One of the most impactful presidents of the U.S. - Free Essay Example

Abraham Lincoln was a man of logic and reason and was one of the most impactful presidents known to mankind. we will discuss his childhood and the way it played a role upon his life, his young career and the way it inspired him to do what he did in his life, his abolishing of slaves and the way it affected the countries views of him, the civil war and the role he played within it, and his assassination and the way his death took a toll upon the country. the first topic which will be discussed is Abrahams childhood.. On February 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. it is unlikely that his uneducated farming father, Thomas Lincoln, or his mother Nancy Hanks Lincoln had any idea that their first-born son (he had an older sister, Sarah) would eventually be considered by several historians as the greatest united states president ever. Abraham Lincolns birth might have been largely uneventful but like all individuals, his setting and family began to form his life. once the young Abraham was born, he was given his grandfathers name, with no middle name. His namesake had been killed by Indians and this killing had been witnessed by Thomas Lincoln. through Thomas Lincoln was mostly uneducated, he was a revered member of the Kentucky community and had purchased his own land. Thomas was a spiritual Baptist and was outspoken in his beliefs against slavery. whereas this humanistic anti-slavery viewpoint influenced Abraham from birth, he did not share in his fathers sp iritual beliefs. it is believed that a combination of Thomass refusal to support slavery and an increasing amount of debt led to the family leaving Abrahams birthplace in 1816 (Abraham was seven years old) to what is presently referred to as Herbert Spencer County in Indiana. Before Abraham Lincolns tenth birthday he had lost a pair of family members. Two years later Abrahams mother Nancy died from ?milk sickness. He had also had a younger brother who died in infancy. Abraham Lincoln soon had a brand new stepmother, Sarah Bush Johnston. In 1830 the family moved once more and Abraham was in Illinois helping his father build a replacement cabin, clearing land and planting crops. By the end of a year that his family all fell sick in, the young Abraham was able to launch out into the world alone. it is said that witnessing a slave auction on a visit to New Orleans might have had an excellent impact on his life. Abraham Lincolns life was sometimes filled with grief and sadness but it was also filled with greatness. Abraham from childhood was alert to his world and of values like honesty and fairness. In 1858, when responding to a questionnaire sent to former members of Congress, Lincoln described his education as defective. In 1860, shortly after his nomination for U.S. president, Lincoln apologized for and regretted his restricted formal education. Lincoln was educated. His formal schooling was intermittent, the mixture of which may have amounted to l ess than twelve months. He never attended college, but Lincoln preserved a lifelong interest in learning. in a September 1865 interview with William Herndon, Lincolns stepmother described Abraham as a studious boy who read constantly, listened intently to others, and had a deep interest in learning. Lincoln continuing reading as a method of self-improvement as associate degree adult, finding out English grammar in his early twenties and mastering Euclid when he became a member of Congress. The second topic is his young career. Abraham Lincoln was a self-taught lawyer. In September 1836 he was admitted to the bar, permitting him to practice law in Illinois. within the spring of 1837, he moved to Springfield, a city of one,500 residents, where John T. Stuart took him as a junior partner. Stuart and Lincoln were located at #4 Hoffmans Row, also referred to as Fifth Street. Stuart introduced Lincoln to his social circle and quickly made friends. Stuart was elected for a seat within the US House of Representatives and left Lincoln the majority of the firms business but keeping his share of profits. The firm was successfully run by Lincoln but his partnership with Stuart dissolved and entered a brand new partnership with Stephen T. Logan. Lincoln was a Whig for more years than he was a Republican, and a loyal Whig too. He joined the party as a young man, as soon as it was formed, and became one of a faithful band of Whig members within the Illinois state legislature from 1834 to 1841. He campaigned hard for Harr ison in 1840, headed the Illinois campaigns of Henry Clay in 1844 and Zachary Taylor in 1848, and would have been a presidential elector in 1852 had Winfield Scott carried Illinois. within the light of Lincolns later career, it is particularly noteworthy that in 1848, faced with the challenge of the Free Soil party, Lincoln went on a campaign tour of Massachusetts, working hard to keep New Englands antislavery Whigs from defecting to the ticket of Martin Martin Van Buren and Charles Francis Adams. the next topic will be the abolishment of slavery and the way the view of Abraham Lincoln changed within his country. Abraham Lincoln read the first draft of this document to his cabinet members on July 22, 1862. after some changes, he issued the preliminary version on September 22, which specified that the final document would take effect on January 1, 1863. Slaves in the Confederate States which were not back within the Union by then would be free, but slaves in the Border States were not affected. The president knew the proclamation was a temporary military measure and only Congress could remove slavery for good, but had the satisfaction of seeing the thirteenth amendment, which abolished slavery, pass a few months before his death. the most controversial document in Lincolns presidency, its signing met with both hostility and