By the summer of 1864, the American public was exhausted. The casualty lists had grown to an unfathomable size, the economy was strained, and there was significant sentiment in the North to negotiate a peace at any price—even if it meant the dissolution of the Union. Lincoln himself believed he would lose the election. He faced a stiff challenge from his former top general, George McClellan, who ran on a platform of ending the war.
The political survival of the Lincoln presidency became a proxy for the survival of the Union. Lincoln’s resolve during this period was tested by the radical elements of his own party and the peace-seekers of the Democratic Party. However, the momentum shifted dramatically when Union forces captured Atlanta. That victory served as a beacon, reassuring the Northern electorate that the end was in sight. Lincoln’s re-election was a victory for the principle of perseverance; it signaled that the people were willing to endure the final, bloody stretch of the war to ensure the Union was preserved.