This will be our final Civil War related assignment, and I hope you are enjoying learning about this significant event in American history. I am, as usual, very pleased with the quality of this past week's essays, and you deserve kudos for the very excellent work you have done as a class!
That being said, let me address a couple of issues that affect only a few students but need to be restated for everyone to hear. First, a relatively minor issue, is remembering to write gramatically. While you are not likely to lose points for style and quality of prose, plz dnt use IM and txt language - there's a place and time for that...not here, and not now! The other issue is of great importance to me, and one that I will spend some class time emphasizing. That is avoiding plaigerism. You absolutely cannot use someone else's words and claim them as your own! When you use someone's ideas (not a crime) you must cite the reference (give credit where credit is due). Unfortunately I have discovered some copy and paste work, and I will deal privately with the individuals this time, but, word of warning to everyone, bad things happen to students who cut corners!
Now, on to our Civil War topic - Abraham Lincoln. During class I have mentioned some of the numerous setbacks in Lincoln's life: business failures, political disasters, bungled military experiences, and even a complete nervous breakdown. It would be unfair to the man NOT to mention these things, for they are the obstacles he overcame to become what many believe to be the greatest of all American presidents. His words live on, and for nearly one hundred fifty years we Americans have pondered his place in history.
Lincoln was known to be very friendly, loving to tell funny stories and laughing loudly with friends. Even during the Civil War he took time to return letters written from children. (Taking the advice of one small girl, he grew a beard when she suggested it would make his face look better). He was a loving father who loved to spend time with his children, reading to them daily and referring to them by nicknames.
While Lincoln was often disatisfied with his commanding generals (except Grant) he was revered by the soldiers in the Union army and visited them as often as possible. One sergeant shouted at Lincoln, calling him a rather unpleasant name ("fool" being the word that can be repeated) when Lincoln peeped over a wall of defense so he could get a better view of the rebels on the enemy lines. Lincoln recognized his mistake, and the sergeant got away with it!
As you all know by now, Lincoln was born in Kentucky but left as a young boy when his family moved to Indiana. Here are some things you might be interested in: Lincoln was named after his grandfather, a Kentucky pioneer that was killed in an Indian attack. Lincoln's grandparents' marriage certificate is still on file in Springfield, KY. Lincoln's birthplace in Hodgenville was just that - his family moved to a small farm now located on Highway 31E south of Bardstown, where he formed his first memories. As a small child the Lincolns relocated to Indiana, where he grew up before moving to Illinois as a young adult to begin his career.
Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was from Lexington, and her family home still stands today. Her family was wealthy and prominent and close friends with Henry Clay.
Lincoln was the first Republican president, and his burial place in Springfield, IL, is visited by politicians every year. In fact, for generations, Republican candidates have rubbed the huge nose of the statue of Lincoln there for good luck! In this latest election, then-Senator Barak Obama chose Lincoln's burial place to announce his candidacy for the presidency. That's proof of how Lincoln has become a symbol of the best of America!
I would like you to do some research of your own on the life, speeches, and impact of President Lincoln. Please visit the website http://www.besthistorysites.net/USHistory_CivilWar.shtml#lincoln and scroll down to the references that focus on Lincoln. This is a good starting point, but you may use other references as well (remember to cite!).
Here's your question: Shakespeare wrote in his play Twelfth Night "Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them." Most would agree that Lincoln falls into the category being a "great" leader. In your opinion, what was great about Lincoln? Share your findings in a 200 word essay, and be sure to post at least two replies concerning the essays of your classmates (150 word total).
NOW (drum roll, please) I wish to make an offer so unbelievable that NO ONE will believe it. You've heard of a homework pass? Please, that's kids' stuff. How about a TEST PASS? That's right, I said TEST PASS, as in "keep on trucking, you get the day off." Too good to be true? You can believe it...it's a real offer. What's the catch, you say? So small, it's hardly worth mentioning, but here goes: Kentucky is home to some important Lincoln sites, as mentioned above. Also, near the KY/TN border in Harrogate, TN on the campus of Lincoln Memorial University (alma mater of great KY author, Jesse Stuart!) is a very impressive Lincoln museum. IF, by October 12 (the day we return from fall break) you create an in-person video blog of a visit to one of those three locations (birthplace, childhood home, museum) - and no, old family videos don't count, it must be current - I will exempt you from a 2nd quarter test (semester exam not included) or will DROP YOUR LOWEST SECOND QUATER TEST GRADE IF YOU TAKE ALL TEST! If you plan on vationing near another significant Lincoln site (Gettysburg, Springfield IL, etc) and would like to do the project there, call, email, or text for special permission. The video blog must have educational merit, proving that you've spent some time learning at the site.
Now - give this assignment your best, and God bless!
What Makes Abraham Lincoln so great. First of all, as a foundation, Abraham Lincoln was a God-fearing, Christian man. He had good morals; he treated other people well, and he was a good, honest, Christ-like person. I think spirituality and Christianity are very important qualities for a person, and without those and the morals and laws that the Bible gives us; you don’t become a person like Abraham Lincoln.
ReplyDeleteAbraham Lincoln was a great leader. This is one of the things that people are remembered for. This helps make people stand out. One of the most important qualities of Abraham Lincoln is the leadership that he shows during his terms in the House of Representatives and, most importantly, his presidency.
Another very important thing that makes people be considered as great, and be remembered like Abraham Lincoln is the great things that they do. Abraham Lincoln did a lot of great things. One of the biggest accomplishments was his presidency. Lincoln was a great president, and is considered to be one of the greatest presidents that our country has ever had. And he was president during the civil war! That was one of the biggest conflicts of American history! And Abraham Lincoln did marvelous at leading our country through the Civil War. Lincoln also wrote many great speeches and documents, such as The Gettysburg Address and The Emancipation Proclamation, just to name a few of his most famous ones.
I think that it is right that Abraham Lincoln is remembered so positively and is considered one of the greatest leaders America has ever known. He was a great, Godly man, and he did many great things that helped shape our nation and make us who we are today.
Lincoln in my personal opinion was one of the greatest presidents we've had. He was one of the greatest orators of all time as well. He had the ideals of a great christian man and was raised by a christian family. Though poor he didn't give up on an education. He taught himself to read, write, and cipher. His father moved their family to illinois and Lincoln grew up there.
ReplyDeleteAs he got older he worked on a farm splitting rails for fences. While doing that his quest for knowledge only intensified. He started keeping a store in New Salem, Illinois. He served in the Black Hawk War.
His first unit he was assigned to elected him to be a captain. ( He was in the Illinois Militia) After the unit was dismantled he enlisted again this time as a private, and when the unit was dismantled again he enlisted as a private once again. When the last unit removed Lincoln from service they did it because they were low on food. The Black Hawk war further improved upon Lincoln's leadership abilities by placing him in high positions, and he learned how to take orders when needed.
