Great personalities are not born great, however, they build themselves..and how great is to build yourself by yourself starting from zero point in such a way you become a charismatic character with a distinctive personality reflecting your intuition, imagination, and life experience so that your name is like an imprint whenever and wherever your name is heard. People will then talk about you as a well known character, a person who has achieved this and that. How much awesome is to build something great and adorable from scratch, to be always in the first rank.
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of USA, was one of those great personalities who started building everything just from scratch. He was a magnificent leader with a unique appeal and a remarkable interesting story of rising from humble beginnings to be in the highest position of the land, but unfortunately he died tragically when his country was in a big need of him. He had a characteristic humane personality that left an enduring legacy, one of which is liberating the slaves.
Abraham Lincoln is considered by many scholars to have been the best President. He is credited with holding the Union together and leading the North to victory in the Civil war.
Further, his actions and beliefs led to the emancipation of African-Americans from the bonds of slavery.
Childhood and early life:
Lincoln was born in Hardin County, Kentucky on February 12, 1809 to Thomas Lincoln, a farmer and carpenter and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. Thomas and Nancy had two other children: Abraham’s older sister Sarah and younger brother Thomas, who died in infancy. Due to a land dispute, the Lincolns were forced to move from Kentucky to Perry County, Indiana in 1817, where Abraham lived there the rest of his youth. At the age of nine, his mother died of tremetol (milk sickness), the event which was devastating on him. But he was very close to his stepmother, Sarah Bush Johnston who was an affectionate woman with whom Abraham quickly bonded, she urged him to read. Lincoln himself stated that he had about one year of formal education. However, he was taught by many different individuals. He loved to read and learn from any books he could get his hands on. Neighbors recalled how Abraham would walk for miles to borrow a book. He probably read popular books at that time such as Robinson Crusoe.
Military and Law Careers:
In 1830, the family again migrated, this time to Macon County, Illinois. His father moved the family again to Coles County, and the 22-year-old Abraham Lincoln is making a living in manual labor. At six feet four inches tall, Lincoln was rawboned and lanky, but muscular and physically strong. He was known for his skill in wielding an ax and early on made a living splitting wood for fire and rail fencing. Young Lincoln eventually migrated to the small community of New Salem, Illinois where for a period of years he worked as a shopkeeper, postmaster, and eventually general store owner. Working with the public, Lincoln acquired social skills and honed story-telling talent that made him popular with the locals. In 1832, Lincoln enlisted to fight in the Black Hawk War that broke out between the United States and Native Americans. He was quickly elected by the volunteers in the area to be their captain. His company joined regulars under Colonel Zachary Taylor. He only served 30 days in this capacity and then signed on as a private in the mounted Rangers. He then joined the Independent Spy Corps. He saw no real action during his short stint in the military. He saw no combat during this time, but was able to make several important political connections.
After the Black Hawk War, Abraham Lincoln began his political career and was elected to the Illinois state legislature (1834-1842) as a member of the Whig Party. He supported the Whig politics of government that sponsored infrastructure and protective tariffs. It was around this time he decided to become a lawyer, teaching himself the law by reading Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England.He was then admitted to the bar in 1836. Lincoln served as a US Representative (1847-1849). He was elected to the state legislature in 1854 but resigned his position to run for the US Senate. He gave his famous "house divided" speech after being nominated.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates:
Lincoln debated his opponent, Stephen Douglas, seven times in what became known as the Lincoln-Douglas Debates. They agreed on many issues,however, they did disagree over the morality of slavery. Lincoln did not believe that slavery should spread any further but Douglas argued for popular sovereignty. Lincoln explained that while he was not asking for equality, he believed that African-Americans should get the rights granted in the Declaration of Independence: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Lincoln lost the state election to Douglas.
In 1860 Lincoln was nominated for the presidency by the Republican Party with Hannibal Hamlin as his running mate. He ran on a platform denouncing disunion and calling for an end to slavery in the territories. The Democrats were divided with Stephen Douglas representing the Democrats and John Breckinridge the National (Southern) Democrats. John Bell ran for the Constitutional Union Party which basically took votes from Douglas. In the end, Lincoln won 40% of the popular vote and 180 of the 303 electors.
After the end of the first period. The Republicans, the National Union Party, had some concern that Lincoln wouldn't win but still renominated him with Andrew Johnson as his Vice President. Their platform demanded unconditional surrender and official end to slavery. His opponent, George McClellan, had been relieved as the head of the Union armies by Lincoln. His platform was that the war was a failure, and Lincoln had taken away too many civil liberties. Lincoln won because the war turned in the North's favor during the campaign.
The main event of Lincoln's presidency was the Civil war that lasted from 1861-1865. Eleven states seceded from the union, and Lincoln firmly believed in the importance of not only defeating the Confederation but eventually reuniting North and South.
In September 1862, Lincoln issued the Emancipation proclamation. This freed the slaves in all Southern states. In 1864, Lincoln promoted Ulysses S. Grant to be Commander of all Union forces. Sherman's raid on Atlanta helped clench Lincoln's reelection in 1864. During the Civil War, Lincoln curbed civil liberties including suspending the writ of habeas corpus "you have the body", a term that represents an important right granted to individuals in America. However, at the end of the Civil War, the Confederate officers were allowed to return home with dignity. In the end, the war was the most costly in American history. Slavery was forever ended with the passage of the 13th amendment.
Due to opposition to Virginia's secession from the Union, West Virginia broke off from the state in 1863 and was admitted to the union. Also, Nevada was made a state in 1864.
Other than the Civil War, during Lincoln's administration the Homestead Act was passed which allowed squatters to take title to 160 acres of land after having lived in it for five years which helped populate the Great Plains.
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln:
The main event of Lincoln's presidency was the Civil war that lasted from 1861-1865. Eleven states seceded from the union, and Lincoln firmly believed in the importance of not only defeating the Confederation but eventually reuniting North and South.
In September 1862, Lincoln issued the Emancipation proclamation. This freed the slaves in all Southern states. In 1864, Lincoln promoted Ulysses S. Grant to be Commander of all Union forces. Sherman's raid on Atlanta helped clench Lincoln's reelection in 1864. During the Civil War, Lincoln curbed civil liberties including suspending the writ of habeas corpus "you have the body", a term that represents an important right granted to individuals in America. However, at the end of the Civil War, the Confederate officers were allowed to return home with dignity. In the end, the war was the most costly in American history. Slavery was forever ended with the passage of the 13th amendment.
Due to opposition to Virginia's secession from the Union, West Virginia broke off from the state in 1863 and was admitted to the union. Also, Nevada was made a state in 1864.
Other than the Civil War, during Lincoln's administration the Homestead Act was passed which allowed squatters to take title to 160 acres of land after having lived in it for five years which helped populate the Great Plains.
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln:
On April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated while attending a play at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C., Actor John Wilkes Booth shot him in the back of the head before jumping onto the stage and escaping to Maryland. Affected by the shot, Lincoln died on April 15th.On April 26th, Booth was found hiding in a barn which was set on fire. He was then shot and killed. Eight conspirators were punished for their roles.
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