Original sentence: Lincoln staunchly opposed the expansion of slavery, and his election polarized the nation and soon led to the declarations of secession by Southern states, their formation of the Confederate States of America and seizure of federal properties within their boundaries, leading to the Civil War.Lincoln was an extremely calculating politician who emerged as a wartime leader skilled at balancing competing considerations and adept at getting rival groups to work together toward a common goal.The most important was setting the precedent for greater centralization of powers precedence of the federal government and a weakening of the individual state governments greatly
Edited sentence: Lincoln staunchly opposed the expansion of slavery, and his election polarized the nation and soon led to the secession of the CSA, and thus the Civil War.Lincoln was an extremely calculating politician who emerged as a wartime leader skilled at balancing competing considerations and adept at getting rival groups to work together toward a common goal, even if that meant using brutal, thuggish tactics.The most important was setting the precedent for following presidents to claim sweeping executive powers which has increased the power of the central government and weakened the individual state governments greatly