As President, Abraham Lincoln had a responsibility to uphold the Constitution and the laws. The demands of the Civil War, though, presented unique legal challenges in doing so. To maintain order, President Lincoln suspended habeas corpus. Martial law would be imposed in parts of the South. Lincoln’s political opponents emphasized the ways in which he interfered with the Constitution. When the war ended, though, those restrictions eventually were removed. What legal issues were involved in organizing the Union Army to fight the Civil War?
