Events

Just days after the Civil War began,  President Lincoln issued Executive Orders to suspend the writ of Habeas Corpus, which was arguably solely the function of Congress. This resulted in thousands of Americans being arrested during the war and jailed without charge or trial. He authorized military personnel to issue those orders in violation of the Constitution, and he ignored orders of the Supreme Court to release aggrieved private citizens opposed to the Union. This lecture will discuss Lincoln's justification for his actions and the resulting flood of Executive Orders that later Presidents would use to avoid Congressional oversight.