Stories of heroes have been a source of inspiration and awe for as long as people could tell them. We look to legends of great men and women who have accomplished grand tasks in hopes that we, too, may one day be as tremendous as them. Indeed, most of us do; albeit not in the way we imagine. Most of them slip by us unnoticed, overlooked, and will never be the protagonists of epic stories. So what exactly makes a hero? I believe a hero to be anyone who possesses the qualities of a hero: courageous, perseverant and compassionate – all of which Abraham Lincoln perfectly demonstrates.
Abraham Lincoln was born in February 12, 1809, in a log cabin to a family of uneducated and poor pioneers (Denenberg and Bing). Throughout his life, Lincoln would be presented with many challenges, and will each time intrepidly tackle each challenge. Having no access to a formal education, Lincoln had to take his learning in his own hands, and owes his intellect and eloquence to the many books he read for leisure, with which he taught himself the law (Denenberg and Bing). He then entered the world of politics and, despite the many failures he suffered, achieved many great things – including obtaining presidency. As president, Lincoln would be fated to a battle for the freedom of slaves and the equality of African Americans. Though he will later learn to, Lincoln initially did not consider African Americans and White Americans equals; he did, however, acknowledged the moral injustice of slavery (Prutt). This opinion would not be met with the approval of many Americans. His outspokenness on the subject of slavery would ignite much animosity from the Southern states. Despite this, Lincoln was not afraid to enforce his beliefs when he signed the Emancipati...
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Denenberg, Barry and Christopher Bing. Lincon Shot: A President's Life Remembered. New York, N.Y.: Feiwel and Friends, 2008. Print.
Fehrenbacher, Don. E. Lincoln: Speeches and Writings 1832-1858. New York, N.Y.. Library of America, 1989. Print
Prutt, Sarah. “5 Things You May Not Know About Lincoln, Slavery and Emancipation”. A&E Television Networks, LLC, 21 Sept. 2012. Web. 17 Feb. 2014. http://www.history.com/news/5-things-you-may-not-know-about-lincoln-slavery-and- emancipation
SearchQuotes. Searchquotes.com. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. http://www.searchquotes.com/quotation/The_legacy_of_heroes_is_the_memory_of_a_gr eat%20 name_and_the_inheritance_of_a_great_example./224666/
"Sympathy for Pets and People." Abraham Lincoln and Friends. The Lincoln Institute, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2014. http://mrlincolnandfriends.org/inside.asp?pageID=5&subjectID=5
Lincoln became president in January of 1860. During this time, many of the Southern states began to secede, plunging the United States into a Civil War. At the beginning, the war was about state’s rights, but it eventually became about slave rights. In the end, the Union won, America was reunited, and the slaves were freed. Many say that Lincoln was the Great Emancipator because of this act, but did you know he didn’t want the freed slaves to have the same rights as whites? From the time he was involved in the political realm to the day he was assassinated Lincoln was just another politician. If he was really the Great Emancipator he would have been more focused on the slaves than the Union. He also wouldn’t have issued the Emancipation
Throughout history we often see Abraham Lincoln as a great president, whose words and action inspire people throughout the nation to change the mindset of how we think about the importance of human lives regardless of race and ethnic groups. His journey toward changing the people perspective on the moral issue of slavery is no easy task to accomplished. But his action however, it did leave an everlasting impact for many African American that being chain by the cruel acts of slavery to experience freedom for the first time. And his Lincoln’s legacy would inspire other individuals to take a stand on their ideas and fight for the freedom of our fellow man. Individuals, such as Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr take pride on their belief to fight for the equality their race and to unite the nation as one. In the book “The Fiery Trial” by
Who is a hero? In contemporary times, usage of the term has become somewhat of a cliché. Over the years, the term “hero” has become representative of a wide variety of individuals, each possessing differing traits. Some of the answers put forth by my colleagues (during our in-class discussion on heroism) as to whom they consider heroes pointed to celebrities, athletes, teachers and family members. Although the occupations differed, each of their heroes bore qualities that my classmates perceived as extraordinary, whether morally or physically. Nonetheless, Webster’s defines “hero” as “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” Thus, it is worth considering that individuals become heroes relative to the situation with which they’re faced.
Abraham Lincoln born in 1809 was the President of United States before he was assassination in 1865.Many scholars refer him to as the greatest president the United State has ever had in history. One among his major achievements was the successful lead of the American country during the great internal crisis. He sealed the Union of the country and fought slavery to the end. Lincoln was a lawyer, after which he became a legislator representing the Illinois state. He was a member in the House of Representatives through an election. In family matters Lincoln was said to as loving, kind, a husband and a father of four. Donald 2001 pp.69).
