Lincoln led the Union through the Civil War and actively secured congressional passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in January 1865. Ratification followed after his death. His suspension of habeas corpus also demands scrutiny: survival came with threats to civil liberty.
He wins because preserving the republic and advancing abolition together outweigh Washington’s founding precedent under our criteria. This was not one man’s achievement alone. Would you choose Lincoln, Washington or FDR for #1?
Sources: National Archives · Miller Center · Term dates.
Image: Alexander Gardner · Public domain. Resized and JPEG compressed.
