I accidentally posted a post-1900 scenario on this board, so here's my pre-1900 scenario, and I bet this has been discussed before.
If President Lincoln is not assassinated and completes his second term, how will it affect Reconstruction? We know IRL Andrew Johnson succeeded Lincoln and was an opponent to Reconstruction, to the point where the "Radical Republicans" impeached and almost convicted him. Certainly Lincoln would face friction from Thaddeus Stevens and his faction. How does Lincoln navigate the other factions in Congress (the Copperheads, the non "Radical Republicans," the Congressmen who simply want to keep their heads down?)
Does Lincoln reintegrate the Southern representation in Congress, and if he does, on what terms?
If President Lincoln is not assassinated and completes his second term, how will it affect Reconstruction? We know IRL Andrew Johnson succeeded Lincoln and was an opponent to Reconstruction, to the point where the "Radical Republicans" impeached and almost convicted him. Certainly Lincoln would face friction from Thaddeus Stevens and his faction. How does Lincoln navigate the other factions in Congress (the Copperheads, the non "Radical Republicans," the Congressmen who simply want to keep their heads down?)
Does Lincoln reintegrate the Southern representation in Congress, and if he does, on what terms?