Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

Governor of New York and a leading figure in American politics, William Seward was a giant in American political life. Seen by many as the obvious choice for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1860, Seward was ultimately defeated by forces who felt that his candidacy was too polarizing and who wanted a compromise candidate that would better be able to unite the young party. Seward was asked to serve as Lincoln’s Secretary of State, a job that he performed admirably in, most notably by keeping major European powers like France and Great Britain from entering the war on the side of the Confederacy.

Seward survived an assassination attempt on the same day Lincoln was killed, but he retreated from political life once Lincoln was no longer in office. 

An ambitious man whose life-long dream of becoming President of the United States never materialized, Salmon P Chase served as a Senator from Ohio, Secretary of the Treasury, and finally Supreme Court Justice of the United States. Not nearly as skilled in political maneuvering as Lincoln or Seward, Chase found himself embroiled in many disagreements and feuds throughout his political life. His most valuable asset, his daughter Kate Chase, did all she could to make her father’s political dreams come true, but even her social skills could not undo Chase’s inability to read the desires and wants of his political rivals and the public at large. 

Another of the major players who ran for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination, Bates was born in Virginia and made a name for himself as a lawyer and stateman in Missouri, where he served as Attorney General. Following Lincoln’s election, Bates was appointed to the post of Attorney General. The Civil War split his family, as one of his sons served as an officer in the Union Army and another fought for the Confederacy. Bates was a strong supporter of Lincoln during his time in the cabinet, though he distinctly opposed some of what he viewed as Lincoln’s more radical policies, like emancipation and the recruitment of blacks into the Union Army. Following a feud with Salmon P. Chase and Chase’s appointment to the Supreme Court, Bates resigned his cabinet position in 1864.

Originally a Democrat who had served under Andrew Jackson, Blair played a central role in American politics during the first half of the 19th century. Blair left the Democratic party over his disagreement with the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and he helped found the Republican Party. His son, Montgomery Blair served in Lincoln’s Cabinet as Post-Master General, and because both Francis and Montgomery had strong ties to the South, they were crucial in maintaining Maryland as a Union state during the war. Though viewed skeptically by some more radical Republicans due to their close ties to the South, Francis Blair and the Blair family were one of the staunchest allies had by Abraham Lincoln during his tenure as President.  

A pompous army general, McClellan served as supreme commander of the Army of the Potomac from November 1861 to March 1862. Having served with distinction in the Mexican-American war, McClellan was a popular choice among both soldiers and politicians alike to head up the army. However, his refusal to engage the enemy and a temperament that bordered on a persecution complex resulted in his eventual dismissal. McClellan later ran against Lincoln as the Democratic candidate for President in 1864 and was soundly defeated. 

A quiet and unassuming man, Grant served as a soldier in the Union Army, before he was given command of the entire Army of the Potomac by Abraham Lincoln in March 1864. Grant won great victories at Shiloh and Vicksburg, which brought him to national prominence and gave the Union a much-needed morale boost. Following his promotion to Commanding General of the Army, Grant successfully prosecuted the end of the war. His reputation was hampered due to rumors of alcoholism, but he was nevertheless elected as the 18th president of the United States, defeating Andrew Johnson. 

Robert E. Lee led the raid to capture John Brown’s insurgency at Harper’s Ferry and was offered command of the Union army once it was clear that there would be a war between the states. Lee, however, turned down this offer and resigned his commission when his native state of Virginia left the Union. A brilliant strategist, Lee won a series of early battles against the Union forces in the east, and he threatened the capture of Washington, D.C. more than once. For much of the early war, his forces held the advantage, though they were outnumbered. 

A leading Democratic politician and political rival to Lincoln, Douglas was the Democratic senator from Illinois who engaged in a series of debates with Abraham Lincoln during the 1858 Senate campaign. He was defeated by Lincoln for the Presidency in 1860, and he died in 1861. A leading proponent of popular sovereignty, Douglas believed that it was up to the people of an area to decide whether or not slavery should be extended into their territory. Although he was a strong defender of this principle, Douglas was also a smart political compromiser, helping to pass the Compromise of 1850 with Henry Clay.  

A self-educated, escaped former slave, Frederick Douglass was a vocal abolitionist and reformer who campaigned vigorously for the end of slavery and for the rights of black people in the United States. Early in his life Douglass was very critical of Lincoln, whom he viewed as lethargic in his actions against both the spread and abolition of slavery. Douglass often attacked Lincoln in speech and writing; however, as the war continued Douglass became a staunch advocate of the President, supporting him in his Emancipation Proclamation, advocating for the enlistment of black men in the Union army, and championing the 13th Amendment. 

A prominent figure in the New York political scene, Weed was a newspaper publisher and politician in first the Whig and later the Republican Party. He was a staunch political supporter and ally of William Seward and led the effort to nominate Seward as the Republican candidate for President in 1860. Through much of Lincoln’s presidency, Weed worked indirectly for both men, helping to deliver what was needed to assist the Lincoln cabinet, though in later years he supported Andrew Johnson’s differing approach to Reconstruction. 

The publisher of The New York Tribune, Greeley was active in politics and was one of the founding members of the Republican Party. He worked closely with Seward and Weed, but also had his own strong political ambitions which at times clashed with those of the two other men. Greeley was both vocal and adamant in his support of Abraham Lincoln, though he was more vehement on the issue of slavery than the President, often openly criticizing Lincoln in print for his perceived feet-dragging. Following Lincoln’s assassination, Greeley fought against Andrew Johnson’s Reconstruction plans and ultimately ran for President against Ulysses S. Grant in 1872, but he died before the election. 

Married to Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln came from an affluent Kentucky family, something which she felt hindered her in her East coast social life. Possessing what could be described as an inferiority complex to some of the more urbanite woman in her social circle, Mary Todd Lincoln was known for her extravagant spending and her vindictiveness against the women she perceived to be her rivals. Suffering from depression, Mary Todd Lincoln endured a difficult home life with her husband, which was exacerbated by the loss of three of her four children at an early age. She was fond of giving lavish parties when she was healthy and managed to redecorate much of the White House before she was briefly institutionalized following the assassination of her husband. 

Welles served as Secretary of the Navy under Abraham Lincoln and held the post until 1869. The position was seen as a favor for supporting Lincoln in the 1860 Election, though Welles excelled at his job, particularly in handling issues that arouse from the blockading of Southern ports and the potential legal infractions that could occur between the United States and European powers attempting to continue trade with the Confederacy. 

A politician and lawyer who served as Secretary of War under Lincoln, Stanton had a long and illustrious political career, where he also served as Attorney General under James Buchanan. His management of the Union Forces helped to bring the full industrial might of the North to bear on the Southern forces, and he was a staunch supporter of Lincoln as time went on. He believed in harsh Reconstruction terms against the South, and it was his dismissal at the hand of President Andrew Johnson that led to Johnson’s impeachment by the more radical Republican members of Congress.