After becoming a lawyer he served in the illinois legislature for eight years. Lincoln debated Douglas while running for the Senate. Further demonstrating his oratory and leadership traits. He made a clear stand against slavery caring not what people thought of his views on how evil it was. Setting an example for leaders not to change their beliefs because some do not agree.
I wanted to focus on his early life events to show how great he was because we all know how awesome of a president he was. But as a younger man his leadership qualities were greatly manifested. And freshly produced from his experiences.
Jon you did an excellent job showing how Godly of a man Abraham was. He was uncompromising in his beliefs and I think we should take a strong lesson from that. Being Americans (just like he was) we should not back down from the things we feel are important to us, and should not back down when it comes to our faith.
ReplyDeleteWhat made Abraham Lincoln great? Personally, I am a huge Lincoln fan. According to Shakespeare, there are three classifications to being great: “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Lincoln had all of these. Lincoln was born great because he was naturally a great leader. He possessed greatness within him. He was known for his honesty, which made him great. He wanted to do the right thing, which made him great. He had compassion for slaves, which made him great. Lincoln achieved greatness by his experience. He was put through all these things and it was these things that prepared him for his purpose, which made him great. Lincoln achieved greatness by doing the will of God. Lincoln had greatness thrust upon him when he became the President of the United States. Being the President is not just a job, it is leading a country to become great. In this, he obtained greatness. Shakespeare left one off that Lincoln had also: greatness in death. Lincoln was assonated because a man did not like his ideas or the way he governed the country. Lincoln rose up against slavery and died for it; making him great. Lincoln is still regarded as one of the best if not the best President of the United States of America.
ReplyDeleteAbraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president. He was a great man and a powerful leader, but some may ask what makes him great. Well, I have based my views and opinions on what I can obtain from history. He did many things that others couldn’t and had the great privilege of becoming the president.
ReplyDeleteAbraham Lincoln did not begin as an well-learned, powerful man. He was born to an uneducated, unlearned group. This didn’t stop him from learning though. He taught himself many things and became very intelligent. He was also very wise. We all know Lincoln for his honesty. He had character qualities that benefited him in his government experience.
Moving on to his political career, he was a part of the senatorial debate between Stephan Douglas and himself. This really brought his passion to the attention of the country. He later became president of the United States of America. He is now known as one of the greatest presidents.
Now you see all of his accomplishments, but why do I think he’s so great. Abraham Lincoln didn’t take no for an answer. I believe that in today’s government, everything is so influenced by outside, unreasonable voices. Abraham Lincoln knew what was right and did it. We see this in his military actions. He also accepted his faults. He tried to be the best he could. His priorities were in place also. He had a strong family life as well as his political career.
Our past leaders are people to look up to. Abraham Lincoln is a very influential individual who we can look at for an example. We can look at him as an example of devotion, wit, and leadership.
Caleb, you brought out a great point!! The presidency is not just a job. I love that. We often forget the weight of presidency. This individual’s responsibility is to lead a whole country. He is responsible for managing the needs and wants of an entire nation. Abraham Lincoln really understood this. He used his wisdom to govern the people in their best interest; he wasn’t influenced by everything around him. We see that he had a genuine love for the people and the country of the Untied States of America. I think we should be proud to have past leaders who reverenced the presidency.
ReplyDeleteJon, you made another great point. Abraham Lincoln had a Christian foundation. He believed in the unity of the country. I believe that in order to have a successful, well-developed country, we must have a strong Christian foundation. When a building is being constructed, the foundation must be strong or the whole building will fall. That is exactly the theory we use for a country.
ReplyDeleteMr. Akers, I used this website for reference: http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/abrahamlincoln/
Abraham Lincoln. What made him such a good president. As my friend Jon pointed out he was a good Christian and had good morals. Mr. Lincoln must have also been some what honest in his business dealings or else he would not have gotten the nickname "Honest Abe." Abraham Lincoln did not grow up with a political back ground like some of the other presidents we have had ( John Q. Adams, and George H. W. Bush for example). He was born right here in Kentucky, as Mr. Akers mentioned, in a little log cabin. He did not have the opportunities that some kids had. He had to teach himself most of what he knew. This shows us that he was a very driven person. This is what I am basing my opinion on. I think that Abraham Lincoln was one of the people that achieved his greatness. Another thing that allowed me come to this decision was a process of elimination. I looked at the other options and decided which one applied the most. This clearly rules out the option that he was born great because as I previously stated he was born in a little log cabin. Next I looked at the option of him having greatness thrust upon him. Once again as I previously stated he had to teach himself most of what he knew and had to work very hard for everything he had. so the only thing that was left was that he achieved greatness.
ReplyDeleteWhat I think made Abraham Lincoln such a good president was he had one of the strongest Christian foundations of all the presidents. As we have seen throughout history, leaders that have God guiding them usually turn out to be some of the best leaders of mankind. For example Moses was a great leader that was guided and influenced by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and to the Promise Land but sometimes he had faults. This relates so much to Abraham Lincoln because he was one of the best presidents, but Lincoln had faults too that he learned from, which is what made him such a great president.
ReplyDeleteWhat many people respect and admire Lincoln for was the fact that he was the President of United States during the Civil War. Lincoln tried to keep what little peace he could between the Union and the Confederates but for the better half of the country he issued the Emmancipation Proclamtion which set the slaves free and ended slavery in America. Even though Lincoln was anti-slavery many of the Confederates had somewhat of a respect for Lincoln at the end of the Civil War. Later on Lincoln would be assasinated at the Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. by John Wilkes Booth, which would put an end to the greatest president in American history. Lincoln's death devestated Americans. His funeral train would travel to many cities so that people could pay their respects to the great president.
I think we all should really try to follow in Lincoln's footsteps by making God our leader and by doing what is right.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_lincoln
It is November 6, 1860, and a new president has just been voted into office. The nation is at controversy with itself. The North and South territories are on the brink of war. It will take a solid, grounded (and in my opinion) divinely placed man to save this nation. It would take a man like that of Abraham Lincoln.
ReplyDeleteAbraham Lincoln, what do we know him for? His tall hat, his beard, his awkward frame? Do we know him for his incredible speaking ability, or how about his humbleness? Sure. I think everyone in America knows who Abraham Lincoln is-the sixthteenth president. But he was so much more than that. I mean, WHY does everyone know about him? There have been plenty of presidents, plenty of scholars and war heroes, generals and soldiers. What makes this man stand out from others? He was a "good leader", we say. Well newsflash Adolf Hitler was a "good leader", and OBVIOUSLY there's a difference between the two men. Just because a person expresses good leadership qualities, does not make them fit to lead.
