Abraham – The Honest Abe

Abraham Lincoln’s name speaks greatness in large volumes. He is considered to be the greatest president of the United States of America. He holds the rank of the best American president ever. Above all, he is renowned for the abolishment of slavery. Many social reformers view him as a champion of liberty. Also, the United States military greatly honors him, considering him a symbol of national unity and pride. Two of the United States Navy ships bear his name. Lincoln’s image appears on many postage stamps; his image also appears in two US currency denominations. A world-class memorial to his sculpture is on Mount Rushmore. There are other memorials like Ford’s Theatre, Peterson House, and the Lincoln Memorial.

Though the above says about his greatness, and one may think that Lincoln had a luxurious life, the truth is that he wasn’t born with a silver spoon. He was not always the same person that he seems to be now. To be great, one has to throw himself into the fire just like the iron to get shaped, and Lincoln was the best iron who came out in the best shape. Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, and was very poor. They made a living by farming but were evicted from their land due to a land dispute, and they were forced to leave the city. When Abraham was 9, his mother Nancy died. His father married another woman, Sara. On April 14, 1865, he was shot while watching a play in Ford’s theater, and the next day, on April 15, 1865, he died.

Abraham and Politics:-

Lincoln never went to school but worked hard to educate himself. He was fond of studies and used to read books and write poems; books were his all-time favorites, and he used to walk miles to get books. He completed his law studies while working as a store manager. He always hated the atrocities committed against slaves and wanted to abolish slavery. With this idea, he entered politics and ran for MLA. In 1832, his political career took off but soon crashed as he lost his first election. Also, he had left the postmaster’s job, which he was in at the time, and now due to this, he had a shortage of money. Everything in Lincoln’s life was going against him, and he used to stay away from knives at that time as he had a fear that he would kill himself.

Abraham contested again with the help of his friend, and this time he won the elections and was hence considered to be the youngest MLA. He was also now a licensed lawyer and had practiced for 20 years. In 1860, he contested for the presidency of the United States and eventually achieved the greatest success of his life by becoming the 16^th president of the USA.

Abraham and Struggles:-

He was born into a poor family and was deprived of education and school, but he educated himself to his best. He lost his mother at a very young age. He lost his first love due to typhoid. He lost his children, which he said was the most major setback for him, but he refrained from restricting himself to the walls, and he went on carrying out the deeds he was made for. He lost his first election and went into depression, but stood up again and was stronger than before. His career as a lawyer was not flourishing, but he practiced for 20 years.

“Life is hard but so very beautiful”. Lincoln never thought his life to be miserable or smaller than others; he made it great and prosperous. He also said:

• Whatever you are, be a good one.
• Give me six hours to cut a tree, and I will use the first four hours for sharpening the axe.
• I am a slow walker, but I never walk back
• There are no bad pictures; that is just how your face looks sometimes.

He was a man of focus and always found an opportunity in his challenges. Life is not always unfair; it will give us a chance, and it is up to us how we work for it, as this Lincoln has proved chance, and it is up to us how we work for it, as this Lincoln has proved. He was a person with strong skills, a hardworking man with true determination, and a curious urge to reform society. He was certainly a legendary president. Everyone believes him to be the global peace icon. The evil forces always tried to stop him, but his legacy became more glorious because of such attempts.

The Eradication of Slavery:-

In 1860, he was elected president when the entire country was struggling. Some were in support of slavery and were ready to form another state, while others were opposed to it. Whites were the owners of big land in the south, and they used to bring blacks from Africa and make them their slaves. The people of the northern region were against this and wanted to end it. America was about to be divided into two parts, but Abraham did not want to do that. He also wanted to abolish slavery, but he could not decide how this would affect a lot of people. Soon there was a split among people in the north and south regions of the country, and America was in a civil war. But Abraham, who was also a part of it, tried his best to convince the people, and he won the war. He stated at that time that ” a nation cannot exist half free and half slave”. As a result of his determination and sheer will, the nation united, and slavery was no longer a part of America.

Abraham Lincoln was truly one of the greatest leaders of the United States of America. He has all the rights to be added to the name of this man as he showed that whether or not you are born with a silver spoon, you can earn respect, name, and wealth. Although he has a tragic past, he never became demoralized. He lost his love and his children and was scattered, but he succeeded in achieving his goals. He struggled for his studies, his career, his love for his country, and everything else, but he restrained himself from falling apart and giving up; he held the strongest branch at all times so that the tornadoes never took him off.

“When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad things, I feel bad. That is my religion.” These were the remarkable words of the great leader of the American nation. His astonishing personality made him a great leader and a true lawkeeper. He never complained about anything in his life and always kept on learning with each new challenge. He found an opportunity to become good, and that is the result we know now. He was the first member of the Republican Party to become President of the United States. He was not only a self-made lawyer but also a legislator and an opponent of slavery. He got the titles honest Abe, Illinois rail-splitter, the great emancipator, and the liberator for his works, which became eternal till the world’s end.