16th President of the United States: Abraham Lincoln - Essay Example

Introduction The American Civil War, which occurred between 1861 and ended in 1865 was one of the most important events in American history. This ‘War between the States,’ as it was also called, was what preserved the Union and also ended slavery. It was also one of the deadliest, due to the death of around 620,000 soldiers (Sandburg, 2002), and a large number of civilian injuries and casualties which would have been impossible to take note of. One man was responsible for leading the United States through this terrible time, and the success of what the country is today, is largely in his debt. It is amazing how Abraham Lincoln is still very much alive in our consciences today. Clearly, more than what he did for the people of the United States, he was, himself a good example for the whole world. This paper is about this great American hero who also happens to be the 16th President of the United States. In this paper, I am going to discuss about his life and his personality, and how I feel that I am able to relate to him. I would like to include details about his background that I have read about, in order to discover what exactly makes him a man worth remembering for all time. In addition to this, I would also like to take note of what I have found out about this admirable Civil War figure, and how his characteristics are similar to my own. His Background Before he became the great man that he is, Lincoln led a very simple life far from the wealth and glamour that is usually associated with being a President like he turned out to be. He was born in February 12 1809, to two parents who were not educated and who earned their living by farming. As a boy, Lincoln dabbled in wrestling and immersed himself with reading a lot. Through reading, he taught himself more than what he could have ever learned from school. This independence from Lincoln is something that I think could refer to myself, as an individual who seeks for independence. Lincoln apparently lost his mother at the age of nine, and even though he was very close to his mother, I think that one of the reasons to why he started to become independent was that he never really fostered affection towards his father the way he should have. I found it quite amusing how he never really took a liking to hunting or fishing because he felt a soft spot for animals and detested killing them. (Sandburg, 2002) This is also one of characteristics that I can relate to, since I, myself, care for the welfare of animals. His Personality Through all the books and articles that I have read about this great man, there appears to be a lack of negative press about him. It seems that he was well loved by everyone he met. I do not assume to be as well loved, and I can only hope to be, but I think, that just like him, I have a great sense of humour. There exists a joke that he had thought of and printed on his ‘business card,’ where he it was stated that as soon as he returned to Springfield, in Illinois, he was ready to ‘swap horses, dispense law, make jokes, split rails and perform other matters.’ There was even a song written about his infamous sense of humour, entitled, ‘Hey! Uncle Abe, are you joking yet?’ which was penned by a certain J.F Feeks, in 1864 (The Library of Congress, 2009). He was very cheerful, and got along well with others. In the same way, I also feel strongly for fostering a good relationship with all that I meet, and the positive attitude that I keep towards life, is also what I try to spread around others. His humble background and not so good relationship with a father who used to treat him badly, probably contributed to Lincoln’s view when it came to money. He was never greedy and only wanted enough money to pay for basic household needs. Once, he was asked to deliver a lecture to college students and when it was realized that the lecture did not have many attendees, Lincoln spoke to the president of the society who hosted the lecture and only asked for enough compensation to afford him his fare home and a supper at the hotel (Sandburg, 2002). This kind of attitude reflected the fact how money was not that important to him. In the same way, I also believe that there is more to this world than money. Personally, I believe that there are so many things to be happy about in this world that does not necessarily depend on money alone. He was known to be warm hearted, patient, kind and forgiving. He was also very sincere in everything he said, and he made sure that whatever he did say, he stood up for (Goodwin, 2006). Just like Lincoln, I also stand by what I say, and should I be at fault, I am quick to make sure that I own up to it. This way, I can also be said to be forgiving, because when at fault, it would be natural for me to also expect others to forgive me as well. He is recognized as some sort of demigod in American history, so much that most people fail to realize that just like the rest of us, he was a human being capable of all sorts of human emotions. In fact, it has been noted that he was quite moody, and very aggressive. Much has been written as well regarding his fascination for women and his passion for them. Yet, despite of this fact, he remained faithful to his wife, Mary Todd, who had married in 1842. In this sense, I admire him immensely, because as a President, he could have