Abraham Lincoln was elected as sixteenth president of the United States of America in 1861 and served until his assassination in 1865. He is viewed as a popular political figure and is known as the “Great Emancipator” for his role in freeing the slaves during the 1860s (Columbia University Press 2013, 1). He delivered the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 that declared “all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are, and henceforth shall remain free” (Columbia University Press 2013, 1). Although the Proclamation made Lincoln seem like a hero, others would soon realize that the proclamation was a war tactic and in reality did not put an end to slavery. In The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War by Thomas J. DiLorenzo, the reader will discover facts about President Lincoln that are not told in the average history book. Within the chapters of DiLorenzo’s book, he explains Lincoln’s true view on slavery, reasons for his political success, and why Lincoln encouraged war between the North and the South.
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.
The sixteenth president of the United States was none other than “Honest Abe” himself, or better known as Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln may have looked thin and weak physically, but he was actually pretty strong. He was also a fierce, sharp-witted lawyer and politician. He was never afraid of the challenges thrown at him. He held firmly to the things he believed to be right, even when the “majority” did not agree with him. Abraham Lincoln faced opposition as president because of his divergent moral views, ideas, decisions, and beliefs.
Lincoln, the man who led our country in one of the most bloody, horrific times in American history. He stands as a major figure of heroism for some people and a monument of leadership for a country consumed by the blood spattered fires of war surrounding a difficult time in American history. He was the light in this dark, brief amount of years. He was the savior for slaves and very many of the african populus only to fall victim to the very iconic, symbolic bullet from one passionate man who follows his beliefs to the death.
The definition of “hero” could possibly be the broadest characteristic or title to grant a human being. Many cultures throughout the history of the Earth have created their own ideas about how a hero should behave and live his life. Although past cultures have been different, the traits of a hero in each civilization are coincidentally analogous with each other. Possessing a warlike and barbaric essence, Beowulf, the protagonist of the only Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, was praised as a leader and hero by the citizens of surrounding lands in northern Europe. Although not seen as a barbarian, Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, was praised for his brilliant plans and resourceful thinking during times of hardship. Despite being from contrasting societies, Abraham Lincoln and Beowulf were both glorified for their heroic actions, but for different reasons.
In reading through Abraham Lincoln: the Man Behind the Myths, I have seen my views on Lincoln pretty drastically changed. Prior to this novel, I took the very common stance of Abraham Lincoln being one of the greatest presidents we have ever had. Now, I wouldn’t say I am nearly as passionate about Lincoln as any of the authors mentioned are, and therefore I believe myself to be rather blind to the mythology built around Lincoln. However, despite this blindness, I will say that my eyes have been opened to who I believe Lincoln is as well as what my perception of him has to do with what I’m told. Oates does indeed have biases similar to the very authors he puts down, however, Oates seems to be trying to reach a more realistic realization.
Abraham Lincoln was born in February 12, 1809 he was the 16th president. Abraham Lincoln, a self taught Illinois lawyer and legislator with a reputation as an eloquent opponent of slavery, shocked many when he overcame several more prominent contenders to win the republican party's nomination for president in 1860. His childhood was rough. his mother died when he was nine years old and his family moved several times; from kentucky, where he was born, to indiana, and then their family moved to Illinois in his early 20’s. he had a sister named Sarah, her nickname was sally she was born to Nancy Hanks and Tom Lincoln. Tom was and uneducated man but
Abraham Lincoln’s greatest challenge during his presidency was preserving the Union during the Civil War after the Southern states seceded from the Union. There were many dividing issues in the U.S. before his election in 1860, and his presidential victory was the final straw that led to the Civil War. The North and the South were already separating due to regional differences, socially, politically, culturally, and economically. Slavery was one of the biggest factors that led to the division between the North and the South. Preserving the Union while half of the country refused to regard federal law while in secession was extremely challenging, yet Abraham Lincoln decided to fight war against the South not only for the sake of abolishing slavery, but most importantly for the sake of preserving the Union. He was dedicated to fighting for the equality of all men in the U.S., as mentioned in his famous Gettysburg Address: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." He used this to argue a basic point: if all men are created equal, then all men are free. His House Divided speech showed his determination to keep the...
Abraham Lincoln’s original views on slavery were formed through the way he was raised and the American customs of the period. Throughout Lincoln’s influential years, slavery was a recognized and a legal institution in the United States of America. Even though Lincoln began his career by declaring that he was “anti-slavery,” he was not likely to agree to instant emancipation. However, although Lincoln did not begin as a radical anti-slavery Republican, he eventually issued his Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves and in his last speech, even recommended extending voting to blacks. Although Lincoln’s feeling about blacks and slavery was quite constant over time, the evidence found between his debate with Stephen A. Douglas and his Gettysburg Address, proves that his political position and actions towards slavery have changed profoundly.
Abraham Lincoln is arguably one of the greatest presidents in the history of the United States. He only served 5 years, but was president in the worst period of American history. He did the unthinkable to many people because of the severity of the decision; he emancipated slaves in the United States. This caused him to be dubbed ‘The Great Emancipator’. The nickname he received is an accurate one because it is a major decision that shaped the future of America. This decision was long overdue and he made sure that the prosperity would not have to deal with the issue of slavery separating the government. Additionally, he was able to change the landscape of the war because the North had affected the South’s way of life. He was very bold for declaring that all slaves will be free, but it was for the improvement of America.
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...