Abraham Lincoln Essay 2

Michael Hutsell Professor Hershenberg American Government I 2301 Abraham capital of Nebraska passim the long history of the United States there collect been m any hard twisting, dedicate politicians that made our boorish strong and resilient. During the quantify of the enormousest peril to our country unity stood out more than any other. This man was Abraham capital of Nebraska, one of the nigh resilient and pivotal leaders we have known. Abraham capital of Nebraska came from humble origins in the backwoods of Kentucky. He was born on February 12, 1809 in a one room log cabin on Sinking Spring Farm, in southeast Hardin county Kentucky.His incur (Thomas capital of Nebraska) was a poverty stricken frontiersman after(prenominal) losing his farm, which along with his wife (Nancy Hanks capital of Nebraska) and other children had to work hard e preciseday for the necessities of life. capital of Nebraska was no stranger to hard work he split logs till his families land and uti lise his carpentry skills around the farm. He did prefer see and learning to the hard work which caused a strained relationship amid(prenominal)st he and his father. He only received 18 months of formal schooling and was largely self educated. In 1816 capital of Nebraskas father befogged his farm and was forced to move to Perry County, Indiana.This res publica of the country near the Ohio River was re solelyy remote and rugged. Their first winter at the new homestead was very harsh still they were equal to survive. Un build upunately that summer capital of Nebraskas mother died from a inanimately disease known as draw sickness and left his father with the children to raise exclusively(capital of Nebraska research project). After the close of his mother the family fell apart and the most of the day to day work was left to Lincoln and his sister. In the winter of 1819 Lincolns father went back to Kentucky and found a new wife Sarah Bush Johnson who was a widow with three c hildren ( non able-bodied biographies. om). His new mother was a very positivistic light placed in his life. She was very affectionate and treated both sets of children the same as if she borne them all. She was especially fond of Abraham and he referred to her as his nonpareil Mother (biography. com). In 1830, after further financial misfortune, Lincolns father moved his family to Coles County Illinois, scarce Lincoln did not go with them deciding to head out on his own to bran-new capital of Oregon. (Notablebiographies. com). At New Salem Lincoln was placed in charge of a mill around and a store where he became very popular through his quaint story telling.Shortly thereafter the New Salem debating society asked him to tie in where he became a very passionate and persuasive speaker (notable biographies. com). At this sequence the black hawk war which was a Native American uprising occurred. Lincoln dissolved to volunteer in New Salem and was elected Captain of his company . He saw little action during the presently war and afterwards he stated that he had seen no live, struggle Indians during the war but had a good many bloody struggles with the mosquitoes (biography. com). During this time Lincolns store utmostly folded leaving him deeply in debt.He consequently worked as a rail splitter, land surveyor, and a postmaster all of which fell through increasing his dept even more. He did at last pay them off thus earning the nickname Honest Abe. After Lincolns service in Black Hawk war ended, he indomitable to run as a candidate for the Illinois legislature. Despite his intercommunicate talents he was not elected but did receive 277 of 300 votes shake in his home precinct in New Salem (notablebiographies. com). Lincoln was not deterred from his stopping point of becoming a member of the Illinois legislature, and in 1834 was elected.At this time John Todd Stuart, the leader of the Whig party, noticed Lincolns skill during his campaign. Stuart b ecame Lincolns mentor in the state legislature taking him low his wing and pushed him to begin his law studies. Lincoln started practicing law in 1836 and served 4 terms in the state legislature where he became a Whig leader. In 1837 Lincoln moved to Illinois new capital Springfield. There he fall in John Stuarts law firm as a fellow and retaind his political career (notablebiographies. com) During this time he became the most successful lawyer in the state of Illinois earning 1,200 to 1,500 annually (biography. om) This compared to 1,200 for the governor and 750 for circuit settle (biography. com). His practice was based in Springfield but he would alike make the rounds with the circuit court, where at first would earn only minuscule fees for petty cases. After the railroads arrived Lincoln successfully defended the Illinois Central Railroad in many notable lawsuits where he earned sizeable legal fees (biography. com). During his elevate in the state legislature he drag in d his opposition to slavery but would not go so far as to call himself and abolitionist.During the mid 1830s Lincoln met and courted Ann Rutledge but this ended in tragedy with her untimely ending in 1835. In 1836 Lincoln pursued half(prenominal)hearted Mary Owens and proposed, but she turned down his proposal. Later he met and courted Mary Todd who belonged to a very distinguished Kentucky family and was part of Springfields social aristocracy. Many of her family members and friends disliked their relationship which created a strain during the courtship. In 1840 they became engaged but the tensity created between he and her social standing created much doubt in his mind