...Throughout hundreds of years, America has gone through many important events that have changed how America is ran and how Americans live. Some changes are more important than others, but they have all shaped how America is today. Whether it be war, inventions, or presidents, they have all changed America into what it is. Three events that have changed America between 1776 and 1870 are independence from Great Britain, The Civil War, and the election of Abraham Lincoln. Independence from Great Britain started with a book. Common Sense was written by Thomas Paine in January 1776. It was the first document to openly discuss independence from Britain. Thomas Paine argued that people in the colonies deserved an egalitarian government, meaning they are equal and deserved rights. This started an uproar in the colonies. So congress began to discuss independence. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and was ratified on July 4, 1776. This document announced the independence from Britain and began the newly independent America....
Words: 511 - Pages: 3
...United States of America is a place that allows for equal opportunity to all people who come. But it wasn’t always like this. From the mid-1550’s all the way up until the civil war, slavery was very prominent and was used to produce a lot of raw materials. Abraham Lincoln was able to bring an end to slavery and give freedom to African Americans. But why was he so focused on ending slavery? Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin in the backcountry of Kentucky. Lincoln attended very little schooling throughout his early years (Abraham Lincoln Historical Society). The total amount of schooling amounted to less than a years’ worth (Columbia University Press). He taught himself how to read and write under his father’s guidance (Abraham Lincoln Historical Society). He also picked up on how to read by listening to others and reciting what they had said (Abraham Lincoln Historical Society). While he bounced from job to job paying off debt, he also went to law school to further his studies (Columbia...
Words: 880 - Pages: 4
...Was Abraham Lincoln America’s greatest president? It is a question many people are asking. As of today, there have been forty four presidents of the United States that have taken the stand. But of those forty four, which one is the best? Abraham Lincoln has proved that he is the answer to that question. After succeeding in uniting the country, Lincoln outshines the others. “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” This is the oath that the president has to take on the day he steps into office. On that day, and every day after, each president has one goal in mind; to defend and to protect the constitution and the rights of every American citizen. Abraham Lincoln did everything he could to achieve that goal and to uphold the oath, which is what makes him the greatest president America has ever had. He ended slavery, an issue that has been tearing apart the nation for hundreds of years, and he united a nation that seemed almost impossible to bring together. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1849 as the second child of Thomas and Nancy Lincoln. He was born in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky. He had a normal childhood, only moving once across the Ohio River in order to acquire free territory in Indiana. He became a leader early on, always being the one his siblings looked up to. In 1840, he went on to marry Mary Todd...
Words: 1365 - Pages: 6
...sadness, and doubt. In these grave situations, inspiring historic leaders have stepped out of the masses to help lead America to be one of the top economic, political, and social countries in the world. The leadership of some Americans over the first centuries as a country is awe-inspiring. In periods throughout history, when America believed the country was on the brink of failure, determined leaders stepped in, to assist the country back to full success. After wars between countries, oppression of citizens,...
Words: 1641 - Pages: 7
...Abraham Lincoln Servant Leadership Case Study and Collaborative Research #4 G. Diaz ADM 553 April 16, 2015 Introduction Abraham Lincoln is one of the most known and beloved presidents of our history. He was the 16th president of the United States and is known for achieving such feats as keeping the Union together and the emancipation of slavery. Having many followers as well as resistance during the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln showed fortitude and never gave up on his vision and goals. Hence, after fighting for many years, he was able to give freedom and support to those who were chained by weights of racism and prejudice. Therefore, aside from having a vision and many followers, what made Lincoln such a great leader? What type of leadership style did Abraham Lincoln mostly use and why was it so successful? To begin with, Lincoln seems to fit the bill of what a great leader is supposed to entail. He was very charismatic, intelligent, determined, self-confident, and showed integrity to his followers and goals. All of these traits as described by Northouse (2013) are characteristics that leaders should aim to develop if they want to be effective commandants. Although leadership does not have one exclusive definition, since we all have our own ideas of what it means to be a good leader, Northouse does provide standard definition for the term. Northouse (2013) defines leadership as “a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve...
Words: 1645 - Pages: 7
...important too. There was a man named Abraham Lincoln who had 5 assassination attempts on him during his life. There was a man that goes by the name of Abraham Lincoln he was born on February 12, 1809. He was a self-taught lawyer, legislator and vocal opponent of slavery, in november, 1860 he was elected for the 16th president of the United States, shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War. Lincoln proved to be a deep military strategist and a savvy leader. His Emancipation Proclamation paved the way for slavery’s abolition, while his Gettysburg Address stands as one of the most famous pieces of oratory in American history. On April 1865,...
