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The biggest influencer in American History – Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln is known as one of the biggest influencers in American History. He is what some people believe as the stepping stone to starting the Civil Rights Movement. Lincoln believed in equality, and as president, he wanted what was best for the United States.
In November of 1860, seven southern states threatened to secede from the U.S to stop President Lincoln and the Republicans from abolishing slavery and making all states from the Union (North) and Confederate (South) all equal and one. So, Lincoln took matters in his hand to change American history forever. In these few paragraphs, I will show you how Lincoln has made his indentions in American history just from the preservation of the Union.
President Lincoln viewed the preservation of the United States as a big deal. In his House Divided speech he went out to say that, eventually, the United States will either continue to have slavery and will spread everywhere or it will ultimately be banned. He went on in his speech to elaborate on the poor condition America was in, and that we needed to fix it. Lincoln wanted change but there were those people who opposed his beliefs and those that sided with him. So, he decided he had to do what was right to preserve and keep America together no matter the cost of blood or money.
In 1854, Senator Stephen A. Douglas and Congress passed an act known as the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The act allowed people that resided in Kansas and Nebraska to be able to determine if they wanted to allow slavery within their states. In which some people believed this was a big step for America to gain more revenue and a brighter future. But, Lincoln was convinced this brought nothing but trouble for the United States. Lincoln presumed that this was just Douglas’ scheme to popular sovereignty and that America wouldn’t benefit anything from this act.
In Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address, he was attempting to keep the southern states of the U.S at a sort of tranquility with this speech. Due to the fact that seven of the southern states wanted to secede from the North Union. The southern states didn’t really abide with President Lincoln’s process of thinking, because he wanted to abolish slavery. He continued with his speech to let the south know that the states couldn’t leave legally because of the Constitution, in which the states are put together as a whole. He stated, I therefore consider that, in view of the Constitution and the law, the Union is unbroken, and to the extent of my ability, I shall take care, as the Constitution itself expressly enjoins upon me, that the laws of the Union be faithfully ecuted in all the States. Lincoln wanted to make his point clear that the south seceding from the United States is a violation to the contract or the Constitution of America.
On July 4, 1861 Lincoln sent a letter known as the Special message to Congress describing that the country is entering into a state of rebellion, and that he had actions that he wanted to take in order to fix the rebellion. This letter was his approval to ask congress for a compelling dire need to get a military with extra troops and additional funds to preserve the Union from the south. The need for troops was in high demand for the south, was willing to stand ground against the Union for slavery, as he stated, So viewing the issue, no choice was left but to call out the war power of the Government; and so, to resist force, employed for its destruction, by force, for its preservation. Congress eventually approved his critical need and passed it unanimously.
In September of 1862, only on year into the American Civil War, Lincoln began the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. This was President Lincoln’s first step in bringing the United States back as a whole. As he was making the step into abolishing slavery making every slave residing with a slave southern state free. Lincoln’s famous lines saying, That on the first day of January in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any state, or designated part of a state, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the Unites States shall be then, thenceforward and forever free; Southerners didn’t like this thought of losing their property to this document, because that is all they truly had for their revenue.
In conclusion, President Lincoln lived a very broad and political lifestyle. Ever since the age of 23, he had been in the mindset to change things and be a leader. Starting as a Member of Illinois House of Representatives to becoming a Representative for the Illinois 7th District, then becoming the 16th President of the United States. He showed day in and out for 27 years before becoming President that hard work and dedication, along with being a great critical thinker puts you in a position to hold the biggest job in the United States, and this is why he has become one of the most greatest assets to American history today.
