Final answer:
The Peace Democrats, or Copperheads, were a faction of the Democratic Party opposed to Abraham Lincoln's Civil War policies and advocated for immediate peace with the Confederacy. Abraham Lincoln exercised extraordinary wartime powers in response to their opposition but preserved key civil liberties. He was re-elected in 1864 after the Republican Party, seeking unity, renamed itself the National Union Party to attract more support.
Step-by-step explanation:
Role of the Peace Democrats
The Peace Democrats, also known as Copperheads, were a faction within the Democratic Party during the Civil War who opposed President Abraham Lincoln's policies and advocated for an immediate peace with the Confederacy. Their influence was concentrated in the Midwest and among immigrant Catholics in northern cities. Prominent figures like Clement Vallandingham of Ohio were outspoken critics of Lincoln, denouncing both the war and the emancipation of slaves. Their opposition was rooted in the belief that the United States should remain a 'white man's home,' and they stood firmly against any antislavery legislation in Congress.
Abraham Lincoln's Response
In response to the criticism from the Peace Democrats, Lincoln exercised extraordinary powers, albeit stopping short of a dictatorship. While he did suspend habeas corpus, he maintained freedom of speech and the press. During the Election of 1864, as the Peace Democrats nominated George McClellan with a platform of ending the war, Lincoln was re-nominated by the Republican Party, which renamed itself the National Union Party to attract War Democrat support. Lincoln affirmed the necessity of abolition as a precursor to peace and was ultimately successful in winning re-election, thus allowing him to continue his policies.