Words: 1247 - Pages: 5
...Abraham Lincoln was our 16th president and was in term during the civil war. On April 12, 1861, the confederates claimed Fort Sumter and forced the down the American flag to show the surrender. There were many other long battles about where the border line was for North and South. The most significant date that helped the Union win the war was November 3, 1861, where they used ships to blockade the South from the imports of Europe and other countries. “For three long years, from 1862 to 1865, Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia staved off invasions and attacks by the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by a series of ineffective generals until Ulysses S. Grant came to Virginia from the Western theater to become general in chief of all Union armies in 1864.” (McPherson)...
Words: 924 - Pages: 4
...Abraham Lincoln Through the course of American history there are names that stand out, names that represent more than just a person, but represent an era in American history. The list of important and influential figures in American history is too long and numerous to list. Yet there is always one name, one man who stands above all the rest. Abraham Lincoln has come to define the American experience. His beginnings as a poor farmer in Kentucky to his rise in politics to his Presidency, his story fascinates everyone who reads and studies it. Abraham Lincoln is the epitome of what America is. He is Americas most cherished and beloved President and he may be the most well-known American President in the world. Despite all the praise bestowed upon Abraham Lincoln there are those who do not buy into the ‘official’ Lincoln legacy. A small, but growing group of Lincoln detractors claim that Lincoln was not the father of freedom and liberty, the great emancipator and the savior of the union; they see Lincoln as a diabolical dictator. A man who took advantage of America in its darkest hour, a man who had no respect for the Constitution, he instead sought to destroy and undermine it every chance he got. Abraham Lincoln was President during America’s darkest hour; he saved the union and kept the country together. Lincoln was justified in the actions he took, despite attempts to paint Lincoln as a tyrannical dictator there is no question that Lincoln’s status as America’s greatest President...
Words: 3790 - Pages: 16
...many Americans think of Abraham Lincoln, they think first of all, as the president who freed the slaves. He is immortalized as the "Great Emancipator," and widely regarded as a champion of black freedom who supported social equality of the races, and who fought the American Civil War (1861-1865) to free the slaves. In actuality, Abraham Lincoln did not fight the Civil War to free the slaves. He fought it to save the Union. He did not agree with slavery and one of the good things that came out of the Union being saved was the abolishment of slavery. (Gienapp, 2002). (Jenness, 2007). Abraham Lincoln was a self made man that rose mythically from humble beginnings to national greatness. He began life as a farm boy. He did not come from a family who believed in education. Despite this, Abraham Lincoln read books and done whatever he could to educate himself. He was a man that believed in honesty and caring for other people. After learning many lessons in life and climbing the ladder of success, his fine qualities landed him as the United States of America’s 16th President. He was successful in doing many great things for people and his community and eventually the United States. (Gienapp, 2002). (Jenness, 2007). He was embarrassed of his family background. He came from a poor family that was farmers. His life as a farm boy was spent doing chores, such as hauling water and chopping wood, and helping in the fields. His mother died when Abraham Lincoln was 9. His father eventually...
Words: 2227 - Pages: 9
...one name, one man who stands above all the rest. Abraham Lincoln has come to define the American experience. His beginnings as a poor farmer in Kentucky to his rise in politics to his Presidency, his story fascinates everyone who reads and studies it. Abraham Lincoln is the epitome of what America is. He is Americas most cherished and beloved President and he may be the most well known American President in the world. Despite all the praise bestowed upon Abraham Lincoln there are those who do not buy into the ‘official’ Lincoln legacy. A small, but growing group of Lincoln detractors claim that Lincoln was not the father of freedom and liberty, the great emancipator and the savior of the union; they see Lincoln as a diabolical dictator. A man who took advantage of America in its darkest hour, a man who had no respect for the Constitution, he instead sought to destroy and undermine it every chance he got. Abraham Lincoln was President during America’s darkest hour; he saved the union and kept the country together. Lincoln was justified in the actions he took, despite attempts to paint Lincoln as a tyrannical dictator there is no question that Lincoln’s status as America’s greatest President is deserved and true. During his Presidency Lincoln met fierce opposition. This is not uncommon among Presidents; they are commonly held in higher regard after they leave office than when they are in office. However, the opposition Lincoln met tended to be intense and passionate. His policies...
