Abraham Lincoln, an autodidactic early American, grew up amidst the unlikely setting of the American frontier to an impoverished and undistinguished family (Donald n.p.). Lincoln built himself up in a world built to bring him down, and rose “from [these] humble origins in Kentucky, to prominent positions in legal and political circles of Illinois, and then to the pinnacle of presidency” (Donald n.p.). Within two months of gaining presidency, in contempt of Lincoln’s noble efforts, the American Civil War broke out amongst the country, and Abraham Lincoln, undeterred by the considerable amount of stress he was under, managed to keep together and ultimately strengthen the broken nation (Gienapp). Lincoln boldly proceeded to denounce and even completely abolish slavery in America when he instituted the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War, and adeptly convinced the Senate to pass the Thirteenth Amendment (Hamilton). Abraham Lincoln, America’s sixteenth president, left a significant impact on the country when he left an admirable legacy for future Americans to appreciate despite his difficult upbringing and personal life, when he consolidated the Union despite a civil war, and when he led the revolutionary movement to abolish slavery despite the controversy. “Lincoln's rise from a humble pioneer background to the highest office in the land began with his birth in a one-room log cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky, on February 12, 1809” (Waugh). Lincoln was born into a farming family that had been forced to move from Kentucky to Indiana and then Illinois due to the competition of neighboring farms using the newly legalized slave labor (Hamilton). “After living several months in a crude shelter with one side open to the constantl... ... middle of paper ... ...r, 1995. Print. Gienapp, William E. Abraham Lincoln And Civil War America. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2002. Print. Hamilton, Neil A. "Lincoln, Abraham." Presidents: A Biographical Dictionary. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2001: American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 2 May 2014. “How Abraham Lincoln Shaped American Politics, Popular Culture.” Newshour. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). 20 Feb. 2012. Web. 20 May 2014. McPherson, James M. Abraham Lincoln. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc, 2009. Print. Stone, Tanya Lee. Abraham Lincoln. New York: DK Publishing, Inc., 2005. Print. Waugh, Joan. "Lincoln, Abraham." Encyclopedia of American History, Vol. 5: Civil War and Reconstruction, 1856 to 1869. Eds. Waugh, John, and Gary B. Nash. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 2 May 2014.
Abraham Lincoln was born in February 12, 1809 three miles south of Hodgenville, Kentucky. Born of humble origins in a farmer family, he lost his mother at a young age and received minimum education during his younger years. Nevertheless, according to stories from his family and friends he loved to read and spent long periods of time reading. His cousin, Denis Hanks onc...
James Oakes gave a brilliant and unique perspective to a relationship between two well known historical figures of their time. Abraham Lincoln is a well-admired president for the United States because as Americans culture teaches that he was an honest and well-respected man. He heard about a young African American man, who had high aspirations for his life and the blossoming United States. This man’s name was Frederick Douglass. James Oakes demonstrates how both Douglass and Lincoln worked towards the abolishment of slavery and effectively producing better outcomes within antislavery politics.