"A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be." -Rosalynn Carter
I believe these two sentences describe what President Lincoln did during the Civil War. He saw where the country was; he knew what each party had intention of doing, but he did what was right, instead. Influence, sincerity, and ethics. These and so many more are the "ingredients" for a great leader.
Influence:
Like I said Adolf Hitler was a "good leader." What made him different from Abraham Lincoln? (Lots of things but one in particular) Influence. Hitler influenced mankind for evil. Mr. Lincoln for good. Rather than divide and conquer, Lincoln stuck true to his country and protected it. All the while keeping good intentions. He chose to fight a war with the South, not for power, but peace and order. As we know, he was respected by both sides; he was compassionate and loyal.
Sincerity:
If you have been placed in the position of leadership, but you have absolutely no passion, desire, dreams, or goals, no one is really going to be interested in what you have to say. Abraham Lincoln, however, had a love for America and it's people. He had a sincerity, a genuine care, for what he planned to do in America.
Ethics:
Abraham Lincoln built his role of leadership on God and godly principles. Threats and curses did not affect his hatred for slavery. He saw that we were all human beings and we were to be treated as such. He prayed for our country. He didn't choose to fight the war out of selfishness or pride. He was humble. He was honest. Abraham Lincoln led a life of integrity.
Elementary, middle, and high-schoolers know his name. Colleges teach about him. Lawyers and government officials quote him. Memorials honor him. Why? Because this man had the courage to step into a dangerous position and rather than ignore the obvious, this man fought for what he believed in. For what the Founding Fathers of our country believed in. Through honesty, loyalty, love, and passion, Abraham Lincoln brought our country from a state of division to a unity that has bound this nation together for almost two-hundred years. A unity, that no matter what issues and struggles we've had (and are having MAJORLY right now) has kept us together. The United States of America-ONE nation under God.
I didnt really use a lot of info from my sources...here they are, but mine was mainly opinion plus what i already knew:
ReplyDeletehttp://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln87.html
Wow, what made Lincoln great. Great question.
ReplyDeleteI take it you all have seen the greatest movie of all time: Saving Private Ryan. (Dumb and Dumber is hot on its tail). Remember around the beginning when the 4 men are in the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, trying to figure out what to do? Should they send a search party to find Private James Francis Ryan, and return him home to his mother (who has already lost 3 sons) or just go on with the war, he's probably already dead though right? He was in the 101st Airborne, and they were scattered all throughout Normandy. George C. Marshall, the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, sits down at his desk, deep in thought. He pulls out an EXTREMELY old letter, and reads it to his 3 assistants:
"Mrs. Bixby, Boston, Massachusetts:
Dear Madam: I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant-General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of FIVE sons that have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our HEAVENLY FATHER may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom.
Your's very sincerely and respectfully,
Abraham Lincoln"
That letter sums up Lincoln to me: care. He cared so much for this great nation. Even when it looked like the country might literally never be the same again, he stepped up and brought us together. When he needed to fight he fought, when he needed to work he worked, no doubt about that. He worked so tirelessly to make sure that the United States stayed just that...the UNITED States of America...not the Confederate States and the Union. He wrote that letter out of pure compassion and sympathy in his heart! He didn't do it because it would give him good PR, or cause it was politically correct. He did it because he was the greatest President we've ever had. Period. End of Story.
Blake, I love your essay. Especially the first paragraph, how Moses was picked by God to lead his people out of bondage to the Promise Land. What was also great about yours Blake was that you pointed out that he learned from his mistakes. Now I can't name any right off the top of my head, but I do know that he was human and therefore flawed and made mistakes. It takes someone with a lot of character to learn from their own mistakes. Abraham Lincoln clearly had that.
ReplyDeleteGreat job Blake
Madyson, yours was amazing. Truly amazing. That quote by Rosalynn Carter was just dead on about how Lincoln was as a President. One part stood out to me: when you said he fought for peace and order, not for power. Perfectly true, he could have cared less about how powerful the North was. He just wanted to see the United States of America stay as it had been for the past 90 years of its existence. What if he had just been like: "Oh whatever, let it play out, someone will fix it later." I'd say we would be living in a divided nation.
ReplyDeleteNice work Madyson.
Akers, I used mostly just stuff I knew, but I looked at www.fordam.edu/halsall/mod/1864/lincoln-bixby.HTML
ReplyDeleteEmily I enjoyed you essay and think highlighting his uncompromising political stand points was an excellent point. I also enjoyed how you mentioned that he was indeed human and admitted when he was wrong and how he owned up to his mishaps.
ReplyDelete"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them."
ReplyDeleteAbraham Lincoln was born with a great purpose, but he wasn't born great. His first breath of life was on February 12, 1809, he was born in a one room cabin in Hodgenville, Kentucky. This man achieved greatness. He became president on the verge of the civil war and i believe it was God's divine plan for him to be our nation’s leader during that time. This man went through things and came out of them great. He worked and strived to fulfill what God had for him. I don’t believe that it was himself that made him great, but it was the Lord who made him great. Without Him Lincoln wouldn't have been "great". Lincoln wasn't perfect at times, but aren't we all? Lincoln had a great head on his shoulders. And he went in the right direction. Lincoln’s life story is so encouraging and inspiring to me, that someone born out in the middle of nowhere can become one of the most loved and respected people of our nation. This gives me hope to know that God is going to do something in my life, which he’s going to move through me and use me for his purpose. And that’s what he did with Lincoln; he wasn’t born great but born with a great and divine purpose for the Father.
Even though i used most of my opinion to do this essay i used one reference.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.topicsites.com/abraham-lincoln/facts-info-history.htm
Jonathon,
ReplyDeleteWhat you wrote was amazing.
In your first paragraph i agree with you completely. Inside and out. The last sentence of that paragraph you said
"I think spirituality and Christianity are very important qualities for a person, and without those and the morals and laws that the Bible gives us; you don’t become a person like Abraham Lincoln."
Exactly without those quality a man (or woman) cannot become that great of a leader like Abraham Lincoln did. I applaud you with your post. It was really good!
Emily,
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned The Douglas debate and then later on mentioned something about today's Government. Our government today would only travel together for one reason and that's for the media. Abraham and Douglas traveled together as a choice. They were rivals but they respected each other and were civil with each other.
Abraham Lincoln was a very tall man with a long beard. There are thousands of framed pictures that I have seen of his face. There is a statue of him in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. He was president during the Civil War. He got assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. He was a very friendly and humble fellow. These are just some things that pop into my mind when I think of Abraham Lincoln. But until recently, I never really knew why he was a great president. Lincoln proved that no matter where you come from or what situations you may be facing at hand, you can still fulfill God’s purpose for your life and do it well.
