Revolutionary Era
Chapter 5: Independence 1775 ― 1784
Dissolving the Bands 1775-1776
The Great Revolution 1776-1782
Novus Ordo Seclorum 1782-1784
Join or Die 1763 ― 1775
More Perfect Union 1784 ― 1789
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Documents
Master Index
1862
An open letter urging Abraham Lincoln to enforce existing anti-slavery laws and adopt emancipation as a central war aim, arguing that hesitation toward slavery was undermining the Union cause. It reflects growing Northern pressure to transform the Civil War into a moral and military struggle against slavery, helping set the stage for Lincoln’s shift toward the Emancipation Proclamation.
Horace Greeley
The Prayer of Twenty Millions
1862
In response to Horace Greeley’s public editorial “The Prayer of Twenty Millions,” Abraham Lincoln’s letter clarified that his paramount constitutional duty as president was the preservation of the Union, not the immediate abolition or preservation of slavery as an end in itself. Lincoln emphasized that any action he took regarding slavery — including emancipation — would be justified only insofar as it helped suppress the rebellion and restore national authority, while still affirming his personal wish “that all men, everywhere, could be free.”
Abraham Lincoln
Response Letter to Greeley
Biographies
Henry A. Wallace (1888-1965) was an agricultural scientist and businessman who became Franklin D. Roosevelt's secretary of agriculture and later his vice president. He served during the crucial years surrounding American entry into World War II before being replaced by Harry Truman on Roosevelt's 1944 ticket. Wallace later served as secretary of commerce and ran for president on the Progressive Party ticket in 1948.
Henry
Wallace
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) was the 34th president of the United States and a five-star general who served as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II. As president from 1953 to 1961, he brought the Korean War to an end, strengthened America’s position in the Cold War, oversaw the creation of the Interstate Highway System, and took federal action to enforce school desegregation. Eisenhower left office as one of the most respected American leaders of the twentieth century.
Dwight
D. Eisenhower
Nelson Rockefeller (1908-1979) was a businessman and public official who became governor of New York and one of the country's most prominent Republicans. After Gerald Ford became president in 1974, Rockefeller was confirmed as vice president under the Twenty-Fifth Amendment and served from December 1974 to January 1977.
Nelson
Rockefeller
Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973) was the 36th president of the United States, known for advancing the Great Society, landmark civil rights legislation, and major federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. His presidency also became deeply associated with the Vietnam War, which escalated dramatically during his administration and divided the American public.
Lyndon
B. Johnson
Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) was the 40th president of the United States, serving from 1981 to 1989 after a career as a Hollywood actor, labor leader, and governor of California. His presidency ushered in a conservative political era marked by tax cuts, deregulation, increased defense spending, and a forceful approach to the Cold War, followed by improved relations and arms-control negotiations with the Soviet Union.
Ronald
Reagan
Hubert H. Humphrey (1911-1978) rose from Minnesota politics to the Senate, where he became a leading advocate for civil rights and liberal Democratic legislation. He served as Lyndon Johnson's vice president during the Great Society and the Vietnam War before becoming the Democratic presidential nominee in 1968. Humphrey subsequently returned to the Senate and remained active in public life until his death in 1978.
Hubert
Humphrey