One of the questions that became obvious during the Civil War was that of the allegiance of the "border states." The border states were those found in the are between the North and the South. These generally had close cultural attachments to the South, but were not as interested in joining the Confederacy.
Lincoln knew that such states were very important to the war, and he faced Confederate attempts to seize the border states skillfully. Lincoln approached the situation with what he called a "delicate" approach. He focused on maintaining the support of the local population. He promoted pro-Union news on the media. He also provided weapons and supplies in order to arm pro-Union, local militias. In Missouri, Lincoln was eventually forced to seize government buildings in the state capital, forcing officials to flee. All of these actions allowed Lincoln to ensure that the border states remained in the Union.
