by Xi Lin

Created on: May 26, 2008

Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the President of the US on March 4th, 1861. The US was split into the North and South, primarily over the issue of slavery. As advocates of pro-slavery, Southerners appointed Jefferson Davis to lead the Confederacy. This selection was done two weeks before Lincoln became president. Tension between the two parties grew intense and civil war seemed to be inevitable. However, before the first battle at Fort Sumter in April of 1861, Lincoln attempted to justify the supremacy of the Union's interests through the constitution with his First Inaugural Address.

The Constitution is the preeminent doctrine of the land; it serves as the rudimentary basis for all laws and ruling. Lincoln tried to justify to the South that they had no right to sever out of the Union:
It follows from these views that no State upon its own mere motion can lawfully get out of the Union; that resolves and ordinances to that effect are legally voidI trust this will not be regarded as a menace, but only as the declared purpose of the Union that it will constitutionally defend and maintain itself.

While this address mainly serves as a message to the Southerners, Lincoln also wanted his Northerners to understand the foundation of the US. He stated that we must listen to the Founders of the constitution for they initially created the country they all lived in. The existence of the Union required the maintenance of its property. Lincoln stated:
The power confided to me will be used to possess the property and places belonging to the Government and to collect the duties and imposts; but beyond what may be necessary for these objects, there will be no invasion.

This focus led to the options Lincoln gave to the Confederacy- either both parties would exist under Union rule, or invasion would be necessary to preserve the properties of the Union.
Later, another great battle known as the Battle of Gettysburg would spark even more violence between the North and the South. Lincoln delivered The Gettysburg Address immediately following the aftermath of the battle, where the Northern forces dealt a costly blow to the Rebel army. In the process, however, tens of thousands on both sides had lost their lives. This was considered a decisive battle, and later historians deemed it the turning point in the war. The purpose of the Gettysburg address was to encourage the North to renew their enthusiasm for the war. This is evident when Lincoln said:
The brave men, living and dead, who struggled

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