- Joined
- Jun 20, 2012
- Location
- Pacific Northwest
In the summer of 1864, during the Civil War, the best political minds thought Abraham Lincoln’s reelection chances were slim, including Lincoln himself. The year had been especially brutal for Union forces, even compared to enormous losses of previous years, and the armies were stalled outside Petersburg, Va., and Atlanta, Ga. It was doubtful whether military victory could be attained before the Northern public gave up on the war, and this made Lincoln’s electoral defeat appear certain. Given the peace platform of Lincoln’s opponents, his loss might mean the death of the Union itself, the perpetuation of American slavery and the faltering of democracy’s prospects around the world. Then it all changed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...hanger-or-campaign-myth/?tid=trending_strip_6
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...hanger-or-campaign-myth/?tid=trending_strip_6