Rise to greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America's most perilous year

As 1862 dawned, the American republic was at death's door.

The federal government appeared overwhelmed & the US Treasury was broke.

The Confederacy - with its booming economy, expert military leadership & commanding position on the battlefield - had a clear view to victory.

To a remarkable extent, the survival of the country depended on the judgment, cunning, & resilience of the unschooled frontier lawyer who had recently been elected president.

Twelve months later, the Civil War had become a cataclysm but the tide had turned.

The Union generals who would win the war had at last emerged, & the Confederate Army had suffered the key losses that would lead to its doom.

The blueprint of modern America - an expanding colossus of industrial & financial might - had been indelibly inked.

The man who brought the nation through its darkest hour, Abraham Lincoln, had been forged into a singular leader.