Page "Abraham Lincoln" Paragraph 50

After the fall of Fort Sumter, Lincoln realized the importance of taking immediate executive control of the war and making an overall strategy to put down the rebellion.

Lincoln encountered an unprecedented political and military crisis, and he responded as commander-in-chief, using unprecedented powers.

He expanded his war powers, and imposed a blockade on all the Confederate shipping ports, disbursed funds before appropriation by Congress, and after suspending habeas corpus, arrested and imprisoned thousands of suspected Confederate sympathizers.

Lincoln was supported by Congress and the northern public for these actions.

In addition, Lincoln had to contend with reinforcing strong Union sympathies in the border slave states and keeping the war from becoming an international conflict.