Abraham Lincoln is best remembered as America's first wartime president. In the nineteenth century, the American presidency had seen nothing like the Civil War, and war was on Lincoln's doorstep before he or anyone else considered the position of commander in chief to fit into the Constitution. This has resulted in a disorganized thought process and policy. Brian Dirck, author of the article “Lincoln as Commander in Chief,” writes: He could not afford the luxury of creating intellectually cohesive and internally consistent methods in the midst of the chaotic business of the Civil War. Driven by circumstances and his background to more or less improvise a presidential [sic] approach to war, Lincoln was above all pragmatic and realistic, blending caution and boldness as circumstances required. (26)Lincoln is sometimes criticized, but the fact remains that he had no predecessor who could set an example as commander in chief. Lincoln “laid the foundation for subsequent American wartime presidents,” and he did so calmly and patiently (Dirck 21). Lincoln said of the Constitution in his first inaugural address: “No provision can anticipate, nor any document of reasonable length contain express provisions for all possible questions” (“Washington, D.C., March 1861” 215). So the Civil War was a sort of test for the American presidency, and Abraham Lincoln just happened to face that test. An important aspect of Abraham Lincoln's overall performance is his personal and political background. As for his views on slavery, his personal background shaped his ideals in a very unique way. James McPherson, author of the short biography Abraham Lincoln, provides some information about Lincoln's background, writing that Lincoln's father... in the center of the paper... a. Maryland: Lexington Books, 2003. 395-415. Print.Lincoln, Abraham. “Reaffirmation of Positions on Slavery: December 1860.” Simpson, Brooks D., Stephen W. Sears, and Aaron Sheehan-Dean 109-110.---. “Washington, D.C., July 1861.” Simpson, Brooks D., Stephen W. Sears, and Aaron Sheehan-Dean 109-110.---. “Washington, D.C., March 1861.” Simpson, Brooks D., Stephen W. Sears, and Aaron Sheehan-Dean 109-110.McDougall, Walter A. Throes of Democracy: The American Civil War Era 1829-1877. New York: Harper Perennial, 2008. Print.McPherson, James M. Abraham Lincoln. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.---.. Tested by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief. New York: Penguin Press, 2008. Print.Simpson, Brooks D., Stephen W. Sears, and Aaron Sheehan-Dean, eds. The civil war: told by those who lived it. New York: The Library of America, 2011. Print.