element of his wonderful success in organizing the loyal American people for the tremendous conflict before them, and bringing them safely through that conflict. His great mission was to accomplish two things: first, to save his country from dismemberment and ruin; and, second, to free his country from the great crime of slavery. To do one or the other, or both, he must have the earnest sympathy and the powerful cooperation of his loyal fellow-countrymen. Without this primary and essential condition to success his efforts must have been vain and utterly fruitless. Had he put the abolition of slavery before the salvation of the Union, he would have inevitably driven from him a powerful class of the American people and rendered resistance to rebellion impossible. Viewed from the genuine abolition ground, Mr. Lincoln seemed tardy, cold, dull, and indifferent; but measuring him by the sentiment of his country, a sentiment he was bound as a statesman to consult, he was swift, zealous, radical, and determined . . .

Upon his inauguration as President of the United States, an office, even when assumed under the most favorable condition, fitted to tax and strain the largest abilities, Abraham Lincoln was met by a tremendous crisis. He was called upon not merely to administer the Government, but to decide, in the face of terrible odds, the fate of the Republic.

A formidable rebellion rose in his path before him; the Union was already practically dissolved; his country was torn and rent asunder at the center. Hostile armies were already organized against the Republic, armed with the munitions of war which the Republic had provided for its own defense. The tremendous question for him to decide was whether his country should survive the crisis and flourish, or be dismembered and perish. His predecessor in office had already decided the question in favor of national dismemberment, by denying to it the right of self-defense and self-preservation--a right which belongs to the meanest insect.

Happily for the country, happily for you and for me, the judgment of James Buchanan, the patrician, was not the judgment of Abraham Lincoln, the plebeian. He brought his strong common sense, sharpened in the school of adversity, to bear upon the question. He did not hesitate, he did not doubt, he did not falter; but at once resolved that at whatever peril, at whatever cost, the union of the States should be preserved.

~ Frederick Douglass (April 14, 1876)

If Lincoln had managed to win a traditional war against the South, I'd have been willing to call him great, but he only managed to fight the Confederation down because he consented to an escalation of the conflict into a totally new form of war, and also to a severe restriction of civil rights. I will readily concede that Lincoln's personal achievements as a man of humble roots were tremendous, and that he was the best man for President in 1861, but in my opinion he lacked realism and took an irresponsibly high and uncalculable risk: fighting an enemy whose strength could be perceived as dangerous. The victory in the Mexican war, just about a dozen years ago, was owed mainly to the efforts of the South, and lots of experienced Generals were still available. Three stars for at least getting through the Nation's ordeal within his presidency.

he should get a five

The greatest American
president and the noblest

This man accomplished so much all the while battling depression.