Abraham Lincoln - Essay Example

Lincoln was respected a lot because though he was from a poor family and had scant formal education, he saw to it that the nation held together during its worst crisis recorded in history. He not only won the civil war but ended the institution of slavery also. A leader with a fainter vision or a weaker will would not have achieved all these in such a short period. For these reasons, Lincoln is regarded by some people as ‘the great Emancipator’ and ‘the savior of the American Union’. He is even regarded as a martyr for the way he was assassinated.

The Republican Party, of which Lincoln was the leader, had campaigned against slavery during the elections and won the 1960 elections. This election victory resulted in seven southern states declaring their withdrawal from the U.S. forming the Confederacy which stood for the Confederate States of America. In 1861, the Confederate forces staged an attack on a U.S. military installation to which Lincoln responded by calling for volunteer armies from all states. This call led to four more states declaring their withdrawal from the U.S. The civil war then started between the United States, known at that time as the Union, and the Confederate.

In 1862, Abraham Lincoln made an emancipation proclamation which not only deterred the British from getting involved but also made the war have the goal of ending slavery in the southern states. The war continued with both sides reporting victories and losses. In April 1865 the Confederates suffered huge losses and surrendered to the Union. The war, being the worst in American history, had claimed the lives of over 600,000 soldiers with an unknown number of civilians. The victory, under his leadership, of the U.S. resulted in the absolution of slavery to date, the coming together of all states, and the strengthening of the position of the federal government.

Conclusion

Abrahams Lincoln’s high status as the greatest president of the U.S. was well deserved for the way he led the war and won. Being a person of gentle spirit, he embraced the fact that only a spirited fight in the war would re-establish the Union. Lincoln’s will to emerge victoriously never went down despite enormous political opposition and the huge number of casualties of the war. During the war, Abraham Lincoln surprised many with his military strategy; which eventually led to victory. In many people’s view, Abraham Lincoln was a man of unmatched integrity and a superb political leader and manager who despite several risks strived to uphold democracy and liberate his people both socially and politically.