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Abraham Lincoln Born: February 12, 1809 Died: April 15, 1865 Republican Terms: March 4, 1861 to April 15, 1965(re-elected for second term) Vice Presidents: Hannibal Hamlin (1861 to 1865) Andrew Johnson (1865)

American Identity:

Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin and had very poor parents. As a kid, he saw death and tragedy among his family and struggled growing up and getting by. He had to teach himself how to read and write, but he didn’t know anything else. He worked on a farm and ran a shop and then worked his way up into the Illinois legislature and eventually into the federal government. Lincoln represented what all people should be like: hardworking and self-driven to succeed. When he was born, he had nothing going for him and lost his mother and other family members. However, he was dedicated and determined to do the best he could and made his way up into the government. Lincoln demonstrated and set a precedent for the rewards one can receive if they strive for their dreams. Also, Lincoln never gave up after he didn’t get what he wanted. He could have very easily stayed at home on the farm and never taught himself how to read. Lincoln could have also given up once he didn’t get the seat in Senate or the Illinois legislature that he wanted. Instead, Abraham Lincoln showed that anything is possible and never gave up by pushing as hard as he could for his goals. In the end, he became the president of the United States of America, was one of the best role models for Americans in our history, and is still admired today.

Within a few months of his inauguration as president, Abraham Lincoln had the Civil War, a war fought within our own country, to deal with. America was split and Lincoln was the man in charge so he had all of the decisions in his hands. For this alone, Lincoln had so much pressure put on him. Also, Lincoln was brave enough to stand up for the freedom of blacks and the end of slavery and propose the Emancipation Proclamation. Finally, he was dedicated and passionate about his cause and delivered the Gettysburg address which forever changed the United States. For the menacing situation he faced and his coolness and passion throughout the war, Abraham Lincoln deserves and A for his presidency.

When Lincoln was elected president, the South was ready to split from the Union. Lincoln knew that this was bound to happen, but in his address he enforced that we are all friends, not enemies. He said the South will always be a part of the Union and after they succeeded, he still believed that. Lincoln also said that we cannot split. The nation would see some devastating effects if the nation split and there was a war. Lincoln did not want to change the Constitution in any way as well. Finally, Lincoln addressed slavery and how there were some people for slavery and others against it. He was against slavery and wanted to stop the spread of it westward. This was just going to be part of the nation, but both sides had to accept each other and work together. In the end, everyone had to be friends and we have to move forward as one, united country.

When Fort Sumter was attacked, Lincoln had some big decisions on his hands. He had to decide whether he should send troops or let things play out and wait. When it came to these decisions, Lincoln was not alone. The Republicans dominated the majority of the federal government at this time because the South had their own government. As a result, Lincoln was supported and backed by Congress in most of his decisions. When he decided to send troops to collide with the Confederates in the Battle of Bull Run, Lincoln had the support of Congress behind him. Lincoln also enjoyed all of his power at the beginning of the war when Congress was not together. He ordered the blockade which killed the Southern economy, increased the army, and suspended habeas corpus. All of these things needed to be approved by Congress, but Lincoln was bold enough to follow through with them anyway. This shows that Congress had his back and wasn’t going to go against any of his ideas. Having a trustworthy cabinet and legislature that was the majority of your party really helped Lincoln in his presidency.

One of Lincoln’s biggest strengths was his passion for his cause and preservation of the Union. He was so determined to keep the Union intact that he would use everything in his power, and even some outside, to preserve it. Lincoln helped unite the Republican Party around his ideas and united the North against the South and slavery. In addition, Lincoln proposed the Emancipation Proclamation which said that the war was about slavery and the freedom of blacks. He wanted ever single slave in the Confederacy to be free and end slavery all together. This was the passion and determination Lincoln had for the country. He also wanted the slaves to get away and come and join the Union army and fight against the people that have lashed them and mistreated them for too long. It didn’t matter how many times the Union and the Confederates met in war because Lincoln was going to keep the North fighting until he got what he wanted. Later on in the war, Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address to thousands at the cemetery in Gettysburg. He said that all who have died did so for a great cause and shall not be in vain. In the end, he passed on the message that we are fighting as a nation all for freedom and unity. This was one of the greatest speeches of all time and Abraham Lincoln was the perfect, dedicated man to say it. There were so many positive things in Lincoln’s presidency.

In addition, Lincoln did a great job in dealing with the war. Compared to the South, the North did not have as strong of generals and leadership to run the armies. Throughout the war, Lincoln was constantly changing generals and appointing new ones based of how they were doing. This showed the trust he put in others and his ability to adapt to different situations throughout the war. At the end of the war, Lincoln had the two most successful men in charge: General Grant and Sherman. Grant got Lee to surrender and end the war while Sherman was brutal and tore through the South, destroying everything. Also, Lincoln was respected and showed respect to others. After the Battle of Fredericksburg, Lincoln sent a letter to the Army of Potomac congratulating them on their successes and showing grief towards all who had died. Lincoln was thankful for all of the work the soldiers were putting into his cause and it showed when he was reelected for a second term. Despite accomplishing so much during the war, Lincoln had one downfall. This was all of the causalities in the country. At the end of the war, over 600,000 were dead and many more wounded. This was the highest death toll of any war at this time and they were all Americans and all from the same country. Lincoln could not do that much about this. It was just something that happened. Lincoln did so many good things however that he was remembered for and accomplished his goals.

The decisions of Lincolns that affected the future presidents and people were the whole war in general. Family lines were destroyed, land was destroyed and the Southern economy was devastated. Andrew Johnson had a lot to deal with after Lincoln died and he took over and had to run the whole reconstruction process. However, the main thing that affected the future was his persistent pushing towards the end of slavery. The world would have been completely different if slavery stayed around for many more years and the nation probably would have split into two. Lincoln passed the Emancipation Proclamation and unified the North against slavery and forever changed the future. If Lincoln was not assassinated by Booth, the entire reconstruction process would have been different and we wouldn’t be at the same place today. By abolishing slavery and ending the war, Lincoln left chaos with rebuilding the nation, but freed millions of blacks in the process.

When Lincoln became president, the nation split into two. Lincoln, who was under immediate stress and had to make all of the decisions and one bad one could have cost thousands of lives. Lincoln was put into a potentially life or death situation with the nation, being the Civil war, and had to stay strong with his beliefs against slavery and follow through. Lincoln was so passionate and determined to preserve the Union and free all blacks that he willing to go out of his circle of power and make a difference. Due to the huge situation he faced, his ability to make close decisions and his overall passion for the Union, Abraham Lincoln deserves an A for his presidency.

Works Cited

Abraham Lincoln: "Inaugural Address," March 4, 1861. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, //The American Presidency Project//. []. Abraham Lincoln: "Message of Congratulations to the Army of the Potomac," December 22, 1862. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, //The American Presidency Project//. []. "Abraham Lincoln." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. . "Abraham Lincoln." //The White House//. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. . "American President: Abraham Lincoln: A Life in Brief." //Miller Center//. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. . "The History Place Presents Abraham Lincoln." //The History Place//. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. .