ReplyDeleteIn order to back up some of the reasons I’m giving on why I believe Abraham Lincoln was a good president, I’m going to use some quotes I found from the website http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/quotes.htm.
Abraham Lincoln had great ideas about a number of topics. He had a lot of good quotes on slavery. “This is a world of compensations, and he that would be no slave, must consent to have no slave.” Abraham Lincoln believed that slavery was unconstitutional, and just flat out wrong. God was obviously also an influence on decisions he made, as he said,” With malice toward none and with charity for all; with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us go on to finish the work we are in…”. Also, Lincoln was of great encouragement to those who fought during the civil war. “And now, beware of rashness.Beware of rashness, but with energy, and sleepless vigilance, go forward and give us victories.” Lincoln of course preferred peace, but was still a great president during the challenges of the Civil War. One last quote that has to with determination that I read was this, “ I know not how to aid you, save in the assurance of one of mature age, and much severe experience, that you can not fail, if you resolutely determine, that you will not.” I really liked this quote because it is so encouraging to me. Having a positive attitude about any challenge you face really is a key to success more than you might think.
I could write on and on about reasons why Abraham Lincoln was a great president, but these are some of the main things that stick out to me.
Charity, I really liked your essay. Especially the part where you said that even though Abraham Lincoln wasn't perfect, God still had a plan for him and that should be an encouragement to us to continue perservering in our walk with Christ even when it's tough. Also, when you mentioned that he wasn't born great he still achieved greatness. He achieved greatness by learning from his experiences and relying on God in all his decisions. I really enjoyed your essay and how it was so heartfelt.You made some really good points and it helped me to view it in a different light.
ReplyDeleteCamden, I agree with what you said about the fact that Abraham Lincoln was a very driven man. How many people accomplish all that he did in one lifetime? Not many, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteAbraham Lincoln was one of the greatest presidents that we have had, ha was also the first Republican president. Lincoln was born to two uneducated farmers in a one room log cabin. His formal education consisted of about 18 months of schooling, but he was largely self-educated and an avid reader. He was also a talented local wrestler and skilled with an axe. Lincoln avoided hunting and fishing because he did not like killing animals, even for food.
ReplyDeleteIn 1863 Licoln freed the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation. By 1865 nearly all of the slaves were freed. Slavery had been a major issue and Lincoln had freed them. Many people respect Lincoln so much because he was the president during the Civl War and he won the war. Licoln had a way with words also in the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln invoked the principles of human equality espoused by the Decaration of Independence and redefined the Civil War as a struggle not merely for the Union, but as "a new birth of Freedom" that would bring true equality to all of its citizens, and that would also create a unified nation in which states' rights were no longer dominant. Lincoln work ward during the war to make sure that the United Sates were not divided.
http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/quotes.htm
ReplyDeletei used this site as my referance.
And having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear, and with manly hearts.
--July 4, 1861 Message to Congress
this quote is one thing i think makes President Lincoln one of the greatest if not the greatest presidents of all time. when looking at abe's pictures throughout the war it is evident what role stress played in the aging of Lincoln. Abe lincoln's determination is one of the highlights i see in his life, even though many times he failed he tried again and again until he suceded. This one thing i think is something that as is lesson to both remember and apply to our lives. the next main point i see about abreham's life is his faith. even in this quote he talks about trust in God. i mean the man was faced with one of the hardest things possible, he was elected and the nation split and over the next 4 years 600,000 men would die and he would be the president to face this tragic fight. To quote the Dave Matthews Band: he was a "guys guy". abe had faith and u better bet on he prayed, he fought the fight and finished the race and in the end would be in perfection forever because of his faith through grace that was so evident in his life.
madyson,
ReplyDeletewow ya you make a really good point about leadership. the point comparing and contrasting briefly adolf hitler and Abe Lincoln was very important to remember. its not just the qualities of a leader that matter, though those qualites are very important and necessary to be considered a good leader, after its evident that someone has the ability to lead you have to look at who they are leading, what influence they have, and what is their foundation. obviously adolf hitler lead in two very different ways because of their diference in influence and what it ultimately boils down to is theirfoundation.
sam,
ReplyDeleteya man you make the point; to be a great leader u must care and be passionate. and by the way dumb and dumber is better haha sorry. anyway after clearing that up, you make the point that cant be looked over. Lincoln had THE solid foundation and cared with all his being, that is one reason of many that made him one of the greatest presidents in our countries history but also made him one of the greatest models of leadership from all time and for all time to come. it just furthers the point of the importants of God in our lives, especially those who have influence in the form of direct leadership.
Sam, I thought it was awesome how you included the best movie of all time in your essay. That letter that Abraham Lincoln wrote to that mother that lost five sons in the war really showed Lincoln's true side like you said. Lincoln was a great person and leader. During the Civil War, Lincoln cared for and deeply respected the Confederates no matter if they hated him or not. The only reason he issued the Emmancipation Proclamation was to better America not to make the Confederates mad. After all of these years, many people still think of Lincoln as the best president of all time. This assignment really helped me to realize how good of a person he was.
ReplyDeleteExcellent job Sam.
Charity, I think it was great how you said Lincoln didn't achieve his greatness all by himself, but through the help of God. It is true that Lincoln did come from a little log cabin in Kentucky, but this goes to show that any normal person can become a great leader just like Lincoln, but without the help of God you don't go very far. Lincoln's trust in God is what drove him to the point of greatness.
ReplyDeleteIt is my oppinion that the reason Lincoln is so immensely popular is because he was... common. You can't disagree with the fact that he was common because it's blatently obvious. He WAS common, however he was also capable of transforming. With the snap of a finger(not literally ), Abraham Lincoln could transform from a down-home country boy into a dignified politician.
ReplyDeleteLincoln came into office at an unparalleled time in our countries history-- A time like no other. He quickly took charge of the situation and focused on preserving the Union. Rather than accept him though, eleven states chose to secede, and Lincoln found himself thrust into the midst of the Civil War.
President Lincoln could have easily chosen an simpler route than the one he did. He could have brushed off the threat of war and settled with ignoring the south and their new nation called the Confederate States of America. He could have accepted two separate nations and avoided the war completely. Instead though, he waged an unpopular war. This cause would claim more than 600,000 lives, and in April 1865, it would claim Lincoln himself. President Lincoln gave his life and he sacrificed his fellow Americans so that our nation would be preserved. He is a true American savior.
It was once that man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope. Abraham Lincoln gave our nation that hope. The hope that even when faced with seemingly insermountable circumstances, we can triumph.
