Lincoln Takes Office This Day in History

It was on March 4th, 1861 that Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office to become the 16th President of the United States of America. His inauguration was the impetus for seven southern states to secede from the Union, and his decision to call for 75,000 volunteers to put down the "rebellion" drove four more states into the arms of the new Confederate States of America.

The war and Lincoln's conduct of it brought numerous constitutional questions about states' rights, slavery, and presidential powers to a head. Many of Lincoln's decisions are still debated by scholars today--a debate your students can join by taking part in the National Constitution Center's engaging lesson plan and accompanying online game, Lincoln's Crossroads.