“The greatest measure of the 19th century was passed by corruption, aided and abetted by the purest man in the world.” This quote, by Thaddeus Stevens, served to announce the corruption and dismay found within the presidency of Lincoln, as he attempted to pass the infamous 13th amendment. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States of America, set forth ideas that were unknown at the time. As a major opponent of slavery towards the end of his term, Lincoln voiced his plans to abolish slavery, along with ending the Civil War. Although these plans seemed far-fetched at the time, Lincoln used his power and popularity to achieve both goals, paving the way for equality throughout the States. Despite the fact that the Civil War began merely as a fight to preserve the union, Lincoln soon
. .’, concludes James Oakes’ book with the aftermath of the Civil War and Lincoln’s assassination. Oakes discussed the respect Douglass gathered for Lincoln over the years and the affect his assassination had on both himself and America as a whole. Oakes even brushed over Douglass’ relationship with Andrew Johnson, the president succeeding Lincoln. Analyzing his experience with the new president, it was safe to say that Andrew Johnson had no consideration as to what Douglass and Lincoln previously fought for. Johnson did not have the same political skills as Lincoln did, and he did not retain the same view for America that Lincoln did. It was obvious that Douglass held Lincoln at a higher standard than Andrew Johnson, stating that he was a “progressive man, a humane man, an honorable man, and at heart an anti-slavery man” (p. 269). Oakes even gave his own stance on Andrew Jackson, “It was a legacy that Andrew Johnson could ever match. When all of Lincoln’s attributes were taken into consideration - his ascent from the obscurity to greatness, his congenial temperament, his moral courage - it was easy for Douglass to imagine how much better things would be ‘had Mr. Lincoln been living today’.” (p. 262). It is hard to imagine the pre-war Douglass to have said something like that as opposed to an older, much more reserved Douglass. With the abolishment of slavery, so came much discrimination. Without
Abraham Lincoln is perhaps one of the most interesting characters to have ever graced the American political arena and presidency. He is most noteworthy, obviously, for his role in saving the United States from its own destruction and the eradication of the vile Southern tradition of slavery. However, upon deeper inspection, one finds there was much more to Lincoln than his political achievements. Throughout his years as a politician, there's a noticeable shift in terms of his character, and political persona. He seems to go from ambitious and boisterous to being more solemn and reserved. Also, it should be noted that some remark that Lincoln was, quite ironically, both America’s most democratic and autocratic President to have ever held office. However, it seems that though there is abundant evidence for his democratic values, there are little to suggest his autocratic intentions. As though some lines revealing such intent can be found, many are also directly rebutted by powerful democratic rhetoric. All of this can be found in Lincoln’s four main speeches; “A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand”, his Inaugural Addresses and the Gettysburg Address. Basically, in order to properly analyze Lincoln it may be best to look at Lincoln’s personal and political changes within the terms of his antebellum and Civil War “personalities”, as well as to examine his democratic and autocratic leanings; all through scrutinizing Lincoln’s major speeches.
Abraham Lincoln came from humble beginnings. He was born in Kentucky, in a log cabin on February 12, 1809 (Bio.com 1). His father’s name was Thomas and his mother’s name was Nancy. They lived on a small plot of land in a shelter, until Thomas was able to buy the family a new home somewhere else.
Looking back at the life of Abraham Lincoln, if you read about him before 1858, you wouldn’t think he would be such a predominant figure in American history today. It’s not till you learn about the election in 1860 and the events following that you learn what cemented this man, who would become our nations sixteenth president, into our nation’s history. If Lincoln had not won the election, perhaps our only memory of him would be his famous “House Divided” speech from the Illinois Republican Convention in 1858, but we learn from a young as, that isn’t the case. Lincoln went on the be the President during the bloodiest war in American history. Despite having little schooling as a child he would also write his own speeches before and during his
During the Abraham Lincoln’s short time as president, he managed not only to save a nation deeply divided and at war with itself, but to solidify the United States of America as a nation dedicated to the progress of civil rights. Years after his death, he was awarded the title of ‘The Great Emancipator.’ In this paper, I will examine many different aspects of Lincoln’s presidency in order to come to a conclusion: whether this title bestowed unto Lincoln was deserved, or not. In order to fully understand Lincoln, it is necessary to understand the motives that drove this man to action. While some of his intentions may not have been for the welfare of slaves, but for the preservation of the Union, the actions still stand. Abraham Lincoln, though motivated by his devotion to his nation, made the first blows against the institution of slavery and rightfully earned his title of ‘The Great Emancipator.’
Abraham Lincoln wrote one of the greatest speeches in American history known as the Gettysburg Address. It was not only used as a dedication to the fallen troops of the North and South, but as a speech to give the Union a reason to fight and attempt to unite the divided nation. The sixteenth president’s handling of his speech at Gettysburg demonstrated how the effectiveness of juxtaposition, repetition, and parallelism, could bring unity to a nation deeply divided on beliefs. His speech touched the hearts of many and indirectly put an end to the Civil War. Lincoln may have been considered a tyrant at the time but he was a great leader of a nation, a war, and a democracy.
Abraham Lincoln is widely regarded as “The Great Emancipator,” His legacy as the man who freed the slaves, and the savior of the Union is one that fails to be forgotten. He is thought of as a hero, and one of the few to tackle slavery, a problem that has existed in many parts of the world at one time or another. Although Lincoln is credited with ending slavery, his political motives for confronting this issue and his personal views do not make him worthy of all the recognition he receives; the driven abolitionists and daring slaves deserve a much greater portion of the credit.