[Didn't use many websites; just for numbers and dates: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln]
Abraham Lincoln became the sixteenth President of the United States of America in !861. His beard came later after a famed letter by a young girl. Lincoln was one of the greatest leaders americ had ever or has ever seen. He was the man who brought America together.
ReplyDeleteHe was pressured by radical republicans and emancipationalists to write one of his famous speeches, the emancipation proclamation. Although Lincoln did not oppose the principle of this; he did wait until his support grew with the people. on July 22, Lincoln raised the issue. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, correctly interpreted the Proclamation as a military measure designed to destroy the Confederacy’s slave labor and bring men into the Union Army. Stanton advocated the immediate release of the confederate slaves. Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase was supportive as well, but Montgomery Blair, the Postmaster General, saw the defeat in the fall elections. Attorney General Edward Bates, a conservative, opposed equality for Blacks (that was extremely racist, but I digress) but gave his support nonetheless. Fortunately, President Lincoln only wanted the advice of the Cabinet on his style in the Emancipation Proclamation, not its substance.
My source was http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/almintr.html
Who knows what danger is? According to dictionary.com, danger is defined as: liability or exposure to harm or injury; risk; peril. To me, that seems like a pretty good explenation of danger. President Lincoln knows a thing or two about danger.
ReplyDelete“At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”
(copied straight from http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/quotes.htm)
Abraham Lincoln is one of the greatest historical figures of all time. He was known all over as “Honest Abe” because he gave the incorrect change to a woman at the store he worked at, and I believe it was just a penny off, and ran down the road quite a ways to give her the correct change (course money was worth more then). Everytime I think of Abraham Lincoln, I think of a picture of him with a tall hat and a beard with a look of wiseness and brilliance on his face. Abraham Lincoln had to be very wise to get re-elected at the end of the war. Like Akers said today, he wasn’t too popular in the beginning of the war, so he must have done something quite noteworthy to change the opinions of all of the Americans. The way he handled the war had a huge roll in that if a union army general screws up, they’re gone, he had military brilliance out the wazzoo working with him, and he gave great speeches that could turn any situation the way he wanted it. Abe Lincoln was a very influential man and had the utmost respect for everyone. Even during the Lincoln-Douglas debates, he may have been Douglas’s enemy, but he still had respect for him. I think another huge part of his re-election had to do with him wanting to put this great nation back together. I’m sure he wasn’t the only one that wanted a great nation.
All together, I Would have to say Lincoln is probably (in my opinion) the most important president we have had yet. He managed to get us through a huge huge war, which is a great feat. He may be dead now but he still has my respect.
jarred, I'm not going to lie, that was very blunt, but it got the best point i think ive seen. Abe Lincoln WAS just a common person and yet at the same time, one of the best, if not THE BEST politician to ever walk the earth. Like you said, he couldve just ignored the south and let them go out on their own and be a seperate country, but he didnt. Lincoln quickly surveyed the situation and made a decision. sometimes i wonder what would have happened if he hadnt made the decision to go to war. Would we exist today as a combined nation, would we be split into the union and the c.s.a.? would there even be a union or a c.s.a.? it may have cost great amounts of money and sacrifice, but i believe it was a war worth fighting for.
ReplyDeleteFirst off I would like to say that I, in fact, am a moron. If I had done this earlier all the good points wouldn't be taken. Oh well, here is my stab in the dark at a homework assignment that's up to the standards that have been set...
ReplyDeleteMy main focus will be Lincoln's childhood.
He was born on February 12, 1809 in Hardin Country Kentucky (Now LaRue County apparently ). His parents were Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. He came into the world in a one room cabin on 348 acres of farmland. While they were poor, his parents were both still well respected members of the small town in which he lived. His family was members of a baptist church, even though Abraham never got a chance to go. When Abe was 7, due to a bad growing season his family was no longer able to pay the bank for their farm, and it was taken. The Lincoln's started over in Indiana. Just two years later, when Abe was only 9 years old, his mother died. The loss really bothered Abraham, and was a major contributor to the emotional problems Lincoln would suffer later in life.
Lincoln went on to get the best education he could, and became a fairly successful small town lawyer.
He really soared to fame during the Lincoln-Douglas debates where he actually pinned the sly politician "into a corner", so to speak, and got him to make the now famous Freeport Doctrine. While Lincoln lost the congressional position he sought, he still went down in history as a prairie lawyer that took on a defending member of the senate.
He is probably best known for being the President of the United States. As a president, he battled to keep the frayed Union together. When all efforts failed, he led the Union to victory and forced the nation to mend. (And I mean literally led, Lincoln was so involved in the war that he almost resembled a general.)
The reason I focused on Lincoln's childhood was that even though he had a rough start, he went on to become a VERY important person in the nation's history. I can really relate to him because I come from a single-parent home also. I find him to be a great encouragement.
pope, dude the stress of that job would be CRAZY. specially with the war going on. Former p.o.t.u.s. George W. Bush went into the white house with dark hair. when he came out, it was grayish white!! course 8 yrs could do that to ya. but thats a good point to hit.
ReplyDeleteAfter Abraham Lincoln's son Willie died, the family found the White House to be very depressing. In order to escape the gloom that hung over the White House, the family moved into a small cottage outside of Washington on the grounds of the "Soldier's Home", a place for disabled military war veterans.
ReplyDeletePresident Lincoln lived at the Soldier's Hoe for a quarter of his presidency, and for nearly half of 1862 the critical year.
During this time, news still would come slowly and often inaccurate. It is very hard to fight a war with bad information. Officers in the field wold give a slanted point of view. Newspapers of that time were more interested in their agendas. Most important they did not have a visual confirmation so the public's inability to see the news created an atmosphere where wild rumors were common which turned to skepticism that a person could understand.
One night July 4th, Lincoln exhausted, was pulled out of bed by Union quartermaster Montgomery C. Meigs and former Minnesota Governor Henry H. Sibly to hear a scary and exaggerated report. Lincoln was not impressed. Two years later he told the story to an assistant, noting coldly that "I who am not a specially brave man have had to sustain the sinking courage of these professional fighters in critical times."
"For Abraham Lincoln, the sanctuary he found by leaving the White House was in discovering a new state of mind and in finding a greater sense of equilibrium. For him as well the physical place was but a gateway to a more enriching inner world."
To answer your question, "What was great about President Lincoln", I think Abraham Lincoln was great because he was a normal person who choose to do the right thing in difficult times.
Sources: Lincoln's Sanctuary
Abraham Lincoln and the Soldier's Home
Matthew Pinsker / John Maxwell
Maxwell: I liked how you mentioned that our greatest leaders are those who fear God. I think they must be trustworthy with good solid character and their words and walk are consistent. I like how you use Moses as an example. To be in a war and do your best to "come-through" not using excuses and get the job done is amazing. His ability to "bounce back" when problems arise. To have respect on both sides of the issue is a God given miracle.
