Abraham Lincoln

Honest Abe (www.flickr.com)

The biggest 19th century hero to me would be Abe Lincoln. If you think about it he got a lot done as the Union President. A couple of quick facts about Abe Lincoln are, he lived from February 12, 1809 to April 15, 1865. He lived in Virginia for most of his life and he was assassinated at a play. As the Union President the main focus on his mind was slavery. Don't get me wrong, he worried about other things like American Economy etc. Like I said earlier was that he really didn't like the idea of slavery. He passed many laws against it such as the Emancipation Proclamation (an executive order) and helped Congress push through the Thirteenth Amendment.

So the main reason I think this person should be thought of as a hero is that he took on the responsibility for pursuing a war because he knew that what he was doing was right. I don't know, maybe it's just me but this guy had his mind set on this war and freeing the slaves, and he did both.

There were two sides to the civil war, the Union (north) and the Confederates (the south). Lincoln led the Union to victory over the Rebels or the Confederates. The rebels wanted slavery to help their economy, like growing crops. In fact at that time the south provided 90% of cotton for England. So having slaves really helped the South. The Union, however, thought that having slaves was immoral and wanted to abolish it completely. That's why Lincoln and his best General Ulysses S. Grant led their men and fought a lot of battles. Over all, winning the war and freeing the slaves is why I think Abe Lincoln is a hero.

I think Abe Lincoln's legacy would be always thought of for freeing the slaves. Even though he was a great president, freeing the slaves was probably one of the greatest improvements of the 19th century. He was always remembered as a big tall tough president who wasn't afraid to go to war. I know he would always remembered by me as one of the greatest president ever. I don't know about you?

Today's youth need one important rule. I would say "If you start something, finish it." Because Abe Lincoln did not start the war on slavery and then stop. If he just stopped, what would the world be like? Same with youth, finish high school. Start a commitment and stay with it!