ABRAHAM LINCOLN Abraham Lincoln held the presidency during America's most tumultuous period in history. Leading the nation during the Civil War, Lincoln was criticized on the one hand by antislavery radicals as being too conservative on the issue of slavery and on the other by conservatives in Congress who argued that he was too radical. Topics in this volume include Lincoln's involvement in the outbreak of the war, his suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, his efforts to help free the slaves, and his plans for reconstruction.