ReplyDeleteWe always remember Lincoln for his passion about slavery, and his Christian upbringing that made him a good leader, but I also think all his difficulties in life also helped him become great. "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, cannot long retain it." -Abraham Lincoln. Obviously Lincoln disagreed with slavery and next to his Gettysburg address he is probably best remembered for his Emancipation Proclamation (where he set slaves free in areas that were still resisting the government). Lincoln’s family had belonged to the Hardshell Baptist Church, and the Christian influence is obvious through nicknames like “Honest Abe” and his work ethics. But, in my opinion, Lincoln’s greatest strengths were his obstacles he had to overcome. In the play Medea the nurse says, “How much better to have been accustomed to live on equal terms with one's neighbors.” The nurse is saying that it is better to have come from lower standings because you can deal with life’s uncontrollable ups and downs. Not to say Lincoln didn’t ever break down, but I believe Lincoln handled his defeats and failures well because he was accustomed to them. Also, he had to rise up from poverty and many business failures to become the president. I think he learned a lot from all his hard work as a boy and it let him relate with everyone, the educated lawyer and the uneducated farmer. Lincoln came at a pivotal time in our history where we needed a leader like him. Could you imagine American history without Lincoln? Our lives would be completely different today without him and his guidance. Lincoln had everything we needed then and many qualities we still look for in our leaders today. Thinking of leaders like him makes me want to pray daily for Godly leaders to lead our nation, even through difficult times.
ReplyDeleteerr I used http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln
and
http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/education/failures.htm
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ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, there are many things that make President lincol “great.” He was an outstanding leader, his speeches were phenominal , he was a good father figure to his kids, and he was pretty much a role model to everyone.
ReplyDeleteThe two things that stand out to me most about Lincoln are his movements for the abolition of slavery and all of his favorite speeches. Sometime these go hand in hand, in the case of the Emacipation Proclamation. The Emacipation Proclamation was one of Lincold’s greatest speeches of all time if not the best. In this he gave many reasons why he disagreed with slavery and he freed slaves in lands that were still at war with the union. The also shows his smarts. He planned on this causing a rebellion from these slaves, which would have helped him in the war. Other famous speeches he gave were the Gettysburg adress and his inauguration speech.
The other thing that made him great and my mind was his move against slavery. He can take the credit for freeing most slaves in the south. With all this said, I think the fact that he is still today called possibly the “greatest” President says a lot about his “great” quality.
Was it just me or is there a million websites about Lincoln? How are you supposed to find one that isn’t absurd? So I’m going back to the days when there was no such thing as the internet and use an “ENCYCLOPEDIA”. The encyclopedia I’ll be using is “The New Book of Knowledge” published by the Grolier Company. * I don’t know who actually wrote the article*
ReplyDeleteAs we all know Lincoln is considered to be one of our greatest Presidents. And we all know that he was born in Kentucky, moved to Indiana as a young child and then on to Illinois where he started his law career. Also we are all aware of his ability to present speech and to provoke people to action on the side he happened to speaking. An example would be the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, where Lincoln first became famous for pushing the issues. And personally he made Douglas look two-face, because he voted on the fugitive slave law and then he said to the people of his state “They can come to our state and get runaways but we don’t have to protect them.”
Also when I was reading I found out that “he favored pressing forward on several fronts to prevent the Confederates from concentrating their defenses.” This to me is something a great leader needs to do if that leader is fighting in a war. Also I believe this explains why he had more than 5 different generals during the Civil War and it only lasted four years.
But to me his speeches the way he united the people, an example is at Gettysburg when he said “ all men are created equal.” He quoted the founding fathers, which all Americans should look up to. And when the war was going on and over he was trying to create a sense of unity within the nation that we could work together so that we could be a better nation for Christ.
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ReplyDeletePope, I agree with you that Abraham Lincoln had to have great determination to be able to put up with what he had to. I mean we were fighting against each other brother against brother, and like you said 600,000 people died.
ReplyDeleteAnd I really liked this Quote "And having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear, and with manly hearts.
--July 4, 1861 Message to Congress"
I think that this should be the foundation of every nation and though we're human and we fall of track sometimes we need to be able to trust in God and get back on the path He wants for us.
Emily you did an amazing job on your essay.I do believe that Abraham was the greatest presidents of all times and he did represent the Christian world view, and what he did to free slaves and create equality among the races. It's amazing and I think that we all could learn something from him.
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ReplyDeleteMadison made a great point. Just because someone has good leader ship qualities does not mean they should. There are tons of people capable of leading people, but they may lead you to disaster. For example, tough economic times is not the time in which you should experiment with outrages spending and playing with failed socialistic ideas. It is a horrible idea. When something is working correctly you don’t fix it. When something fails you investigate why it failed and then take action to repair only the problem; you do not overrun the entire thing. It is about making the right decision when the time calls for that decision to be made.
ReplyDeleteJakob had also a great point. Abraham had all the right Ideas at the right time. He knew that the US was about to self destruct, so he took action and made the right decision and He won a war. Think about if Lincoln had made different decisions; we would be two different countries. Abraham Lincoln was a great President.
ReplyDeleteMy source: http://robertakers.blogspot.com/2009/09/homework-8-due-october-2-2009.html?showComment=1254533644536#c1739418671680462733
ReplyDeleteI used only the shakspeare thing, evrything else came out of my mind and is souly my oppinion.
On February 12 1809 in Harden Kentucky, perhaps one of the greatest presidents that the United States Of America has ever known, was born. Abraham Lincoln had two siblings. His Sister Sarah, was born on February 10 1807 and died on January 20, 1828, while giving birth to her child. And his younger brother Thomas died as a child in 1812. Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd In Illinios on November 4, 1842. Abraham had four children with his wife Mary Todd. Robert Todd Lincoln was born August 1, 1843 in Springfield, Illinois and died July 25, 1926 at his home in Manchester, Vermont.Edward Baker Lincoln was born March 10, 1846 in Springfield, Illinois and died on February 1, 1850. William Wallace Lincoln, was born December 21, 1850 and died in the White House on February 20, 1862. Thomas Lincoln, was born April 4, 1853 and died in Chicago of tuberculosis on July 15, 1871. When he was young he moved to Illinios and then began his Law career. Abraham lincoln was a good speaker in front of large crowds. On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., where Abraham and Mary Todd were attending the play Our American Cousin. He died at 7:22 a.m. the following day, April 15th, at the Peterson Boarding House across the street from Ford's Theatre.
