...who was the strongest American president. Three canidates up for debate as some of the strongest are Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. While these men all had some less then shining spots on their ledgers, they were all men of great metaphorical stature, (Lincoln however, could be considered both metaphorical and literal,) and had achievements that, had they not happened, the United States may not be the same place it is today. Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States. He is best known for his leadership during the American civil war and his actions against slavery ( source #1). Had he not been as bold and steadfast in his opinion for abolition...
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...George Washington is the first, and greatest president due to these reasons, he was an amazing and strategic leader, and he inspired the American people, he spoke with nothing but honesty, and he’s a better president than Abraham Lincoln. He truly is one of the greatest presidents, and he had nothing but great accomplishments in his presidential career. While Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln were also amazing presidents, George Washington is by far the greatest. One, he was a strong and strategic leader, he accomplished so much in his presidential career. And, the one thing that made him stand out than all of the other amazing presidents was his great leadership. When he was building this country, instead of fighting the other country’s...
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...Scholar Gil Troy discusses America’s early leaders George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy who tried to forge compromises and maintain civility. Gil Troy characterizes our successful Presidents as “leading from the center” as said in the reading. Troy says “history suggests what might work and what will fail”. Gil Troy reminds us of the finest traditions of presidential leadership from our nation’s past. In Gil Troy eyes, these Presidents not only succeeded because of their political visions, but because of their moderation. He discusses partisanship in the presidency and its effect on the country. And George Washington who mediated between the competing visions of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton,...
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...to rate all the Presidents through Jimmy Carter in five categories: leadership qualities, accomplishments/crisis management, political skills, appointments, and character/integrity. At the top of the list stood Abraham Lincoln. He was followed by Franklin Roosevelt, George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, and Harry Truman. None of these other Presidents exceeded Lincoln in any category according to the rate scale. Roosevelt fell into second place because he did not measure up to Lincoln in character. Washington, close behind, ranked third because of his lesser political skills. It is the general opinion of pollsters, moreover, that the average American would probably put Lincoln at the top as well. In other words, the judgment of historians and the public tells us that Abraham Lincoln was the nation's greatest President by every measure applied. Interestingly, had the average Union citizen been asked the same question in the spring of 1863, there can be no doubt but that Lincoln would have fared poorly. Not much more could have been said for him even a year later, when Lincoln thought that he would lose his bid for reelection. It would take Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse and his own death a week later to propel Lincoln into the pantheon of presidential greatness. And Lincoln's canonization began almost immediately. Within days of his death, his life was being compared to Jesus Christ. Lincoln was portrayed to...
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...Tribune to rate all the Presidents through Jimmy Carter in five categories: leadership qualities, accomplishments/crisis management, political skills, appointments, and character/integrity. At the top of the list stood Abraham Lincoln. He was followed by Franklin Roosevelt, George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, and Harry Truman. None of these other Presidents exceeded Lincoln in any category according to the rate scale. Roosevelt fell into second place because he did not measure up to Lincoln in character. Washington, close behind, ranked third because of his lesser political skills. It is the general opinion of pollsters, moreover, that the average American would probably put Lincoln at the top as well. In other words, the judgment of historians and the public tells us that Abraham Lincoln was the nation's greatest President by every measure applied. Interestingly, had the average Union citizen been asked the same question in the spring of 1863, there can be no doubt but that Lincoln would have fared poorly. Not much more could have been said for him even a year later, when Lincoln thought that he would lose his bid for reelection. It would take Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse and his own death a week later to propel Lincoln into the pantheon of presidential greatness. And Lincoln's canonization began almost immediately. Within days of his death, his life was being compared to Jesus Christ. Lincoln was portrayed to a worshipping...
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...American Civil War History Paper The American Civil War (1861–1865) was a civil war between the United States (the "Union") and the Southern slave states of the newly-formed Confederate States of America under Jefferson Davis. The Union included all of the free states and the five slaveholding border states and was led by Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery into territories owned by the United States. Republican victory in the presidential election of 1860 led seven Southern states to declare their secession from the Union even before Lincoln took office.[1] The Union rejected secession, regarding it as rebellion. Hostilities began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces attacked a U.S. military installation at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Lincoln responded by calling for a large volunteer army, then four more Southern states declared their secession. In the war's first year, the Union assumed control of the border states and established a naval blockade as both sides massed armies and resources. In 1862, battles such as Shiloh and Antietam caused massive casualties unprecedented in U.S. military history. In September 1862, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation made ending slavery in the South a war goal, which complicated the Confederacy's manpower shortages. In the East, Confederate commander Robert E. Lee won a series of victories over Union armies, but Lee's reverse at Gettysburg in early...
