The Greatest Man to Have Lived

696 Words2 Pages

"Whenever I hear anyone arguing over slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on

him personally." Abraham Lincoln was always against slavery. He claimed the nickname,

"Honest Abe", because he always spoke what was on his mind, especially when it came to

slavery. His speeches about slavery are what helped him win the election for president. Abraham

Lincoln was a dreamer, because he grew up protesting against slavery and before he was

assassinated, he ended slavery.

Abraham Lincoln's childhood was full of disappointments. His parents were Nancy

Hankses and Thomas Lincoln. Lincoln was born February 12, 1809, in Hodgeville,

Kentucky, on a farm (Donald 22). Lincoln's sister, Sara, was the oldest, and his brother, Thomas,

died as an infant. Nancy Hankses died when Lincoln was only ten years old. His dad remarried

when she died to Sara Johnston. Abraham Lincoln taught himself, because his family was not

very wealthy.

Lincoln's family was different. Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd, was considered to be mentally

unbalanced. She gave birth to four boys: Thomas, William Wallace, Robert Todd, and Edward.

Thomas died at eighteen. William was the only president's child to die in the White House.

Robert became a lawyer and diplomat. Edward died at age three. They never had any girls.

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Lincoln had different careers before he became president. He was a wrestler, a lawyer, a

Whig representative, and in the military. He won all, but two times, when he fought as a wrestler.

Lincoln was the lawyer for the famous Dred Scott case. Lincoln left the Whigs to form the

Republicans after the Kansas-Nebraska Act (Abraham, Biography Channel). In 1832, Lincoln

was enlisted in the Black Hawk War and w...

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...Donald 599).

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"Those who deny freedom to others, deseve it not for themselves" (Abraham, The

Biography Channel). This was stated by Abraham Lincoln and it means that you do not

deserve to be yourself and free, if you believe someone else does not deserve to be free.

Abraham Lincoln was a dreamer, not only because he grew up protesting against slavery,

but because he ended slavery. Abraham Lincoln's existence and honesty had a huge impact on

slavery.

Works Cited

"Abraham Lincoln." English Online. web. 13 November 2013.

"Abraham Lincoln." The Biography Channel. 2013. web. 11 November 2013.

"Abraham Lincoln." 2011. The White House. 12 July 2011. web. 11 November 2013.

Donald, David. "Lincoln." New York. Simon and Shuster. 1995. Print.

"Gettysburg Address." Abraham Lincoln Online: Speeches and Writings. web.

15 November 2013.

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