concerning the marriage.On January 1, 1841 the engagement was ended and Lincoln fell into a deep depression. Later they worked out the issues related to their engagement and married on November 4, 1842. Lincoln and his wife had four children with only the eldest Thomas Lincoln alimentation to adulthood. In 1846 Lincoln was elected to the U. S. Congress serving a single term in the Whig party. He proposed a bill for the freedom of slaves in the District of Columbia (gradual and compensated), but due to the lack of conduct both the free white citizens of the district and the abolitionists it failed (biography. om). He also was forthright in his criticism of the Mexican fight, leading many inquiries challenging the underway president James K. Polk real reasons for the war (biography. com). Due to his criticisms he unconnected his base of support in his own congressional district and was not reelected to the U. S. Congress. After he failed in his second congressional bid he was very frustrated with politics and took a five year rest period until a new regional issue emerged in 1854. Lincolns political rival from Illinois, Stephen A.Douglas created a bill for opening all the land of the Louisiana Purchase to slavery. This act (Kansas and Nebraska Act) allowed the settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to decide if slavery should be permitted in their region. This created strenuous opposition in Illinois and eventually led to the disintegration of Lincolns Whig party and gave rise to the republican Party. When Lincoln heard the Republicans where trying to attract Stephen Douglas he opposed it and decided to join the Republican party and challenge Douglass leadership in spite of appearance the state of Illinois Republican party (biography. om). Lincoln ran against Douglas for the Senate in 1858 and a celebrated series of debates between the devil ensued throughout Illinois. During the debates Lincolns views on slavery emerged insisting Congress must exclude slavery from its territories. Lincoln stated in one of the debates that A house divided against it cannot stand. I believe the government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. On the other yield he did not espouse equality for the races nor did he endorse citizenship for African Americans.He stated to a crowd in Charleston Illinois that I am not nor ever so have been in favor of making voters or jurors neither of blacks, nor of straits them to hold office. (biography. com) His inconsistencies regarding slavery led to his eventual defeat by Douglas. Through these debates Lincoln gained national recognition by the debates being create and he began to be considered as a presidential candidate. On whitethorn 18, 1860, Lincoln received the presidential nomination at the Republican bailiwick Convention in Chicago.Lincolns full attention was then turned toward creating unity in the Republican Party. The Democrats on the other hand were much divided and Lincoln won the presidential election on November 6, 1860 by a decisive majority in the Electoral College. This created a serious crisis within the country due to South Carolinas masturbation from the matrimony. Several compromises were considered to halt the secession movement but all were unplaced in the end due to Lincolns oppo sition to any compromise regarding the free- filth position of the Republican Party (biography. com).After the trial to broker a compromise between the slavery and free soil states six more states seceded and created the Confederate States of America. Shortly after the secession, the issue of ripety Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor was the first test of Lincolns presidency. South Carolina claimed the fort for the Confederacy and threatened to betroth it by force if needed. Lincoln neither wanted to provoke war or show any signs of weakness towards the Confederacy. He decided to re-supply the besieged fort but before he could do this the Confederates attacked thus starting the civic War.After this attack Lincoln decided the Confederacy needed to be actively fought through a war not through a jam (biography. com). This influenced his decision to send union legions to advance on Virginia at Bull Run resulting in a rout for the alliance forces on July 21, 1861. After this setback at Bull Run, Lincoln created his forces policy. He felt there should be several fronts which Union troops would use their superior manpower to advance simultaneously. He also used the superior union navy to create a naval blockade of all southern ports to strangle the Confederacy.At first for nearly twain years the Union armies lacked effective neglect through indecisive generals and wanting unity of command. They consistently could not grasp Lincolns concept of total multi-pronged attacks. Lincoln, finally through the promotion of Ulysses S. give up to overall command of Union forces, was able to put into effect his concept of a large, coordinate offensive to topple the Confederacy. This multi-front strategy was a success and on April 14, 1865 ordinary Robert E. Lee surrendered to Grant.Only a few hours after Lee Surrendered to Grant Lincoln attended the play Our American Cousin at crossways Theatre. During the play John Wilkes Booth entered the state box where Lincoln was watching the play. At 1015 P. M. , he shot Lincoln in the back of the head mortally wounding him. Lincoln was carried to the Petersen tin across the street where at 722 A. M. April 15, 1865 he passed forth (biography. com). He was not able to see the end to hostilities of the complaisant War which he worked tirelessly to preserve