How widespread was hatred of Lincoln in the North during the Civil War?

[fujiyama]

I was watching Gangs of New York earlier tonight and while I had known this before watching the film, I noticed that there was a lot of hatred of Lincoln in the North, or atleast NY. The film's anger mostly centered around the draft, but if I remember correctly, many in the business community were also upset about it right? Wasn't this over the disruption of their trade with the south?

[jdots]

1. I don't know much about Tammany hall

The movie was quite different from the book when it became a screen play.The history of America at the time is hard to sort out beacuse there were so many viewpoints.The brutality of the movie is hard to figure if it was story line or history without the public relations of a history text.

[TaleWgnDg]

2. "Gangs of New York" is a Hollywood film. It is not

accurate history. There were riots in N.Y. about the draft (conscription) into the Union Army, most of which were newly arrived Irish Catholics who were discriminated against in employment and housing. They refused to fight in a war to *free* the slaves in the South. And could not buy their way out of the draft as others could and did. It was legal to do so at that time.

Their escape was politics. The Irish entered politics as they did in most large northern cities where they settled.

edited to add: here's a fairly accurate overview of "Tammany Hall"
http://www2.gwu.edu/~erpapers/abouteleanor/q-and-a/glossary/tammany-hall.htm

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[onager]

7. Judging by the 1864 election...

...Lincoln wasn't hated that much in the North. He was running against an extremely popular military leader and Democratic media celebrity, Gen. George McClellan.

Still, the popular vote wasn't even close, IIRC.

[AliciaKeyedUp]

8. By 1864

The war was going real well for the north and everyone on both sides knew the north would win. The film takes place in 1863 or earlier I think, when draft riots occurred. They was a lot of pro-Southern sentiment in the north as well.

[necso]

3. There was a considerable amount.

Lincoln only won 55% of the vote in 1864, and was worried about losing the election.

Of course, not all this opposition amounted to hatred, but certainly some part did. And considering the suppression of the free press in the North at the time, and the fact that the winners generally write history, it is hard to judge the full extent and degree of the opposition.

It was, however, at times vociferous and there was some violence.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NoPasaran]

9. Pardon, your sheet is showing

Lincoln called for and got volunteers to put down a rebellion by insurrectionists who had fired on a federal installation.

[Blue Wally]

5. Democratic Party in the North was split

One wing of the party was loyal to the union (the War Democrats). The other wing of the party sympathized with the south (the Copperhead Democrats). The Copperheads actively opposed the war, led massive demonstrations against the war, assisted draft resistors, and often spied for the South. Copperheads were prevalent in southern Ohio and Indiana.

[chuckrocks]

6. i can dig

the part of war dems, but help me see the south considered south indi or ohio.

[Blue Wally]

10. Ohio and Indiana were northern states

But there was a lot of Confederate sympathizers (Copperhead Democrats) there. This was particularly true of the southern half of both states. They were not so much pro-slavery as anti-war.