Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln lived for 56 years and was elected President in 1860. He died five years later. Lincoln was born in 1809 in Hardin County, Kentucky then later moved to several places. President Abraham Lincoln took pride in fighting to free slaves because he thought that he could make the change and he inspired many others to fight in the civil war because no person should be treated the way slaves were just because of their skin color or race. Lincoln thought that no one should be treated the way slaves were. Every day they had to follow their owner’s orders while the owner just sat there ordering them around. Today, many of us would think that that’s a horrible way to treat people while others would love to sit around and have other people do the work that was meant for them to do. His actions were very important because he gave many people lives by abolishing slavery and he inspired more and more people to open their eyes and realize that slavery is a very bad way to treat someone just because of their color or race.

One thing that I thought was a very courageous thing that Lincoln did was that after the election, President Abraham Lincoln chose his three opposing candidates for president to be a part of his Cabinet. This meets my definition because he did something that everyone thought was a risky thing to, just to make sure that his country was under great leadership. The three others thought that Lincoln had failed his first test of leadership because he chose three people who all had a whole different perspective on how to lead the country which they feared could stir up some difficulties in the Cabinet. Lincoln chose these people because, "We needed the strongest men of the party in the Cabinet. I had looked the party over and concluded that these were the very strongest men. Then I had no right to deprive the country of their service.” This was a very smart move to many people and also a very bad move to people because the differences in politics between the four men. Lincoln thought that with all of them working together, they could make a stronger difference. The impact of this was that they worked together to stop slavery and to create equal rights, which carried on even to today where we have equal rights. "Fourscore 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."

Lincoln during the Civil War period

One problem that we are facing today is the dispute between Iraq, Afghanistan, and the United States. If Abraham Lincoln was here to give me advice on what to do, I think it would have to do with being smart during the predicament. This was meaning to really analyze and conclude like he did during the issue of slavery. He would also request that we should carefully be choosing who runs our country and who can lead us and protect us. We should express our feelings on everything like Lincoln did in the Gettysburg address. I think this is what he would tell me based on his past actions.

Abraham Lincoln's Inauguration (http://www.corbisimages.com/images/IH156782.jpg?size=67&uid=855754B6-9A33-4931-92C9-F92CCD2EF76E)

Another important action Lincoln did was give the Gettysburg Address. This event meets my definition because during this Lincoln stated how he could lead the U.S. to a healthy and safer future. Yes by fighting this war many lives were being lost, but it was worth fighting for what they believed in. During the speech, Lincoln never talked about sides. He spoke of the sacrifices of our nation and never of the enemy. He spoke of reconciliation. Both sides sacrificed their men to fight for what they believed in. That had made all the difference. Fighting for your beliefs had saved many, thanks to Lincoln and the others he inspired.

"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.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate -- we cannot consecrate -- we cannot hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work, which they who fought here have thus far so nobly, advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Lincoln giving the Gettysburg Address

Many people from the South might not have thought of Lincoln to be a hero. They were siding with slavery while the North and Lincoln were siding against slavery. Lincoln could have been the good guy to people because he fought to give slaves equal rights. He also could have been the bad guy because Lincoln was taking away the slaves that many people relied on to do most of their work. In order to stop the North from succeeding in abolishing slavery, the North and South fought. This war was called the Civil War. Lincoln was able to avoid being squished because he was able to lead people and inspire others to help because it only took that one person to make a huge difference to many people who were suffering of slavery.

Abraham Lincoln’s benefit to the Union has made a huge difference, today, without all the accomplishments he made, many of us may have slaves or even be slaves. He will always have the legacy of being a smart man. He is smart because of his political strategies. He was able to analyze and conclude some of the strongest people in politics to join together under one political party to make a difference that we are able to recognize at any point whether we are at a school with black and whites, on the streets, or even at work.