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...Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 close to Hodgenville, Kentucky. His family moved to Indiana in 1816. When Lincoln was ten his mother died from poisoned milk. His father remarried the next year to Sarah Bush Johnston. Abraham liked her very much and even later recalled her "his angel mother. (Encarta)" Abraham had less than one year of formal education during his life. He was self-educated and taught himself how to read and write. When he was not in school, he worked on the frontier farm clearing out forests with his axe. When Abraham Lincoln was 21 he and his family moved to Illinois. There he worked on a farm growing corn. But more importantly here was where he gave his first political speech. In 1830, the same year his family moved to Illinois, he went to a political rally and was convinced to talk for a candidate on his behalf. According to a witness there, Lincoln "was frightened but got warmed up and made the best speech of the day. (Encarta)." Abraham Lincoln's political career started in the spring of 1832 by running for a seat in the Illinois' House of Representatives. However an unusual turn of events happened a month after he announced he was running. The store he was working at went bankrupt and he lost his job. Very shortly thereafter Native Americans rebelled and the governor of Illinois asked for volunteers to help put this down to which Lincoln promptly volunteered for. He never experienced actual combat, but during his 3 month time period he served...
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...going to expand into the North, so many people hated and opposed slavery. It wasn’t until one man stepped out of the shadows that changed American history forever. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in a log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. Lincoln was one of three children born to Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln, a family with strong religious beliefs. Lincoln had one older sister named Sarah who later died during childbirth and a younger brother named Thomas who unfortunately died during infancy. In 1817, the Lincoln family moved to Perry County, Indiana because of a land dispute with an Indian reservation. There Lincoln and his father work in lumbering to earn enough money to buy land while they lived in their crude shelter. On October 5, 1818, Lincoln’s mother, Nancy, died from tremetol (milk sickness)....
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...com/whitepapers/Staffing-Training/Leadership/10-Qualities-that-Made-Abraham-Lincoln-a-Great-Lea 10 Qualities that Made Abraham Lincoln a Great Leader By Catherine L. Moreton, J.D. Capacity to Listen to Different Points of View While researching her Pulitzer Prize winning book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Kearns Goodwin learned that Lincoln had the capacity to listen to different points of view. He created a climate where Cabinet members were free to disagree without fear of retaliation. At the same time, he knew when to stop the discussion and after listening to the various opinions, make a final decision. Ability to Learn on the Job Lincoln was able to acknowledge errors, learn from them, and then move. In this way, he established a culture of learning in his administration, said Kearns Goodwin. Ready Willingness to Share Credit for Success In response to concerns expressed by friends about the actions of some of his Cabinet members, Lincoln stated that the "path to success and ambition is broad enough for two" said Kearns Goodwin. When there was success, Lincoln shared the credit with all of those involved. Ready Willingness to Share Blame for Failure When mistakes were made by members of his Cabinet, Lincoln stood up for them said Kearns Goodwin. When contracts related to the war effort raised serious questions about a member of his administration, Lincoln spoke up and indicated that he and his entire Cabinet were to blame...
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...issues of slavery and secession in the southern states. Abraham Lincoln, the newly elected president, was faced with the prospect of presiding over half a nation. Slavery was the key issue for the southern states but in Lincoln’s opinion the more pressing issue was the preservation of the Union. If not the issue of slavery, than some other issue at some other time would be reason enough for the states to try and secede. Lincoln’s fervent hope was that he could avoid a war by keeping the state of Virginia in the Union. “Lincoln declared to the U.S. Congress, “The course taken in Virginia was the most remarkable-perhaps the most important.” This simple statement expresses Virginia’s exceptional place in the history of the secession movement and the eventual coming of civil war in America. Virginia was important for two major reasons: first, the especially prominent and distinguished role it played in early American history and, second, its strategic location. For these reasons Virginians were truly torn over the decision of whether or not to secede. Because Virginia was not only sandwiched geographically but also economically, socially, and culturally between the North and the South, her decision to leave the Union was a tumultuous, long-fought battle.”(Gillian Cote, pg. 1) One of the ways Lincoln hoped to keep Virginia in the Union was by offering command of his army to Robert E. Lee. Lincoln believed Robert E. Lee to be the best soldier in America, a committed, dedicated man with...
