“Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Lincoln
Quite arguably one of the most influential Presidents, Abraham Lincoln made a huge impact on our nation, inspiring many with his rationality and charm. The sixteenth President of The United States and Prezzy during the Civil War, Lincoln will be remembered for centuries because of his efforts to disintegrate slavery in our country, for the Emancipation Proclamation, The Gettysburg Address, and for his reputation as ‘Honest Abe’.
Lincoln was born to Thomas and Nancy Lincoln in a log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky on February 12th, 1809. Thomas was a farmer who did fairly well for his family, but in 1817 they moved to Perry County, Illinois. When Abraham was 9, his mother died of tremetol, which was absolutely devastating. A few months after her death, Thomas married Sarah Bush Johnston, with whom Abraham quickly bonded with.
When Abraham was 22, the family was moving once again, this time to Coles County. Abraham didn’t go along. He instead moved to New Salem, where he worked as a post-master and a shopkeeper. It was here, by talking to all the different sorts of people who came in, that he picked up a knack for story telling and became quite popular in the town. When the Black Hawk War of 1832 began, the volunteers of that area elected Lincoln their captain. They saw no real fighting.
After the war, Lincoln began his political career. He was elected to the Illinois state legislature in 1834, as a member of the Whig party. The Whigs parties political stance formed Lincoln’s early views on slavery; he saw it not so much as immoral as he did an economical hindrance. Around this time, he decided to become a lawyer, self-teaching himself. After being admitted to the bar in 1837, he moved to Springfield, Illinois and began practicing law at the John T. Stuart law firm.
Lincoln served one term in The House of Reps., from 1847 to 1849. He was the only Whig from Illinois, and had a hard time finding political allies. He used his time in office to voice his distaste for the Mexican-American War and supported Zachary Taylor for Pres. In 1848. His critique made him unpopular back home, so he did not run for a second term but instead returned to Springfield to continue law.
In the 1850’s the railways were expanding, and Illinois became a popular place for new businesses. Lincoln found himself with many clients such as banks and insurance companies due to his previous succes in cases. He did some criminal cases, in one of which a witness claimed they could positively identify Lincolns client because of the light from the full moon on the night of the crime. Lincoln checked in an almanac, and proved that said night was to dark for the witness to have seen jack clearly. His client was acquitted. 😀
Lincoln got engaged to Mary Todd in 1840. Mary was a well-educated woman from Kentucky. In 1841 the engagement was broken off by Abraham. They met up again later at a social hoo-hah, and finally got married on November 4th, 1842. They had four children, Robert Todd, Tad, William Wallace, and Edward Baker; Only Robert made it to adulthood.
In 1857, The Supreme Court issued its decision, Scott vs. Sanford, declaring that African- Americans were not citizens and had no inherent rights. An indignant Lincoln, who believed that the Founding Fathers built this country on the belief that all men a]had certain unalienable rights and needed to be treated with decency, challenged then US Senator Stephan Douglas for his seat. He gave a speech in which he criticized Douglas, The Supreme Court, and President Buchanan, and declared that “a house divided cannot stand”. The 1858 Senate campaign featured a series of seven debates, Lincoln vs. Douglas, with the primary issue being slavery. Douglas was elected, but this exposure gained Lincoln much popularity and national attention.
In 1860 the Republican National Convention chose Lincoln as their Presidential Candidate. Lincoln received about 40% of the popularity vote, and 180 votes of of 303, the other 123 being split between Douglas, John Breckinridge, and John Bell.
Before his inauguration in March 1861, seven states had seceded, and Fort Sumter was under attack. Lincoln pulled out all the stops; He dispersed two million dollars from the Treasury for war material, he called for 75,000 volunteers to join military service, and he arrested and imprisoned suspected Confederate sympathizers, all without an allotment from Congress, a declaration of war, or warrants. He used his power as President unlike any before him. He faced many various enemies, ranging from his generals and his Cabinet, to American citizens, right to the rebels.
The Union Army faced a great many defeats in the first year and a half, which made it difficult for Lincoln to gain any support, much less keep that which he had. But, with a hopeful victory for the Union at Antietam on Sept 22nd, 1862, Lincoln felt he might be able to change his stance from the unification of the nation to the abolishment of slavery.On January 1st, 1863, he issued The Emancipation Proclamation. All individuals who are slaves “henceforward shall be free”.
The North slowly began to do better in the war. Lincoln was challenged by George B. McClellan, former commander of the Army of Potomac, for the Presidential office. Lincoln won with 212 out of 243 Electoral votes and as re-elected in 1865. On April 9th, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his forces to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, and the war was over.
Lincoln was assassinated on April 14th, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. He was taken from the theatre to the Petersen House across the street, where he lay in a coma for nine hours before dying that next morning. His body lay in the Capitol until a funeral train took his body back to Springfield, Illinois, his final resting place.
Abraham Lincoln accomplished many things through out his life time. He set people free. He moved a nation. He will be remembered for centuries. Da da da da da dah deh… dah da da da da dah…
the problems not the problem 