Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's undying dedication allowed him to save the country from collapse before he died. He had never given up and because of that, "the end of the war was in sight when Lincoln took the oath of office a second time, on March 4, 1865." Lincoln had fought against the pressures of being president, death threats, and the ever so imminent fact that if the Union lost the Civil War, democracy would cease to exist on the earth. Abraham hardened himself against the hazards of the Civil War. Lincoln rarely left Washington D.C. for more than a week because he didn't want the country to fall into a state of disarray. "Lincoln threw himself into an election for the lower house of the Illinois state legislature but, "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years" (Abraham Lincoln). Having no reputation, failed to win the seat." But that didn't stop him, and "In 1834, however, and in 1836, 1838, and 1840 as well, Lincoln won consecutive terms in the state house of representatives"(Suppiger). Remaining dedicated to himself required that he didn't up on his aspiration to be in the House of Representatives.

Lincoln never let anything faze him in his behavior decisions and he always did what he thought was right, even if others didn't. "As president, Lincoln had been bitterly criticized," and not everyone had agreed with Honest Abe but that didn't bother Lincoln (Holzer). His resilience from pressure made him an excellent president because he couldn't be forced into making a decision based on a third party's opinion. "The air was still thick with rumors of 'rebel plots' to assassinate Mr. Lincoln, or to capture him and carry him off before he could take hold of the reins of government." After his reelection, he received numerous amounts of threats to his life if he didn't pull his troops from battle. Ignoring these, Lincoln won the war weeks later. But then, "April 14, Lincoln was assassinated by the southern partisan actor John Wilkes Booth." Nothing moved Lincoln from his beliefs and he took his rock-solid personality to the grave.

Abraham Lincoln was an unstoppable workhorse who never quit on himself or his country. He grew up in an impoverished Kentucky log cabin, miles from the nearest school. However, "largely through books he was able to borrow from neighbors, he grew strong mentally as well." He worked hard to get an education, even though it wasn't complete, and he worked harder to make something out of it. Lincoln wanted to use his education in law, so he became an independent lawyer. After much success, he ran for state representative and then senator. After he was elected as the 16th President of the United States, he labored tirelessly to improve the country. Someone once noted, "His office staff was small. He wrote most of his own letters and all his speeches. Lincoln made decisions on thousands of political and military appointments. For several hours each week, he saw everyone who chose to call. During all his years in office, Lincoln was away from the capital less than a month." He was engaged in the situations of the country.

By remaining focused on his goals, by never quitting, and by remaining completely devoted to himself and America, Abraham Lincoln could be considered heroic. His law partner once said, "his ambition was a little engine that knew no rest." Lincoln's dedication and work ethic for the country had allowed him to cease the Civil War, slavery, and any doubt that he was one of the greatest presidents of all time. Abraham is a hero not because he freed the slaves or won the Civil War, but because he was an amazing man that could not be stopped.