Historian susan schulten, our country has experienced several fraught president ial transitions but the 1860 transition between James Buchanan and Abraham Lincoln is described by various historians as contentious, tumultuous, dangerous, and even the worst in history. What made it so . Susan on the face of it is what you have to recognize is this was the most consequential election transition in American History. The central issue, of course, is that several Southern States did not recognize the election of Abraham Lincoln as a legitimate. It considered him a sectional president for the fact that by and large his support came from nonslave states and no sooner had he been elected that South Carolina makes good on its promise to proceed toward seceding from the union on the grounds that the election did not represent its interest. Host lets set the stage for the transition. James buchanan had announced that he would be a one term president , but we did a regular president ial Leadership
Mr. Speaker, mr. Vice president , members of the 94th congress, and distinguished guests, 26 years ago a freshman congressman, a young fellow, with lots of idealism who was out to change the world, stood before sam rayburn in the well of the house and solemnly swore to the same oath that all of you took yesterday. An unforgettable experience. And i congratulate you all. Two days later that same freshman stood at the back of this great chamber. Over there someplace. As president truman, all charged up by his singlehanded election victory, reported as the constitution requires on the state of the union, when the bipartisan applause stopped, president truman said, i am happy to report to the 81st congress that the state of the union is good. Our nation is better able than ever before to meet the needs of the American People and to give them their fair chance in the pursuit of happiness. It is foremost among the nations of the world in the search for peace. Today that freshman member from
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These falsehoods about the past distort the present and serve to undermine national unity and stifle progressive change toward racial equality. History is under attack.