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Originally Posted by Ustwo
I've always wondered why Lincoln is considered the greatest president in our history when his election sparked a rebellion and half a million or so American dead.
The problem with history is the true great ones win before it starts and history gives them no accolades.
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You think Lincoln's election sparked or started the civil war? By the time Lincoln took office in on March 4, 1861 the nation was in a full tilt nose dive. Causes and sparks for the Civil War can be debated but most historians would cite events in the early 1850's or before. The activities of John Brown such as the "Pottawatomie Massacre" have often been offered as the cause. Personally I think looking for one event or cause denies the complexity of the situation. But to say Lincoln sparked it is inane. His election may have been a tipping point, but it was no spark.
As for his legacy I think his leadership during and after the war speaks for itself.