Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
US Capitol Visitor Center logo

E PLURIBUS UNUM —
OUT OF MANY, ONE

HISTORY OF CONGRESS
AND THE CAPITOL

Abraham Lincoln
1809–1865, Illinois

The Mexican War dominated Lincoln’s single term in the House. As a member of the Whig Party, he opposed the war and introduced a resolution calling for proof that the initial fighting had broken out on American soil, not on Mexican or disputed territory. His district’s practice of rotating its member among its three counties prevented Lincoln from serving another term.

 
History of Congress and the Capitol