the Union and plant the seeds that led to the end of slavery in the United States.I chose Abraham Lincoln because he was able to preserve our nation through his expert leadership, moral character and through the use of his superior speaking abilities. He exemplified this through several separate speeches just prior and during the Civil War. His effective vision energized people, created meaning for followers, set up a standard of excellence and bridged the gap between the present and the emerging (Johnson p. 85). The first speech occurred during his first inauguration guide to the nation.In his initiative palm, Lincoln was faced with the difficult problem of building credibleness with a relatively hostile audience. The Southern states were beginning to secede from the Union, only two federal forts were left standing in the South (these were under siege) and he had to be under armed guard because of death threats (Braden p. 68). To counter this volatile atmosphere Lincoln remained very calm and up to the actual address remained silent because he didnt want to make any comments that force unnecessarily make the South explode in anger.On serve 4, 1861, Lincoln began his address. His strategy for the address was to increase his credibility by appearing thoughtful, law-abiding, and by keeping strictly to his prepared manuscript. Lincoln directed his address mainly to the Southerners and to the border states that could either join the Union or the Confederacy. He first wanted to make it clear to the South that he did not want to interfere with the institution of slavery or the Fugitive hard worker Act (Braden p. 74). Lincoln also wanted to make it clear that the Union of states cannot be separated into a separate North and South.Another goal Lincoln proposed was peaceful reconciliation. He would leave the Southern people alone if they would elect loyalists to office and uphold the constitution of the United States. In recurrence he would not use force to enact this process. In his inaugural address Lincoln was successful at projecting and building his credibility as president. He exhibited trustworthiness by talking in a clear and simple way and by being very downright regarding his goals and views. The speeches outcome enabled his followers to share in his views and fight to preserve the Union.He also tried to alleviate the fears of the Southerners and Border States by diminishing his abolitionist persona and lessening the probability of an invasion of the South. Lincolns propelling and unifying speaking skill was demonstrated with his Gettysburg address. The Gettysburg address was given by Lincoln after the terrible competitiveness had taken place and the area was to be consecrated as a national cemetery on November 19, 1863. During this speech Lincoln wanted to commemorate the men who died in the battle by giving a short but eloquent speech.He also had a larger purpose, he wanted to make a statement that would make the citizens from both the North and the South start to commemorate about peace. He also wanted to rekindle the Unions patriotic resolve to win the war and preserve the Union. The Gettysburg address as presented by Lincoln Fourscore and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this real a new nation, conceived in liberty and use to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a dandy Civil War, testing whether that nation-or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.We are now on a great battlefield of that war. We are met to dedicate a portion of it as the final resting-place of those who have given their live s that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this, but, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our power to add or detract. The world will very little note nor long suppose what we say here but it can never forget what they did here.It is for us, the living, quite an to be dedicated, here, to the unfinished work that they have thus far so noble carried on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that the nation shall, under God, have a new return of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth (Barton p. 1-82). T he speeches blandness and shortness took the audience by surprise and they were very affected by its delivery. Lincoln knew this was a pivotal opportunity and he also recognise the audience was motivated to be there to remember the soldiers who died in the battle. He played on their strong emotions by prompting them to not permit these soldiers die in vain, but to let their memory give them re-create strength to win the war.His most important aim was to strengthen the resolves of the Unionists to continue the struggle and to save the United States. He also masterfully authorize his audience by handing his vision to them by telling them to honor the dead soldiers by becoming resolved to win the war no subject what. I feel through these two compelling speeches Lincoln was able to bring the country together and save the citizens from the depths of the Civil War. Through these speeches Lincoln demonstrated the power of the spoken word.Without Lincolns genius and abilities the Civi l War could have been lost and the world today would be a vastly different place. Works Cited Braden, Waldo. Abraham Lincoln Public Speaker. Baton blushing mushroom Louisiana State University Press, 1988. Johnson, Craig, Hackman, Michael. Leadership A Communication Perspective. Prospect senior high Waveland Press Inc. , 1996. www. Biography. com Abraham Lincoln (www. biography. com/search/article. do? id=9382540 www. notablebiographies. com/Ki-Lo/Lincoln-Abraham. html