ReplyDeleteWell one thing that was great about Lincoln was the Emancipation Proclamation. It stated that all slaves be freed in the confederate state that wouldn't return back into the Union by January 1, 1863. This was awesome. It is sad that the other slaves that were in the Union couldn't be free, but it was great that those other slaves could be. I think this is one of the many things that made Lincoln probably the greatest president that the United States had. A few things you said Akers is that he gave time to write back to children and spent time with his family. Now I know all that had to do with the war, and it may not be a very important. But to me it is, being that busy and having that all to deal with yet he still took time to spend with his family. That is one thing that in my eyes made him a great president. Another thing i feel that was great about him was his ability to deal with all of the things that were going on. If something just wasn't workin out he would fix it. One thing that I read was that if one of his generals wasn't listening to what he was saying he would fix things there, whether it meant getting a new general or just having a lil talk with him. He would do what needed to be done. When he would get a new general he wouldn't criticize the one he was having to take out he would just take that one out and put a new one in. That's pretty cool. I mean can you imagine having to deal with all of that and then a general not listening to your orders and still not criticizing them? I know it's not the polite thing to do but you would think he'd get mad and go off on them or something, but no he didn't. He kept his cool with them. I admire that. That is another thing that I think made him a great president.
ReplyDeleteHere's the sites I looked at Akers: http://www.mattfarina.com/2006/11/13/leadership_abraham_lincoln_style
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_Proclamation
Abraham Lincoln once said, “"Perhaps a man's character was like a tree, and his reputation like its shadow; the shadow is what we think of it, the tree is the real thing." I believe most people would agree with President Lincoln. So often, people reveal by their actions that they are someone entirely different than who we thought they were. It is disappointing and depressing that so many heroes end up being villains in our world today. So, why was Abraham Lincoln great? The answer can be summed up in his famous nickname, “Honest Abe.” The fact of the matter is Abraham Lincoln didn’t try to cover up his beliefs or feelings. Appropriate to his tall stature, Abraham Lincoln was a tree who had an honest shadow. Lincoln earned his age-old nickname time and time again. Before his political days, Lincoln was a lawyer. We all know what they say about lawyers, right? Well, Abraham Lincoln was an exception. Lincoln said that if one could not be an honest lawyer, to “choose some other occupation.” He worked for the benefit of the law and often represented interests which opposed his own opinion. He did so because it was their legal right to have their day in court. He also was known to have refused to accept payment for certain cases. Lincoln indeed earned his nickname of “Honest Abe” during his law days. Though we have only discussed his honesty in law, Abraham Lincoln exhibited the same unwavering devotion to truth in his political and personal life. Despite losing out as a result, he never backed down or changed his opinion in order to win an election or to make a good impression on someone. He never gave up, he stayed true, and he fought hard to accomplish his dreams. For this reason, Abraham Lincoln is truly great.
ReplyDeleteResources:
http://www.fpri.org/footnotes/1316.200806.howe.honestabemoralcharacter.html
http://www.cybernation.com/lincoln/bio.php
http://www.papersofabrahamlincoln.org/narrative_overview.htm#On%20the%20Circuit
http://www.jappler.com/blog/archive/2009/02/16/favorite-presidential-quotes
In my opinion, Abraham Lincoln (“Honest Abe”) was our country’s greatest president we’ve ever had. I just can’t imagine what it would be like to have to lead our country during the Civil War. I would probably have a nervous breakdown myself if I had to do that. What really made Lincoln great was that he was a Godly, Christian leader. His respect and kindness to others was unlike many of our presidents we have had. At the same time, Lincoln was strict when needed.
ReplyDeleteLincoln was always against slavery. His parents went to a Baptist church that opposed slavery, so Lincoln grew up being told it was wrong. He later said that he was “naturally anti-slavery.” I like how Lincoln understood that we are all created equal. He didn’t like the idea of Americans having slaves. However, he told southerners that he wouldn’t interfere with slavery where it already existed to avoid separation of the country. I think it was a good decision to say that, even though the country split and he eventually issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The man was just very wise. This is random, but I also admire his early desire for knowledge. He taught himself to read and write. Of course, he later became a great speaker (Gettysburg Address).
Lincoln was a great war president. He always had a great interest in what was going on during his presidency. According to my website, he died with a copy of Sherman’s orders for the March to the Sea in his pocket. He was firm and tough with the union generals because of his strong desire to see the union victorious. You had to make wise military decisions as a general if you were to make it with him. McClellan ended up being Lincoln’s presidential rival after conflict between them.
Lincoln is my favorite president because he saved the union and freed the slaves.
I mainly used head knowledge, but I got some info off sc94.ameslab.gov/TOUR/alincoln.html
Lincoln was perhaps the greatest U.S. president who ever lived. He was born to two uneducated farmers in a log cabin on February 12, 1809 in Kentucky. He certainly was not born great. He became great because of his leadership qualities and noble character he showed in his political career. These are seen in some of the things he accomplished. What did he accomplish? Well… He became president. He decided to fight and keep the nation from splitting. He was the unfaltering commander in chief during the civil war. He appointed many great generals to command the Union forces during the war. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation which began the first step in the journey to freedom for African-Americans. He strongly supported the Thirteen Amendment which officially ended slavery, although he did not live to see it finalized. His foreign policy kept other nations from intervening in the war. He signed the Homestead Act, the Morrill Act, the National Banking Act, and the bill for the first continental railroad. He made great inspiring speeches of which many are often quoted today. And perhaps most importantly, he won the civil war for the Union which kept us United as one nation. And although he said many great and inspiring things, actions speak louder than words. His actions definitely show he was a great leader.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Abe Lincoln was such a great leader because, for one, he knew his faults, and even though he failed miserably many other times in his life growing up, like Mr. Akers mentioned, he kept on trying and eventually got to be President of the United States. Another reason is because he learned from his mistakes. If someone leading the army screwed up he was out. Unfortunately he liked to give people too many chances, like in George B. McClellan’s case; this was one of his faults. He also liked to go out to the war zone after battles. In my opinion this was a good learning experience for him because even though he was in battles before first hand he could now see it as a leader and in a way feel responsible so he could make better decisions later on in his presidential career. Another reason he was a great president was because of the way he handled the war and with the south, especially with Robert E. Lee, he could have hated him and try to change his mind, but he respected his decision. So these are just few of many reasons while he was a great man.
ReplyDeleteAbraham Lincoln was possibly our greatest president. He was born in Kentucky and rose to be a hero to many Americans some one-hundred-forty years ago. America was in trouble and a war was just on the horizon. Soon after he was elected, South Carolina seceded and became the Confederate States of America because a Union president was in office. After Lincoln was sworn in the South attacked a Union fort. Lincoln felt that secession was unconstitutional and called for 75,000 troops to force the CSA back into the Union. Everything snowballed from there.
