Abraham Lincoln- A memorable pioneer

Abraham Lincoln was not only the 16th president of the United States of America, but one of history’s most memorable patriots to ever lead this nation. In Hardin County, Kentucky on February 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln was born into poverty. His mother died when he was nine years old, so he lived alone with his father, a frontiersman, in the woods. Education was hard to come by, so when he was of age, he was lucky to know how to read, write, and cipher, but that was all he knew. Abraham Lincoln enlisted in the Black Hawk War in 1832 and for 30 days was elected to be captain of a group of volunteers. After the 30 days, he signed up with the Mounted Rangers as a private. Soon after that he became a member of the Independent Spy Corps. He soon after married Mary Todd, and with her they produced four kids. Abraham Lincoln ran for senate against Stephan Douglas. In 1858 he lost the election. His loss soon became a gain because he gained enough reputation to earn the 1860 Republican nomination for president.
Abraham Lincoln isn’t a pioneer because of all the achievements he has gotten, but because of what he did while he was President. During his presidency, the Civil war broke out, dividing America into the Northern Union and the Southern Confederacy. Democrats and Republicans fought on the issue of freeing slaves. Abraham Lincoln made his pioneer moment on January 1, 1863, when he stood by the Union and issued the Emancipation Proclamation, thus allowing all of the slaves of the Confederacy to be free. He then created the Gettysburg Address, making sure that no one would forget the events of the Civil War. Even though, as the Republican President, one would think he would side with the Confederacy. He didn’t follow popular vote though, he fought and stood for in what he believed in. He was even re-elected in 1864, and tried to bring the nation whole again into one nation. His deeds had not only made him a great pioneer, but also sealed his fate. On Friday, April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.
Abraham Lincoln gained many achievements, but the reason he is one of the greatest pioneers of this nation, is because of what he had done while being the President. He went against the popular vote and fought for the freedom of slaves, united a nation torn in two, and was re-elected for the deeds he had done. He died for what he believed in, but his death only made his ideas stronger. A monument of him would later be created in Washington D.C. with his second Inaugural Address inscribed on one of the walls of the monument. An address that spoke of equality and a nation of peace, forever reminding people of what it is to be a pioneer, and what can happen if one fights for their beliefs.

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Created by Tanya dhawan

 

Text adapted from http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/abrahamlincoln, http://millercenter.org/president/lincoln/essays/biography/1

Page developed by students from Littleton High School, USA & St. Marks Senior Secondary Public School, India.