Yesterday, we discussed the unwritten law of habeas corpus. It protects citizens from the powers of the government by preventing imprisonment without a reason and explanation. This law can be suspended, or ignored, if the public is endangered during a rebellion. Lincoln suspended habeas corpus during the Civil War, causing many people to be arrested just for speaking out against Lincoln. They were exercising their Constitutional rights, but still arrested anyways. Lincoln felt it was necessary to do so as a measure to keep people from splitting the country apart and ruining his hope of "Liberty to all."
Today, we reviewed some major battles in the Civil War. The Union was not well trained and expected a short war, but found the reality to be otherwise. At the First Battle of Bull Run, the Union seemed to break enemy lines, but was defeated while retreating. The Confederate army won many battles, and eventually decided to take a more offensive tactic. Shortly after a battle at Antietam, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation as a military measure. It freed slaves in all states in rebellion, but not in border states. The class was then given a worksheet on the document as homework.
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