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Abraham lincoln history essay
Abraham Lincoln contribution to the United States
Abraham lincoln impact on the united states
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The most admired president, Abraham Lincoln was a figure of his time, but still stands to this day as a major character whom most admire. However, when someone is loved to every measure, they’re bound to have some who don’t appreciate their integrity, some who absolutely despise them. Whether this is procured from jealousy, hatred, or personal experience, these people are often so determined to destroy because of their own pride. Rewinding, one hundred and forty years ago, to the assassination of Honest Abe, we see that post Civil War times were just beginning; in fact, they had only just begun, as the surrender of Robert E. Lee to Ulysses S. Grant happened a mere five days before John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln in the head. Though the war …show more content…
The divide between the North and South had existed for quite some time, with slavery at the heart of the issue. The war had not only separated the two, but drove a wedge between them. So after Lincoln’s assassination, a further divide was drawn between the North and South, because as many people mourned for the loss, some did rejoice. The fear of another war beginning was in the air, the reason being, the man who instructed the North with honesty and love was gone, no more Lincoln to get in the way. Clearly observed, the Civil War was a devastating blow to the whole country, but the end of the president made this a whole lot worse. Though there were the haters of that time, many demanded Lincoln’s body be brought to their state, many even argued about where he should be buried, recognizing his deep connection to each state. In a sense, many came together in the mourning of the president, as a short-term effect. A prominent short-term outcome was in dealing with the Radical Republicans, who believed in punishing the South. Lincoln had believed in viewing the South as a long lost son, or the prodigal son. With Lincoln gone, many Radical Republicans took over, forcing their ideas, which created even more unrest in the hearts of the American
Disapproval, the Confederacy, and slavery were amongst the many crises Abraham Lincoln faced when addressing his First Inaugural speech (Lincoln, First Inaugural, p.37). Above all, Lincoln’s speech was stepping on the boundaries of the southern slave states. Once states began to secede, new territories formed and the disapproval of Lincoln grew. Despite Lincoln’s attempts of unifying the antislavery and confederate views, many whites refused to follow his untraditional beliefs. Lincoln encountered hostile and admirable emotions from the people of the Union and the Confederacy. However, despite his representation of the Union, not everyone agreed with his views.
In “The Presidency of Abraham Lincoln,” Phillip Shaw Paludan argues that even though Abraham Lincoln faced unparalleled challenges, Lincoln was America’s greatest president as he preserved the Union and freed the slaves. According to Paludan, Lincoln’s greatness exceeds that of all other American presidents as Lincoln’s presidential service was remarkable in both the obstacles he faced as well as the ways in which he overcame them. Before accepting the distinguished chair in Lincoln studies at the University of Illinois, Springfield, Paludan was a professor of history at the University of Kansas for over 30 years. Paludan has authored several books including Victims: A True Story of the Civil War and A People’s Contest: The Union and Civil
In the 1860’s the United States weren’t united because of the issue of slavery. The civil war was never just about getting the union back together, but about making it count and getting rid of slavery. The south wanted their slaves and would say they are “-the happiest, and in some, the freest people in the world”. (Doc 5) However, the north knew that was not true because of Harriet Beecher Stowe's “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. In 1854 when the Kansas-Nebraska act was passed it caused some issues. Anti-slavery supporters were not happy because they did not want expansion of slavery, but the pro-slavery supporters weren’t happy because they wanted slavery everywhere for sure. (Doc. 7)The Kansas-Nebraska act caused trouble before it was even passed, Senator Charles Sumner argued against and attacked pro-slavery men causing Preston Brooks to beat Sumner with a cane. The south praised Brooks while the north felt for Sumner. (Doc 8) In 1858 during his acceptance speech Lincoln said his famous line, “A house divided
One thing that Lincoln and Lee both had in common was that they wanted this civil war to be over as soon as possible. When we are reading through Lincoln’s speech you realize everything that has happened. 51,000 people died in three days. There was nowhere to put all of the body’s; nothing to do to clean the ground of all the blood that had spilled. When you really think about all the people that died at this battle it is horrific and to think that this is just one of the battles t...
On April, 14 1865 President Abraham Lincoln was shot while watching a performance of An American
The memory of massive death was still in the front of everyone’s mind, hardening into resentment and sometimes even hatred. The south was virtually non-existent politically or economically, and searching desperately for a way back in. Along with these things, now living amongst the population were almost four million former slaves, who had no idea how to make a living on their own. They had been freed by the 13th amendment in 1865, and in the future became a great concern to many political leaders. Still, it was no secret that something had to be done. So, as usually happens, political leaders appeared on the stage, each holding their own plan of Reconstruction, each certain their ideas were the correct ones. One of the first people who came up with a blueprint for Reconstruction was the president at the time, Abraham Lincoln. The “Lincoln Plan” was a very open one, stating that after certain criteria were met a confederate state could return to the union. To rejoin, a state had to have ten percent of voters both accept the emancipation of slaves and swear loyalty to the union. Also, those high ranking officers of the state could not hold office or carry out voting rights unless the president said
Over the course of the 1860’s the hostility between the North and the South grew into an insipid relationship that only dragged on until the succession of North Carolina in 1860. The main disagreements that led to the Civil War grew over political differences. The issue of Federal versus State rights, stirred the question over how much power the government should possess, similarly the abolition movement clashed with the expansion of slavery in the South and after the elections that would inaugurate President Lincoln without one vote from a single southern state in 1861 the South was fully aware over the balance of power that was not present withi...