easily given in to his desires and used his power to get what he wanted (Time Magazine, 1931). As a man myself, I am also easily tempted to do wrong, what with all the temptations that exist in the world today. There exists the temptation of drugs and committing other acts capable of being touted as some sort of scandal. However, just like Lincoln, I do all I can to not give in and to be determined to focus on other things that would make me a better person. There are plenty of people who cannot be trusted in this world and that is something that I continuously remind myself so that I do not easily offer my trust to anyone without any reservation whatsoever (Guelzo, 1997). Lincoln was just the same, and in this way, he was often misunderstood and was also negatively deemed to be somewhat selfish. However, as an important person, I believe that whatever reservations that he had about offering his trust, is quite understandable. As a leader, it is inevitable that people will take advantage of this trust. In the same way, because of my inability to trust easily, I am also quite misunderstood among my peers, and I am aware that this may give off a negative impression such as me being snobbish or overconfident. Lincoln was just the same, and he suffered criticisms from men who thought that his inability to trust easily was misunderstood as an act of ignorance (Guelzo, 1997). However, despite the negativity that surrounded him, he was still, hands down, one of the most loved Presidents, even for more than a century later. Lincoln as a Leader Before he became the President, he was also a lawyer, who defended causes that were worthy to defend and causes that were normally questioned. He was quite the politician, who had a clear vision of how he wanted to unite America and its people despite their differences. One of the things that I admire immensely about Lincoln was how passionate he was towards his vision of a one hundred percent free America. Time and time again, he was assertive in his opinions and he was brave enough to stand up for what he believed in. He continued to assert the radical claim that America cannot continue to be half-slave and half-free (American History, 2009). In this way, I not only admire him, but I also see myself to possess the same frame of thought. I also am an advocate for equality, and I believe that freedom is something worth fighting for. I’m sure he did as well, since he led the Civil War after all. On September 22 1862, Lincoln did one of the best decisions that he had ever made in his entire life. That was to sign the Emancipation Proclamation which provided the freedom of slaves who were not under Union control like the rest of them. Lincoln was known to have given a tremendous amount of effort into abolishing slavery, something which he is remembered for to this day (Goodwin, 2006). Just like him, I am also assertive and persistent, particularly when I know that something right should be done. I’m sure that Lincoln probably had endless death threats prior and after announcing the Emancipation Proclamation, but he persisted . His persistence is a trait that coincides with mine, since, like him, I am also persistent, especially when I know that there is something that I truly want. As a leader, Lincoln made sure that he was not beyond taking care of other people. When he led the war, he would often motivate the army, and would give them words of encouragement and boost their confidence. He would write his Commander in chief letters of inspiration, so that the positive attitude of the army leader could possibly transcend to the soldiers. Clearly, Lincoln always had time to think about others. He believed in the efforts and skills of others, and acknowledged their success, and he also knew how to show his appreciation (Behn, 2009). In the same way, I also am aware of the fact that a large part of whatever good that is happening in my life right now, is not because of myself alone. A lot of people have helped to shape me into the person that I am, such as my parents, my teachers and my friends. Truly, Abraham Lincoln was a force to be reckoned with. It is quite rare to come across a leader in history who has made an impact in our lives and our memories quite like he has. He was not only a leader, he was a father, a husband and a friend for the entire nation. References: 1. Behn, R. 2009, ‘Abraham Lincoln’s Personality,’ retrieved on January 25 2009 from http://www.abrahamlincolnsclassroom.org/Library/newsletter.asp?ID=107&CRLI=155 2. Guelzo, A. 1997, ‘Abraham Lincoln and the Doctrine of Necessity,’ Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, pp. 76-77. 3. American History, 2009, ‘Humanizing Abe Lincoln,’ Research Library, p. 27. 4. Sandburg, C. 2002, ‘Abraham Lincoln: The prairie years and the war years,’ Mariner Books. 5. Goodwin, D. 2006, ‘Team of rivals: The political genius of Abraham Lincoln,’ Simon & Schuster. 6. Shenk, J. 2005, ‘Lincoln’s melancholy: How depression challenged a President and fuelled his greatness,’ Houghton Miffin Harcourt. 7. Time Magazine, 1931, ‘Cracked brains,’ retrieved on January 25 2009, from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,846914,00.html 8. The Library of Congress, 2009, ‘Lincoln’s sense of humor,’ retrieved on January 2005 2009, from http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/presidents/lincoln/humor_2 Read More