Abraham Lincoln’s tribute to the future
2 min read
By: Julia Johnson
Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 and passed on April 15th, 1865, leaving behind the presidential seat and family. He was a self-taught lawyer by the age of 25, a very vocal slavery opponent, and had been elected president before the civil war. There are many books and films written about Lincoln’s assassination and his early life. He left behind his legacy in the wrestling hall of fame, only losing one out of three hundred matches. As a fun fact he has been printed out with his picture and name on the $5 bill and the penny.
When Abraham Lincoln went into a political career, between 1847 and 1849, he served a single term in the house of US representatives. Abe went into presidency as a representative for Illinois and served as the 16th president. He served a party called the Whig Party alone but had a few political allies. The Whig party formed to go against President Andrew Jackson and had many beliefs they wanted to fulfill. They stood for national banking, federal aid for improvements, and protective tariffs.
Abe had accomplished a lot over being president after being a self-taught lawyer and had education. His reputation after losing the senator spot had proceeded him when he was nominated for the republican presidency. In 1854, Abraham had become a voice for slaves in rebellion and had abolished it in 1863 with the Emancipation proclamation. This document was released and was declared that as of January 1, 1863, all enslaved people in the states engaged against the union were, in Lincolns own words “shall then, thenceforward, and forever be free.” However, this document did not mean that it freed every slave, but it only applied to those in the confederacy and not allied with the Union.
When asked the opinion on what Abe Lincoln had accomplished Ms. Shoen replied with “I think Abraham Lincoln was the exact type of President we needed during the Civil War. As a government teacher, I am very hesitant to state that one president is better than the others; however, I do applaud the achievements of Abraham Lincoln. For example did you know he created the Department of Agriculture and supported the Homestead Act? He had no true formal education, taught himself law and was a “regular guy”. As for his legacy with the Emancipation Proclamation, it led to the small improvement for slaves in the United States of America. He may have stood against slavery, but only issued this document as a military measure. Plus, it only freed enslaved people of the Union (northern states) and any new states that may form in the future.”
This goes to show that Abraham Lincoln had impacted many people and had grown to have many admirers for his political accomplishments. Since then, he even got a statue made so he can be remembered by millions of people.
