Abraham Lincoln - Early Political Career | Brain Corner

shivamsah969
Dec 3, 2021
3 min read

Updated: Jun 21, 2023

'Abraham Lincoln'

Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth President of the United States. He led the country to victory during the American Civil War and Contributed profoundly towards ending slavery in America. The former President is also credited with establishing a 'Republican Form of Government' in America. Ranked among the greatest US Presidents, he was assassinated in 1865.

'Early Political Career'

In 1834, Lincoln was elected to the state legislature, in which he served four successive terms. In 1836 he obtained his license as an attorney, and the next year moved to Springfield, where he became a law partner of John T. Stuart. His practice steadily increased. More partnerships followed with Stephen T. Logan and William H. Herndon. Lincoln displayed great ability in law, a ready grasp of argument, sincerity and lucidity of speech.

In 1842, he married Mary Todd after a troubled courtship. Continuing his interest in politics, he served one term in Congress (1847-49). He remained obscure, however, and his attacks as a Whig on the motives behind the Mexican War seemed unpatriotic to his constituents, so he lost popularity at home. Lincoln worked hard for the election of the Whig candidate, Zachary Taylor, in 1848, but when he was not rewarded with the office he desired, he decided to retire from politics and return to practicing law.

'Prairie Lawyer'

In the early 1800s, as there were not many law schools, most lawyers preferred learning law through hands-on experience rather than in a classroom. Many were taken on as apprentices by experienced practitioners who taught them firsthand how to effectively argue a case. Lincoln, however, taught himself law without an apprenticeship, memorizing Blackstone's Commentaries on the laws of England. He also learned by heart 'Greenleaf on evidence, Chitty's Pleadings, and Story's Equity,' rehearsing cases aloud, analyzing some legal point from various angles until he understood the essence of the problem.

After studying on his own, Lincoln became registered by the Sangamon County Court. He then took his bar exam - an oral questioning by practicing attorneys on the history and technical nuances of the law. Lincoln answered the questions without a fault. He received his license and immediately took on cases. At that time, not all countries had full time judges. Therefore, a system was adopted whereby state supreme court justices would complete a circuit of local county seats twice a year to hear cases. Lawyers such as Lincoln could earn money by travelling with the justices to settle local disputes. As a lawyer, Lincoln earned part of his income by travelling in this manner between 1843 and 1853 doing his most effective legal work. In the supreme court of Illinois, he won nearly all of the 243 cases he argued. This earned him a reputation as a lawyer's lawyer who was always prepared. Lincoln also gained a reputation for his honesty. 'Resolve to be honest at all events,' he advised young attorneys, 'and if in your own judgement you cannot be an honest lawyer, resolve to be honest without being a lawyer'.

'1851'

By the mid 1850s, Lincoln's cases focused largely on the competing transportation interests of river barges and railroads. In one prominent 1851 case, he represented the Alton & Sangamon Railroad in a dispute with a shareholder, James A. Barret. Barret had refused to pay the balance promised to the railroads on the grounds that it had changed its originally planned route. Lincoln argued that as a matter of law a corporation is not bound by its original charter when that charter can be amended in the public interest, that the newer route proposed by Alton and Sangamon was superior and less expensive, and that accordingly, the corporation had a right to sue Barret for his delinquent payment. Lincoln won this case, and this case was cited by several other courts throughout the United States.

Lincoln was involved in more than 5,100 cases in Illinois alone during his 23-year legal practice. Lincoln and his partners appeared before the Illinois Supreme Court more than 400 times.