Abraham Lincoln came from humble origins in the backwoods of Kentucky. He was born on February 12, 1809 in a one room log cabin on Sinking Spring Farm, in southeast Hardin county Kentucky. His father (Thomas Lincoln) was a poverty stricken frontiersman after losing his farm, which along with his wife (Nancy Hanks Lincoln) and other children had to work hard everyday for the necessities of life. Lincoln was no stranger to hard work; he split logs plowed his families land and used his carpentry skills around the farm. He did prefer reading and learning to the hard work which caused a strained relationship between he and his father. He only received 18 months of formal education and was largely self educated. In 1816 Lincoln’s father lost his farm and was forced to move to Perry County, Indiana. This area of the country near the Ohio River was very remote and rugged. Their first winter at the new homestead was very harsh but they were able to survive. Unfortunately that summer Lincoln’s mother died from a deadly disease known as “milk sickness” and left his father with the children to raise alone(Lincoln research project). After the death of his mother the family fell apart and the most of the day to day work was left to Lincoln and his sister. In the winter of 1819 Lincoln’s father went back to Kentucky and found a new wife Sarah Bush Johnson who was a widow with three children (notable biographies.com). His n...
Thomas J. DiLorenzo is an economics professor at Loyola College. He has written eleven books, and is very widely published in many magazines and journals. In his book, The Real Lincoln, a twist is placed on the traditional picture of Abraham Lincoln. One of the most famous men in American History, Lincoln was regarded as being many great things, but were these things an accurate depiction of who he really was? As DiLorenzo states, “In the eyes of many Americans, Lincoln remains the most important American political figure in history because the war between the states so fundamentally transformed the nature of American government” (2). Lincoln helped begin a transformation from a small national government to a larger, more centralized one. Perhaps one of the largest misconceptions about Lincoln was his stance on slavery. DiLorenzo goes in depth about this saying, “He (Lincoln) could have ended slavery just as dozens of other countries in the world did during the first sixty years of the nineteenth century, through compensated emancipation, but he never seriously attempted to do so” (9). These two major topics, along with many more, are examined from a different perspective in discovering the man Abraham Lincoln really was.
Abraham Lincoln was an intricate yet prosperous person, shown through his movement from poverty to politics. Lincoln was born to poverty in Kentucky in 1809 and settled in Illinois at the age fifteen. He was captain of the militia in Illinois during the Black Hawk War of 1832 and served four terms as a Whig in the state legislature and in Congress, from 1847 to 1849. Lincoln strayed away from politics for a little while to return to law but his interest rekindled as a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act .
Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12th, 1809, in a small county in Kentucky called Hardin which is now known as Larue County. His father, Thomas Lincoln, “was a migratory carpenter and farmer, nearly always poverty-stricken” . His mother, Nancy Hanks, did not play a large role in his life as she passed away when he was nine years old. Thomas Lincoln remarried a woman named Sarah Johnston Bush, who “was a kind and affectionate stepmother to the boy” . During his younger years, Lincoln did not spend much time in school. Overall, “the scattered weeks of school attendance in Kentucky and Indiana amounted to less than a year” . Although he did not attend school, Lincoln was self-educated through books and other sources available to him. Soon after his self-education, Lin...
First of all, Lincoln had a rough and gracefully life as a child. He was born in Hardin County, Kentucky on February 12, 1809 (Goverment). When he was six he walked to school two miles in a dark log cabin. A few weeks later the school shut down, so he never went school but he taught himself how to read and write. When he was nine, his mother had died of a milk sickness (Goverment). Right after his mother had died, his father had married Sarah Bush. Abraham loved his stepmother that he even liked her better than his real mother. His stepmother loved Abraham and always gave him books to read. She sent Abraham to school that was nine miles away but she knew that Abraham was special (Bowler). When he was twenty-three his father and stepmother had died of old age. After the death of his parents, he worked hard to keep paying the rent of the house with his sister. His sister told him to go to the fields and get money. For 10 years he has worked in the field. Abraham loved his job while he walked over there; he talked and joked with people (Bowler).