Abraham the Man

Abraham Lincoln is the second most celebrated president in American history. Why is that? He had one term in office, but his presidency was defined by the entire Civil War. He was elected to a second term, however, his life was lost at the hands of John Wilkes Booth, as we're told, at the Ford Theatre in Washington, D.C. This theatre is kept the same as the night when Lincoln was shot. I remember going to it in March of 1999 with my 8th grade class. It's very nostalgic. I loved that period of American history. Not because there was slavery, but because of the gentry who had manners, dress, and accents that I love.

Lincoln was a celebrated orator, because he used common language, intermixed with his Christian beliefs and common sense to persuade his constituents into action, harmony, and unity. I will also say that his most famous speech, The Gettysburg Address, was actually quite short, yet, powerful. He reminded us that just "four-score and seven years ago" America was founded on the basis of "all men are created equal".

Most people don't realize that slavery wasn't a totally accepted thing from the beginning. There were abolitionists before the Revolutionary War broke out. Why it was included into the Constitution and allowed to thrive in the South was simply, because the founders had just fought the Revolution and had other pressing matters at hand. They had never made a new nation before, and what that entailed. The country was in shambles and figuring out what kind of government everyone could decide on- which was easier said than done! It took the Founding Fathers 12 years after the Declaration of Independence before they could come up with the Constitution.

It may have been a blight on American history, but it proves the renewal of the human spirit. All the kinks weren't worked out just, because we declared independence. We have to resolve issues and manage disagreements appropriately. Lincoln encouraged America to learn a lesson through "a new birth of freedom" in the United States. Change does not happen overnight, though. We see that through our examination of the Civil War. It took about a hundred years to completely annihilate racial incongruency.

Anyway, Lincoln's speeches proved he didn't have to ramble on and on to make a point. He kept his audience alert and receptive by keeping his Address short and sweet. He provoked everyone to take a personal review of themselves, and he reminded them of why they were all gathered at Gettysburg. He admonished them of the creation of the United States, of the foundations of freedom, equality, and unity. I'm sure after four years of bloody battles and severe antagonism that everyone was more than ready for peace and for the future. After all that time, there was hope in America and renewed devotion to liberty, because America still was United, even though a Civil War almost split it apart. That's the main point. It didn't completely rip the fabric of America asunder, although it tore a gash for a while.