Words: 3657 - Pages: 15
...Abraham Lincoln James M. McPherson, the author of the book Abraham Lincoln, amazingly summarizes Abraham Lincoln’s life story, from birth to death captivating all the nuances that made Abraham Lincoln not only an American hero but also a marvelous sixteenth president. Throughout the book, McPherson pinpoints the significant turning point throughout Lincolns life allowing the reader to fall in love with Abraham Lincoln but also understand completely who Abraham Lincoln was. Uneasily, McPherson navigated through the Civil War explaining how it started and Lincoln’s involvement. James M. McPherson starts off by introducing Abraham Lincoln at birth. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, in Hardin, Kentucky. His father, Thomas Lincoln, was an illiterate farmer who favored labor over education. Consequently, every time Abraham Lincoln indulge himself in a book, his father would criticize his actions and label them as laziness. Abraham’s mother, Nancy Hanks, was no different from Thomas Lincoln reasoning being; they were both illiterate and from a low social class. Although, being from a low...
Words: 1118 - Pages: 5
...Lincoln: The Nation’s Strongest President The word “strong” has a different meaning to each individual. Some think of someone who can bench-press 500 pounds, others think of a tree that can withstand even the strongest hurricane. Rarely do people realize that true strength comes from within, and there is no better example of this than former president Abraham Lincoln. Morally sound, humble, and honest, Lincoln possesses the qualities of someone who is truly strong. Some may argue that a man who never physically fought in a war or never procured a document that saved the nation couldn’t be considered strong. While it’s true that Lincoln never did any of these, he did help America heal from the Civil War, handle debates with words and not fights, and spark the addition of three...
Words: 872 - Pages: 4
...STUDENT: PLATON OANA MADALINA SA I TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………… p.3 2. THE ISSUE OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA……….. p.4 3. THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION ……………………………………..p.7 "From a genuine abolition point of view, Mr. Lincoln seemed tardy, cold, dull and indifferent, but measuring him by the sentiment of his country - a sentiment he was bound as a statesman to discuss - he was swift, zealous, radical, and determined." Frederick Douglass, 1876 source? 1. INTRODUCTION He survived the tragedy and depression to become America's Greatest President. He had the courage to destroy slavery, but he took a Civil War and the loss of 600,000 lives; his beliefs cost him his life, but without him the United States of America would not exist today. Abraham Lincoln, America's model hero, was a man whose courage saved the nation from destruction. His early life was poor and brutal; he was born on the 12th of February 1809 in a one room cabin in rural Kentucky, a frontier state of America. His family were farmers, he was the first of his family to read; Abraham Lincoln was different to from his friends. The young Lincoln was a child of induce curiosity, he loved to hear people, gave well crafted, well delivered speeches. He would often go to places where such speeches were being made; he memorized parts of them and he would...
Words: 3275 - Pages: 14
...The Civil War was the bloodiest war in American history. For four years it slogged on, and when it was finished there was much jubilation. On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln, his wife, Major Henry Rathbone and his date Clara Harris attended Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre in downtown Washington D.C. However, their revelry was cut short when famous actor John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln and escaped from Ford’s Theatre. For 12 days, manhunters were searching for the most wanted man in America. The 12 day manhunt culminated at the Garrett farm in Northern Virginia with a fiery barn that was an inferno, a dead assassin who was at his prime in life, and a grieving nation left to heal its wounds. John Wilkes Booth committed the...
Words: 2313 - Pages: 10
...Senior High School What Influenced Abraham Lincoln Submitted To Mr. Douglas In Partial Requirements For HISP United States History Lili Quevedo December 19th, 2014 It was a glorious day on April 14, 1865, for the Unites States of America—the states were united once more. The North had won the Civil War five days ago and everyone was still celebrating victory. The people had one man to thank for leading them through the war: President Abraham Lincoln. Not only had he lead the Union to victory, but he had also set the slaves in the South free. The celebration would be short-lived, however, because one Southern man was not happy with the outcome of the war. It was on that day that actor John Wilkes Booth entered Ford’s Theatre shot Abraham Lincoln in the back of the head. The next day the President died, leaving the country mourning for one of the greatest Presidents that ever lived. There is no doubt Abraham Lincoln was an accomplished person, so how did one man leave such a legacy and mark on the United States of America? Although he was a great man, Abraham Lincoln did not just come out of his mother’s womb and suddenly know what he wanted to do in life. Like most humans, it can take months, years, or even decades for one’s beliefs and ideals to form. How we choose what we like and do not like does not occur randomly, but through people and events that leave a great impression and influence on us. Abraham Lincoln's greatest influences in his...
Words: 3305 - Pages: 14