jubilation within the North. after the preliminary version was made public, Lincoln noted, It is six days old, and while commendation in newspapers and by distinguished individuals is all that a vain man could wish, the stocks have declined, and troops come forward more slo wly than ever. This, looked soberly in the face, is not very satisfactory. However, on the day he approved the final version, Lincoln remarked, I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right, than I do in signing this paper. the following topic will be how Abraham Lincoln partook in the civil war. As a commander in chief Lincoln was soon noted for vigorous measures, sometimes at odds with the Constitution and often at odds with the ideas of his military commanders. After a period of initial support and enthusiasm for George B. McClellan, Lincolns conflicts with that Democratic general helped to turn the latter into his presidential rival in 1864. Famed for his clemency for court-martialed soldiers, Lincoln nevertheless took a realistic view of war as best prosecuted by killing the enemy. Above all, he always sought a general, no matter what his politics, who would fight. He found such a general in Ulysses S. Grant, to whom he gave the overall command in 1864. Thereafter, Lincoln took a less direct role in military planning, but his interest never wavered, and he died with a copy of Gen. William Shermans orders for the March to the Sea in his pocket. The war required the deployment of huge numbers of men and quantities of material; for administrative assistance, therefore, Linc oln turned to the only large organization available for his use, the Republican party. With some rare but important exceptions (for example, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton), Republicans received the bulk of the civilian appointments from the cabinet to the local post offices. Lincoln tried throughout the war to keep the Republican party together and never consistently favored one faction in the party over another. Military appointments were divided between Republicans and Democrats. His smart and strategic plans would allow the Union to beat the South. Lincolns contributions to the Civil War made him one of the greatest war leaders of all time. Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation, leaving his generals in charge, and Lincolns desired forgiving reconstruction after the war, made him an important chief and leader of the nation during the American Civil War. The passing of the Emancipation Proclamation was one of Abraham Lincolns biggest accomplishments after the American Civil War. Lincoln knew he would not be supported if the war was only on slavery so he portrayed the war about human freedom instead. After the victory over the South, the country had changed dramatically. For example, On September 22, soon after the Union victory at Antietam, he issued a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that as of January 1, 1863, all slaves in the rebellious states shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free (Emancipation Proclamation). It was a time to rejoice and spend time together as one country. The nation would soon become stronger and all men would love each other. To prove that Lincoln was a wise man he not only rev ised and edited the Emancipation Proclamation once but two times. In a display of his political genius, President Lincoln shrewdly justified the Emancipation Proclamation as a fit and necessary war measure in order to cripple the Confederacys use of slaves in the war effort The next topic will be Abraham Lincolns assassination and how it affected the lives of the people within the country. Abraham Lincolns death marked an extending time period of racism, segregation, discrimination, and fight for equal rights under the constitution. without Lincoln there to guide the united states through reconstruction, the united states took action on the issue at hand. Radical Republicans needed to completely destroy the Confederacys power. They were resentful and angry with the South for separating from the Union and going to war. Radicals blamed the south for all of their problems. Lincolns death allowed alternative government officials to guide the united states into reconstruction. there were several concepts or plans to reconstruct the United States of America but the one more people sided with was Radical Reconstruction, that was a kind of harsh punishment for the South. This harsh treatment out Southerners caused the other of what they were attempting to impose. Radicals created Southerners resentful instead of making the modification in ideals. the purpose of reconstruction was to alter the way people lived, what they believed in, and reconstruct the nation into a stronger and more equal one. Instead, reconstruction was ended early because of ?dirty deals with political figures. Radicals offered independence to Southern states to control themselves however in doing so, radicals didnt notice they were ending reconstruction too fast and peoples approach of living hadnt modified yet. Racism between whites and blacks was still evident within the united states. All in all, Abraham Lincolns death led to the radical reconstruction that was flawed and was concluded before the time for political gain so it caused an enduring period of fights for equal rights. now for the conclusion. In Conclusion, Abraham Lincoln was the best president to take office. He had an awfully unfortunate childhood however it all paid out later in life once he became a self-taught lawyer, and eventually the president. while the people of that time did not really appreciate him as a president, he was one, and he did his job well since he defended his country from a threat within. That threat was slavery, and therefore the angry people willing to defend the idea. He dealt with the matter with efficiency and precision.