Freedom of Press in Lincoln's America

1. The Civil War, Smithsonian

Abraham Lincoln will go down as one of the greatest presidents in American history, yet many will never know the level of control President Lincoln had over the American's freedom of speech during the Civil War era.

The first amendment, freedom of speech, was greatly hindered during the Civil War. Although Lincoln's methods of action were brilliant coming from a militant viewpoint - his actions violated the Constitution on numerous accounts. In light of his belief to free the slaves, Lincoln had to accomplish this by restricting civil liberties for his own political advancement and to further his agenda.

Union generals were ordered to neutralize paper presses and newspapers in order to restrain journalists from printing and releasing battle plans and to hinder southern sympathizers from releasing military information. This oppression of the Americans' freedom of speech caused many to rise up against Lincoln's efforts of Union propaganda - many news reporters were arrested without due process for opposing Union war draft and discouraged any young men from enlisting.

"If a person in an army were to speak to the soldiers about submission to the enemy, he would be treated as an offender. Would he be more culpable than the citizen who, in the midst of the most formidable conspiracy and rebellion, tells the conspirators and rebels that they are right, encourages them to persevere in resistance and condemns the effort of loyal citizens to overcome and punish them as an 'unholy war'?" - NY and NJ Grand Jury.

Lincoln was adamant upon catching and punishing those who stood against his agenda, even going as far as assigning some of his army to intercept trains carrying freshly printed newspapers and to destroy issues which spoke against the president. Lincoln even made sure that some papers never spoke out again by banishing sympathetic journalists to the south.

In Canton, Ohio, mobs led an assault against the Stark County Democrat offices and destroyed the print station after editor Archibald McGregor "published allegedly treasonous statements.1" After McGregor continued publishing, a year later Lincoln ordered his arrest.

In result of all of the arrests being made, Lincoln recognized that by detaining those who spoke against his agenda only furthered his arguments and released them.

"Must a government of necessity, be too strong for the liberties of its own people, or too weak to maintain its own existence" President Lincoln, 1861.

In considering the actions Lincoln took during his presidency, although unorthodox, he stood his turf and accomplished exactly what he proclaimed he would - freedom to those enslaved. In understanding of context and result of his achievement, President Lincoln is forgiven for his violations of the Constitution.


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1. The Civil War, SmithsonianMag.COM, Jan. 10, 2012. 
2. David Asp, Civil War, U.S., The First Amendment Encyclopedia