ABSTRACT
The outbreak of the civil war in April 1861 found a country strongly divided over what course of action to follow. While a majority in the North supported Abraham Lincoln's decision to use force to put down the insurrection of the Southern states, a significant majority opposed the president's policy. Born in Ohio in 1812, Lambdin P. Milligan never received a formal education. Milligan left home to study medicine, but almost immediately changed his mind to pursue a legal career. The strong antiwar sentiment led Milligan to make a bold proposal. The war, he believed, would eventually destroy the importance of agriculture in the nation's economy and the influence of the agrarian sectors in its government. In many instances Milligan provided a useful limit on the use of the military in civilian areas. During the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, however, Milligan proved to be unhelpful.
