ABRAHAM LINCOLN

 

ABRAHAM LINCOLN (1809-1865)

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States during the American civil war which was fought from 1861 to 1865.

Among American heroes, Lincoln continues to have a unique appeal for his fellow countrymen and also for people of other lands. This charm derives from his remarkable life story - the rise from humble origins, the dramatic death - and from his distinctively human and humane personality as well as from his historical role as saviour of the Union and emancipator of enslaved people. His relevance endures and grows especially because of his eloquence as a spokesman for democracy.

Abraham Lincoln was born on 12 February 1809 near Hodgenville, Kentucky. He was brought up in Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. His parents were poor pioneers and Lincoln was largely self-educated. In 1836, he qualified as a lawyer and went to work in a law practice in Springfield, Illinois.

In the presidential campaign, Lincoln made his opposition to slavery very clear. His victory provoked a crisis, with many southerners fearing that he would attempt to abolish slavery in the South. A lot of people doubted if the concept of democracy would survive in America. But, what Lincoln believed was different. Lincoln believed much in equal rights and opportunities. He slowly abolished slavery, unlike the northern people who wanted slavery to vanish overnight. Seven southern states left the Union to form the Confederate States of America, also known as the Confederacy. Four more joined later. Lincoln vowed to preserve the Union even if it meant war.

Fighting broke out in April 1861. Lincoln always defined the Civil War as a struggle to save the Union, Lincoln's efforts to abolish slavery culminated in the Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued on Jan. 1, 1863. declaring “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.” The measure prompted the Senate to pass the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (1865), which permanently outlawed slavery. This was an important symbolic gesture that identified the Union's struggle as a war to end slavery.

In the effort to win the war, Lincoln assumed more power than any president before him, declaring martial law and suspending legal rights. He had difficulty finding effective generals to lead the Union armies until the appointment of Ulysses S Grant as overall commander in 1864.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication ceremony for the new national cemetery at Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Address eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence and the pursuit of human equality. It became the most famous speech of Lincoln’s presidency, and one of the most widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln stood for re-election and won. In his second inaugural address, he was conciliatory towards the southern states.

He educated himself by reading a lot about human rights. Also, he is the reason why women and black people got the right to vote and are free from slavery and discrimination today.

Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865, at the age of 56. Lincoln was assassinated at a time when his country needed him to complete the great task of reunifying the nation. His eloquent support of democracy and insistence that the Union was worth saving embody the ideals of self-government that all nations strive to achieve. Lincoln's distinctively humane personality and incredible impact on the nation have endowed him with an enduring legacy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/lincoln_abraham.shtml; https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/abraham-lincoln; https://www.biography.com/us-president/abraham-lincoln)