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...Virginia and General McClellan’s Army of the Potomac. Although the battle lasted only 12 hours, it was a significant point of the American Civil War, as well as the deadliest day in history. Tactically the battle was considered a draw, but the North claimed strategic victory and President Lincoln published the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing hundreds of thousands of slaves. The Battle of Antietam Antietam Antietam is actual creek that is 41.7 miles long, located in Pennsylvania and Western Maryland. On September 17, 1862 during the American Civil War, the Union, and Confederate armies fought near Antietam creek, which is known as the Battle of Antietam. This battle was the first battle of the war that took place in the Northern territory. The Battle of Antietam was the turning point of the American Civil War. The Leaders of The Battle of Antietam The Commander of the Union Army of the Potomac was General George B. McClellan. General McClellan was a West Point graduate, class of 1846, commanded in the Mexican–American War, and took command of the Union forces on September 1, 1862. At this time the army was divided into four separate entities: Departments of Northeastern Virginia, Washington, Baltimore, and the Shenandoah, with thousands of untrained Soldiers and numerous small cells that needed to be combined and battle ready in a short period of time. General McClellan used his skills as a great organizer and trainer to form the Army of the Potomac. Major General...
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...the mercy of their spouses. Slavery has been a part of our lives for years and to this day we still suffer from it. African slaves were shipped from Africa by the Europeans in what was called “The Triangular Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.” This was an organized route where Europeans would travel to Africa bringing manufactured goods, capture Africans and take them to the Caribbean, and then take the crops and goods and bring them back to Europe. Slavery was common all over the world until 1794 when France signed the Act of the National Convention abolishing slavery. It took America about a hundred years to do the same. George Washington was America's hero, first president and he was also a slave owner. He deplored slavery but did not release his slaves. His will stated that they would be released after the death of his wife. Washington wasn't the only president to have...
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...The Leadership of Abraham Lincoln Phillip Bullington High Performance Leadership Term Paper 2/12/15 Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Leader 4 Power & Influence 4 Ethics & Values 6 Attributes 6 Behavior 8 Followers 9 Motivation 9 Satisfaction & Performance 9 Groups 10 The Rocket Model 10 Situation 11 Situational Levels 11 Emancipation Proclamation 12 Death 13 Conclusion 13 References 14 Introduction Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States of America. Abraham was born on February 12, 1809 to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. He grew up in both Kentucky and Indiana as the son of a farmer who preferred him to work on the farm rather than read books. Lincoln had an intellectual ambition however and was in constant pursuit of knowledge through his readings. Abraham set out for Illinois in 1831 and studied to become a lawyer which he eventually did in 1836 after passing the bar examination. He was then elected to the Illinois State Legislature in 1836, 1838, and 1840. After his retirement from legislature in 1841, Lincoln went on to marry Mary Todd Lincoln in 1842. He then began devoting the majority of his time to law practice until 1847 when he was elected and served in Congress (McPherson, 2000). Lincoln would continue to move in and out of politics for the next 14 years as was continually defeated in bids and elections for office. It wasn’t until 1861, after losing...
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...Habeas Corpus: The Writ of the People Anela Murillo POL 102 Brent Schindler March 18, 2013 Habeas Corpus: The Writ of the People English in origin, the concept of habeas corpus literally means “that you have the body,” meaning that the court can force the police to produce a prisoner before them for review of their case. While complex in its use, a writ of habeas corpus forms the foundation for the rights of the accused since it allows one branch of the government (the courts) to check and balance the actions of another (the police) in criminal proceedings. And yet, while habeas corpus has been maintained as a fundamental right of the imprisoned, this protection has been tampered with in our history, making habeas corpus sometimes a casualty of our desire for security during times of crisis. Under the law of England, as a result of long usage, the term came to signify a prerogative writ; a remedy with which a person unlawfully detained sought to be set at liberty. It is mentioned as early as the fourteenth century in England and was formalised in the Habeas-corpus Act of 1679. The privilege of the use of this writ was regarded as a foundation of human freedom and the British citizen insisted upon this privilege wherever he went whether for business or colonisation. This is how it found a place in the Constitution of the United States when the British colonies in America won their independence and established a new State under that Constitution. In India, under the Constitution...
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...treaties, and that Britain was well served by letting the situation fester. The term "Federalist" was later applied to the emerging political faction headed by Alexander Hamilton in George Washington's administration. Revolution of 1800: Some observers have regarded Jefferson's election in 1800 as revolutionary. This may be true in a restrained sense of the word, since the change from Federalist leadership to Republican was entirely legal and bloodless. Nevertheless, the changes were profound. The Federalists lost control of both the presidency and the Congress. By 1800, the American people were ready for a change. Under Washington and Adams, the Federalists had established a strong government. They sometimes failed, however, to honor the principle that the American government must be responsive to the will of the people. They had followed policies that alienated large groups. For example, in 1798 they enacted a tax on houses, land and slaves, affecting every property owner in the country. Jefferson had steadily gathered behind him a great mass of small farmers, shopkeepers and other workers; they asserted themselves in the election of 1800. Jefferson enjoyed extraordinary favor because of his appeal to American idealism. In his inaugural address, the first such speech in the new capital of Washington, D.C., he promised "a wise and frugal government" to preserve order...
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