Did I mention, Mr. Lincoln..

How much I hate you today?"

And out of nowhere, ABRAHAM LINCOLN!

I've been sketching a lot of Civil War stuff lately. I dunno why. I was going to compile all my crappy doodles in some big artdump, but I suck at formatting those, sooo...imma just submit this individually. Because...Lincoln.

I wanted to draw these two together, because quite frankly, they had a very interesting and difficult relationship. I hope this little sketch says it all, but you know me, I have to elaborate. haha.

So I'm sure most of you are aware that Maryland before and during the Civil War was a border state where slavery had existed for centuries. Especially after Virginia seceded, President Lincoln was terrified that Maryland would as well. If MD did, then Washington DC would be surrounded by enemy territory which of course would be very awkward. And so, he tried to prevent Maryland's secession at all costs.

In general, the people of the Baltimore area and the Eastern Shore were secessionists, while the people of the western and mountainous regions were unionists (key city there: Frederick). However, as Baltimore was the largest and most influential city in the state, its opinions mattered most to Lincoln.

In short, Lincoln didn't trust Maryland and Maryland didn't trust Lincoln.

As Lincoln was traveling to DC for his inauguration, he had to travel through Baltimore undercover at night in the wake of assassination threats. He had only received 2.5% of the state's votes and angry mobs assembled to protest his election.

This was also the period when Maryland's state song, "Maryland, My Maryland," was written. Sometimes called "the most militaristic state song" in the nation, it is basically a "fuck you" aimed at President Lincoln, calling the guy, variously, a tyrant, despot, vandal and referring to the North as "Northern scum." In its day, it was one of the most popular Confederate anthems, second only to "Dixie."

And before you ask, yes, it's still the state song to this day.

Once Lincoln became president, his administration cracked down on secessionist sentiments in Maryland. He stationed troops at the top of Baltimore's Federal Hill, aiming cannons directly at the Inner Harbor, essentially crippling the city's essential commerce. Maryland was the first place he suspended the writ of habeus corpus, or the Constitutional provision that forbids unjustified imprisonment. Funerals of Confederate soldiers were observed by Federal troops and the names of mourners taken down. Maryland stayed in the Union, however reluctantly.

In the end, as we all know, Lincoln met his demise at the hands of Marylander and Confederate sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth.

Of course, the things that Lincoln did were wartime provisions and it is usually argued today that he did what was necessary to win the war for the Union.

However, I can kind of see it being still a touchy topic for Maryland. She was never too fond of the guy at all, but still she felt rather guilty after he was killed. I think the more time went by, the more she forgave him and grew to like him. Sometimes I think she wishes she could talk to him again face to face knowing the things she knows now.