A number of the decisions and actions undertaken not only during the course of Jackson’s presidency, but also as a pre-political individual alone, depict a man certainly capable of a villainous description. While one could attempt to describe Andrew Jackson as a hero, one would be required to ignore repeatedly documented events and personal accounts to the contrary. However, a successful counterargument resides in the fact that, in trivial terms, history is not black-and-white. Oftentimes, history is perceived through two viewpoints. The first observes history where morals and beliefs are not entered into the equation. To use American history as a template, many historical figures, such as Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln, are represented as unblemished and faultless; the focus is primarily placed on intelligent, influential quotes and political achievements. The second viewpoint represents the same individuals as flawed and human, straying far from the untarnished and blameless leaders of the first example; through the second point-of-view, personal dealings and character reside at the core. Neither of these methods of studying history is necessarily false, as neither promotes false information. However, within itself, history is unbiased, and the legacy of America’s seventh president lies in between these two often-employed viewpoints. As
The ending of the civil war marked the greatest culture shift in the United States since they became independent of Britain. Through Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and the passing of the 13th Amendment, all slaves became free upon the conclusion of the war. This was a momentous moment for these new freedmen; however, the switch from a society which for two hundred has relied on slavery to one where blacks and whites are “equal”, caused quite a bit of distress among Southerners. The Radical Republicans of the North were bitter over the last four years of war, and the Southern states secession of the Union. They wanted to punish the Southern plantation owners for the rebellion they incited, but realized they needed to act
"What ever you are be a good one".That was the a quote from one of the if not the best president ever, Abraham Lincoln. Over Abraham Lincolns presidency he demonstrated an array of good presidential traits. He was an honest president and trust worthy with the people of the United States. One of his most traits that standout was his genius intellect, but he kept that quiet but aloud it to stand out. He held all the qualifications a president should have and could be used as a perfect example. His personal qualities made Abe a good president.
Dilorenzo, Thomas J.. The Real Lincoln: a new look at Abraham Lincoln, his agenda, and an unnecessary war. Roseville, Calif: Prima, 2002
Both sides desired a republican form of government. Each wanted a political system that would “protect the equality and liberty of the individuals from aristocratic privilege and…tyrannical power.” (404) However, the north and south differed greatly in “their perceptions of what most threatened its survival.” (404) The secession by the south was an attempt to reestablish republicanism, as they no longer found a voice in the national stage. Prior to the 1850s, this conflict had been channeled through the national political system. The collapse of the two-party system gave way to “political reorganization and realignment,” wrote Holt. The voters of the Democrats shifted their influence toward state and local elections, where they felt their concerns would be addressed. This was not exclusively an economically determined factor. It displayed the exercise of agency by individual states. Holt pointed out, “[T]he emergence of a new two-party framework in the South varied from state to state according to the conditions in them.” (406) The “Deep South” was repulsed by the “old political process,” most Southerners trusted their state to be the safeguards of republicanism. (404) They saw the presidential election of Abraham Lincoln, a member of the “the anti-Southern Republican party,” as something the old system could not
Contrary to what today’s society believes about Lincoln, he was not a popular man with the South at this time. The South wanted to expand towards the West, but Lincoln created a geographical containment rule keeping slavery in the states it currently resided in. Despite his trying to rationalize with the South, Lincoln actually believed something different ”Lincoln claimed that he, like the Founding Fathers, saw slavery in the Old South as a regrettable reality whose expansion could and should be arrested, thereby putting it on the long and gradual road ”ultimate extinction” (216). He believed it to be “evil” thus “implying that free southerners were evil for defending it”(275). Lincoln wanted to wipe out slavery for good, and the South could sense his secret motives.
As we can only imagine, one can not erase the vivid images, of the Civil War from their memories, after seeing the fallen bodies and the fields of ash and smoke. The lasting images we view through photographs reminds us of the war that divided the nation, during tumultuous times. As the war came to an end, President Abraham Lincoln was elected for his second term in office. During, Lincoln's second inaugural speech he persuades his audience, to understand that the war was a catastrophe for all. The healing that is needed from this catastrophe will not begin, until the reformation of the once standing brotherhood, in order to, maintain peace and prosperity as a nation. To help persuade the audience, Lincoln's use of rhetorical strategies, evokes the audience to consolidate as one.
I submit that Lincoln’s strategy in the Civil War to bring the South to its knees and forge reconciliation with the North to save the United States is one. Though a war and strategy inflamed by passion on both sides, Lincoln was able to focus the strategy on the outcome he intended. In Supreme Command, Eliot Cohen discusses how Lincoln’s leadership was articulate, discerning and decisive. He tells of Lincoln’s five interlocking propositions that provided a clear strategy and of the swift rebuke for those who fell short. Cohen also notes how Lincoln continued to question his assumptions, read the intelligence reports for himself, and went to the front continually assessing the war’s progression, all strengths of his leadership and the