Today 159 years ago in 1860 Lincoln became the 16th president of the USA. I think a great president. Can some US folks educate me please? Is it possible that the Democrats might act like in 1860? Stefan.
Might act? I'm not sure what you mean and it sounds like a modern political question. I will note that it's a matter of record the two US parties switched positions on civil rights back in the 1960s.
If this thread goes anywhere near modern politics it will be closed. We went to the Lincoln Memorial in DC this summer. Very impressive memorial.
Lincoln became President in 1861, not 1860. When you question if '...the Democrats might act like in 1860?' do you mean split and let the Republican win with less than 40% of the vote? I doubt it.
The overall good opinion of his presidency was sealed by his assassination. Had he served a second term, I suspect he would have endured a fate similar to his successor, Andrew Johnson, given Lincoln's writings on reconciliation with the Confederacy, as opposed to the extreme punishment advocated by the ruling extremists in his party.
Washington is a town in Britain as is Lincoln, Lancaster, Manchester,, Halifax, Stirling, Wellington, Whitley, Hampden, Hereford, Heyford, Harrow, Blenheim,Boston, Warwick, Oxford etc all bomber names. There have been some variants such as Bombay and Canberra
Over the last 70 years or so I have visited all of them with the exception of Canberra many several times but not as part of a tour
So we should all show a little more appreciation to John Wilkes Booth for actually preserving Lincoln's legacy and reputation.
A number of what would Kennedy's reputation be if he hadn't been assassinated? have been written/produced. In many he goes to jail. In a Red Dwarf time travelling episode he ends up in so much disgrace and shame that he volunteers to go back to the grassy knoll and assassinate himself. One wonders if someone had offed Nixon after his China visit what his reputation would be today?
Clinton offers a strong rebuttal to that those theories. Two full terms, near impeachment and a soiled dress, yet he remains coated in Teflon, if not revered in some quarters. As Yogi Berra wisely said; It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future!
Having heard him play the Saxophone incognito at a private concert/jam session in Florida - he may be taking advantage of that cliche that talented jazz performers are exempt from moral judgement [/QUOTE] As Yogi Berra wisely said; It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future! [/QUOTE] But surely Boo Boo put him right!
Postwar the Lincoln was the only heavy bomber available to the RAF.It would have been able to carry a free fall atomic bomb subject to a bomb bay mod and was phased out in the bombing role by the end of 1955 when the two remaining old Pathfinder squadrons No 97 and No 83 were disbanded. Some Lincolns stayed in service in a signals role until March 1963.When the Canberra entered service in 1951,a conversion programme was put in place to convert some Lincoln squadrons to the Canberra and replace the B 29 (being Washingtons,a name given by the RAF for the B 29) which were leased from the US in July 1950 until 1954 as a Cold War strengthening air policy.It could also deliver an atomic free fall atomic bomb as proved in the final air offensive against Japan. I would think that the Avro Lincoln was named after an afterthought and named after Lincoln, the administrative city for Lincolnshire in the heart of "Bomber County" .The Lincoln had been initially been named as a Lancaster production Mark which in turn had been named after the administrative city of the county of Lancashire where the AVRO company was based.The two Lincoln Marks B1 and B2 were initially known as the Lancaster Mark 1V and Mark V respectfully. The Lincoln development was too late to enter the Second World war and was developed from the Lancaster in response to the Air Ministry specification B 13/43,an improved larger aircraft than the Lancaster three previous types.The first prototype first flew on 13 July 1944.However the first Lincolns (B1s) issued to No 57 Squadron at East Kirkby in August 1945 were envisaged to join the Lancasters of Tiger Force against Japan but the fall of Japan intervened and Tiger Force was stood down. The Lancaster had its origin in the ill fated Manchester which was developed from the Air Ministry's specification of Specification P 13/36 in September 1936,shortly after the formation of Bomber Command.The Lancaster followed, abandoning the twin engine design, inadequate performance of the Manchester and replacing the unreliable two Vulture engines with four Merlins. The changeover of production to the Lancaster was urgent for Avro and the Air Ministry resulting in Manchesters already on the assembly line being rolled out as Lancasters. Development of the Lincoln followed and finally the maritime aircraft, the Shackleton (to Specification R 5/46.) In between came the York transport aircraft which used the wing design of the Lancaster. The prototype Lincoln then known as the Lancaster Mark 1V (to Specification 14/43) first flew on 9 June 1944 but entered service as the Lincoln B1 Immediately after the war.A programme was laid down for the Lincoln B1 to replace the Lancaster on the rundown Bomber Command squadrons but this was abandoned after 82 Lincoln B1s had been made available for service during 1945/46.The Lincoln B2 formerly known as the Lancaster Mark V,an improved version became available and was issued to the squadrons. Crew compliment was as the Lancaster,seven in all...Pilot,Flight Engineer,Navigator/Plotter who was responsible for visual bombing and manning the front turret,Navigator /Radar,bombing by H2S,Signaller (Wireless Operator designation change) MU Gunner but most Lincolns had their MU turret removed postwar.Rear Gunner.Where the aircraft had no MU turret,the crew compliment was reduced to six. Operational history. Although obsolescent for modern warfare,the Lincoln was used extensively by the RAF and the RAAF against terrorists in the Malayan emergency and later by the RAF in the Mau Mau emergency in Kenya.Lincoln squadrons provided regular 3 month detachments to the Canal Zone.Lincolns performed very well against the USAF B 29,B 50s and B 36s in bombing competitions (Lawrence Minot Bombing Competition) in Arizona where the RAF also included the Washingtons into the competition. H2S performance was declared to be good from well tuned gear. Apparently the Lincolns impressed the Americans with the mode of flying a la fighter type approaches.Whenever the Merlin engines were ground run,it was recorded, that the aircraft always drew a crowd of onlookers listening to the distinctive sound of the "music"from four Merlins. The Lincoln had a long duration up to nearly 12 hours and was often called upon by Bomber Command for SAR (search and rescue) operations.Like the Lancaster its range could also be extended by the use of 2 x 400 gallon auxiliary petrol tanks fitted into the bomb bay. In March 1953 a Lincoln from the Central Gunnery School at Leconfield out near the West German border with East Germany was shot down by a Soviet MIG 15.The Russians alleged that the Lincoln was armed and had fired on them,...proved not to be so... from then all Lincolns were armed..... .5 inch calibre gunnery...front and rear turrets The following Lincolns were built with a breakdown of production as follows: AV Roe........ ..........Prototypes...3; Mark 1s...52; Mark 11s...116; Total 116 Metropolitan Vickers......,,,,,,,,,........ Mark 1s...28; Mark 11s.....52; Total 80 Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft......... Mark 1s.....2; Mark 11s...279; Total 281 Total by Marks ............................3 82 447 Total for RAF 532 Victory Aircraft Canada.............. Mark XV......1 Beaufort Division,Australian Mark 30 .........Mark 31 Department of Aircraft 54...................19 Production. Total production by Commonwealth........74 Production for Argentine Air Force.... .... 18 Total Lincolns produced 624. Previous discussion on the Avro Lincoln. Avro Lincolns - too late for WW2
