What would have happened, do you think, if Lincoln hadn't been elected president? How would the United States be different if he hadn’t been assassinated?

Spencer tells Cal that Lincoln "had brought about what no one else could do" (p. 260). Do you believe this was true? What would have happened, do you think, if Lincoln hadn't been elected president? How would the United States be different if he hadn’t been assassinated?

Who knows how the issues of the time would have been resolved.

I also think one cannot go back in time to predict the future but if Lincoln had not been assassinated there may have better resolutions in reuniting the country.

Elected or not, the country certainly would have experienced Civil War, but Lincoln was a wise and fair-minded man who understood need for slavery to end - for humane and economic and national reasons - and he brought to his role the clear vision to help that occur. Had he not been present at the time, the situation may have gone on a bit longer, but war would have come, only later than sooner. Had Lincoln lived, perhaps transition would have been easier, more direct, and perhaps we would not be struggling still today to the degree we are.

Had Lincoln not been elected president, I believe it would have take the United States longer to abolish slavery and emancipate slaves. The prejudice would have continued on, albeit temporarily, until the movement he started generated enough momentum. Has he not been assassinated, this nation may have seen more turmoil in the midst of his reform. It's hard to say. The age-old battle between good and bad has been going on, and continues on, across all countries, peoples, and cultures. I do believe the United States was better for Lincoln's contribution.

I think it would have taken the United States and those fighting slavery a much longer period of time to make any advances if Lincoln had not been elected President. Lincoln was a man with great fore-thought.

I believe it would have taken a much longer time to declare slaves free. Unfortunately the country still suffers from white supremacist culture within our systems. The high incarceration rate for black individuals is another form of slavery. We all need to educate ourselves and do what we can to fight the deeply ingrained racism that is built into our country.

All of the comments above have interesting thoughts and possibilities. Let me toss two others that haven't been mentioned into the mix. If the South had won would we be two or more countries rather than one? If Lincoln had had a different vice president, would the plan Lincoln had worked out for healing the country have been accomplished more fully and fairly? Just wondering.

I love this kind of speculation. In fact, "alternate history" is a whole genre in itself and I've read many books in that category. I appreciated Marion the Librarian's additions. I think had the South won the war the country would indeed have been split into at least two countries; the South already had their own president and currency.

I haven't read a lot about the post-war years, but just based on the type of man Lincoln was I have to believe the healing process would have been as fair and full as possible. He certainly would have done a better job than Johnson, who vetoed legislation that supported Black rights. I believe the newly-freed slaves would have fared much better under Lincoln.

I believe the assassination of Abraham Lincoln was a seminole moment in our history- Lincoln would have worked to reunite the Country in a peaceful process and find ways to overcome prejudice. If even his VP had matched his values and character our country might have ended in a better place around the whole racial issue. It would never have been easy but Lincoln’s influence would have been a game changer!

At least speculation based on factionalized accounts of history isn’t dangerous! Andrew Johnson was not a strong successor to Lincoln. He favored quick restoration of the seceded states to the Union without protection for the newly freed people who were formerly enslaved. Would we be as far behind in developing a more racially just society today if Lincoln hadn’t been assassinated? I’d like to think Lincoln would have started us on that long, long path towards justice for all. Johnson certainly didnt.