The presidential election of 1864 was one of the most significant in American history. It took place in the states of the Union during a bloody civil war, unprecedented for voting in a divided nation, and with apparently ample justification for the postponement. The vigorous but methodical procedure of the 1864 election, with relatively little corruption and minor nastiness, became an excellent example and vindication of the democratic process itself. Furthermore, it was an election in which voters voted to decide fundamental issues regarding the progress of the war, government, and American society. This campaign has posed some of the most vital questions to consider since the nation's creation. Should the institution of slavery be expanded, maintained, or abolished? Should we continue a war that would change American life forever or was it time to compromise with the South and put an end to it? And who should take the place of the unpopular President Lincoln who seemed destined for defeat? During his presidency, Lincoln was unpopular. Two major opposition factions in 1864 were Confederate sympathizers in the Border States and peace Democrats in the lower Midwest, who believed that the Civil War was causing a decline in the Northern economy, states' rights, and civil liberties. Mainly distasteful to Northern Democrats were Lincoln's two policies: emancipation and the military draft. Lincoln had issued a pilot proclamation, stating that he would free all slaves in Confederate territory if the Confederacy did not surrender by January 1, 1863; they did not, so the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect consequently freeing thousands of slaves as the Union Army marched in troops across the South. In reaction to Congressional ratification... half of the document... intended to challenge Republicans in future contests. Works Cited Flood, Charles Bracelen. 1864: Lincoln at the gates of history. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009. Print.McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: the Civil War Era. New York: Ballantine, 1988. Print.Murphy, D. F. Presidential Election, 1864. Proceedings of the National Union Convention held at Baltimore, Maryland, June 7 and 8, 1864. New York: Baker & Godwin, Printers, 1864. Print. (Pages 58-67, 68-76)The civil war. prod. Ken Burns. Director Ken Burns. By Ken Burns and Ken Burns. Perf. David McCullough, Sam Waterston and Terry Courier. PBS, 1990. Waugh, John C. Lincoln and McClellan: The Troubled Partnership Between a President and His General. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Print.Waugh, John C. Lincoln's Reelection: The Battle for the Presidency of 1864. New York: Crown, 1997. Print.