Why I Chose Abraham Lincoln

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The sixteenth president of the United States of America, also known as Abraham Lincoln was known for emancipating slaves. This was a huge step in our history. For this I have always looked at him as an amazing man and a great president. The reason I chose President Lincoln is because of this. He is the reason, along with others, why our country is not segregated and African Americans have the rights they do. Another reason I chose Abraham Lincoln is because he was self-taught and an amazing mind of our early government. I knew some things about him but I knew there was still so much to learn and so much information that I didn’t know. He was also as I said a big part in making the Emancipation Proclamation which was a step toward freedom for …show more content…

So, when Lincoln decided he wanted to educate himself by reading books and learning correct grammar and math his father and neighbors did not like him doing this. The main reason they didn’t like it was because they “regarded this as his way of sloth or his way of getting out of his chores” (Legacy of Freedom). Even though his father did not like it his step mother, Sarah Bush Lincoln, felt it was good and allowed it. Sarah Later told his law partner “He ‘didn’t like physical labor, he was not lazy, but was diligent for knowledge…’” (Legacy of Freedom). When Lincoln left home at the age of 22 he went to Salem, Illinois. Here he was known as a “gawky and ill-dressed” man, but as people got comfortable with him they started realizing that he was “intelligent and friendly” (Legacy of Freedom). Within his first year of residency in New Salem he decided to run for state legislator. Although he lost on his first try “he then tried again and won handily” (Legacy of Freedom). This was his first real experience with politics, and he was already doing well. John Todd Stuart liked Lincoln during his time as a legislator, and he told Lincoln to try to become a lawyer. Lincoln “[B]orrowed books from Stuart and studied all …show more content…

Being known for emancipating the slaves is what gave him the best image of all. For the most part people are very fond of Lincoln in general. There are exceptions to all rules. In 1968 a black journalist named, Lerone Bennett Jr, wrote an article about Lincoln and his alleged views of slaves. Mr. Bennett stated that “Lincoln embodied the idea of the American racist tradition” (Interpretation). Bennett never said that the stories were wrong he just said that Lincoln may not have been “committed” to abolishing slavery. He said that Abe was more “[T]rying to prevent its extension” (Interpretation). So even though Bennett sees him this way most historians and people in general see him as the emancipator of many and the man who fought a war for our country and made it possible for us to be the way we are

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