ReplyDeleteI think Lincoln was born with a touch of greatness in him, but so much more was forced upon him when he became the uniting force for our country. He might’ve known what he signed up for when he ran for president, maybe not. Either way, he was placed in a position that required someone with greatness and wisdom to overcome and Lincoln proved to be that someone.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/abrahamlincoln/
Abraham Lincoln was a great president. He was not only a great president but a great person. He was a christian guy and inspite of not having an education he taught himself. This shows some determination and capabilities to have the drive to teach yourself. These things he would take to office with him. He would lead this nation and make decisions based on what was best for the country. And his education and determination helped him to not only write many great things but to push them and not back down or give up on what he believed. Stern as he may seem he was very compassionate towards people. This can be a strength and a weakness. A strength in the way that he felt for the slaves and wanted them to be set free. He knew they were human beings and should be treated just like and other person. Compassion was his weakness though because when poeple made mistakes he would get rid of them but then in the end would give them another chance. This could cause problems in some cases but it just shows that he was not a man who only cared about himself. He cared about people and hoped that they had learned from their mistakes. All these are some of the reasons that I beblieve Abraham Lincoln was a great president.
ReplyDeleteJohn Byrd, you couldn't have said it better. Lincolns Christian character and morals, his leadership qualities, and the things he accomplished are exactly what made him great. I dont see anything else that could make a person great. You covered it all.
ReplyDeleteVanessa, I really enjoyed your essay. I had never given much thought to the nickname "Honest Abe." It's quite obvious now, as I look at it, what that nickname meant, but somehow the validity had slipped past me. Abraham Lincoln had a terrific reputation: one of honesty and integrity. I can't even fathom what kind of man Mr. Lincoln would have been. In todays standards, he'd probably be a goody-two-shoes or something of the sorts... and that's ashame. We need more rolemodels like him. And once again, wonderful writing. Your transitions from fact to fact were flawless.
ReplyDeleteI liked yours, Vanessa. You definitely did a lot of research. Your quote you found from Abraham Lincoln was cool. What you said about Lincoln being a tree with an honest shadow is true. How you tied that and the quote together was very good. I like that Lincoln said that lawyers should be honest. It’s true. If anyone should be honest, it’s lawyers. Abe Lincoln definitely deserved the nickname “Honest Abe”.
ReplyDeleteBen..I like what you said about leaders needing to be involved in their leadership, and how you illustrated that with King David. You're right. Leaders need to actually be experiencing and communicating with their followers. It's like Jesus; he was cursed by the Pharisees and "religious people" because he ate with Zacheus (sp?) a tax collecter. He was involved, he was familiar with the issues, the problems. He took the time to stop and listen. Just like Abraham Lincoln did. Good Job Ben.
ReplyDeleteOkay, as I've been reading these, I have noticed a theme in a lot of them. Abraham Lincoln was born into poverty and pushed himself to obtain knowledge and grow academically. I really like what Josh said about his early desire for knowledge. Even as a child Abraham Lincoln cared about what we was doing. He knew he was born for a reason and he determined himself to ensure that whatever it was, he would do it at his very best. I think that's a quality many Americans no longer possess. Its all about being cool, and living your "glory days" out before you have to actually grow up and take responsibility for yourself. Lincoln knew to actually achieve something in his life, he would have to work hard for it; and he did.
ReplyDeleteJaykub, nice post. I tought yours was pretty good. In your first paragraph, you typed about how Abraham Lincoln was born into poverty, but still chased after an education, and about Abraham Lincoln being a Christian, and how Abe was one of the greatest presidents of our country, the United States of America. You went on to talk about several of the events in his early life and carreer, and how those helped develop in him the leadership qualities and speaking experience, that would help make him one of the greatest leaders ever to lead the United States of America.
ReplyDeleteEmily you had a very good essay. You really gave several very good points on what makes Abraham Lincoln great. You had some stuff in there that mentioned how Abraham Lincoln, having been the great leader that he was, actually was not born into the most favorable circumstances. You typed about several of his accomplishments and things that cause him to be considered as such a great man. You just summed the whole thing up so well, and gave several very important points in your post. Great job
ReplyDeleteWow, Nice Camden! Lincoln most certainly did acheive greatness and by doing so he was probably the greatest president. What you said about him being a good Christian and having morals contributed significantly to his greatness. Having good morals is all good and dandy but being a good Christian was the most important. I wish our political leaders today had those morals and were good Christian. Now I'm not saying that none of them are like that, but alot of them aren't and thats not good, not good at all. If they would just look at Lincoln for an example and strive to be like him, but more importantly strive to be like Christ and look to Him for guidance, this would make for a better America.
ReplyDeleteGuffey, I liked what you said about him being born with greatness. He most definately was born with it. Someone can't just achieve that what Lincoln had. Like you said he was born with it and it was also forced upon him which made probably him the greatest president yet.
ReplyDeleteJessica I really liked your essay and how you brought out the point that while Lincoln was a stern man, he was also compassionate. And then how you went on to add that compassion is both a strength and a weakness in a high position of leadership. His compassion toward the slaves drove him to make an even bigger wedge between the North and the South and led him to make somewhat irrational decisions. The emancipation proclamation, for instance, was a good effort, but just wrecked the southern economy and didn't even entirely free the slaves in all counties, let alone states. Compassion can often get in the way of logic.
ReplyDeleteI REALLY enjoyed reading Cody's post. It never really occurred to me why Lincoln visited the battlefields after a few days. Now I realize that he had to be looking at the dead bodies and thinking to him self "Could I have prevented this?" I have heard in many accounts how Lincoln felt personal responsibility for every death in the civil war. And how he would receive letters from devastated mothers who had lost their sons, or little girls who had lost their daddy's, and sit there and read them with tears in his eyes. Seeing the bodies that were from the men that HE recruited must have been overwhelming for him. He felt as it was his own fault...
ReplyDeleteBen, I enjoyed reading yours. All your points were solid, but the last one was the best. It seems obvious, but it is definitely true. A leader should be involved in their leadership responsibilities. I love how you mentioned the Scriptural example of King David. Instead of being out on the battle field, he stayed back in safety and comfort. Of course, like you said, it got him in plenty of trouble. Anyway (back to Lincoln), President Abe was very involved in what was happening during the Civil War. He always made sure the union was in the right hands.
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ReplyDeleteMadyson, your essay was pretty awesome as usual. I love how straight forward you are. Blunt, but awesome and with good writing techniques. I loved how you compared Abraham Lincoln to Hitler. Very, very bold comparison, but you had a great point. Yes, they were both rather good at leading. However, Hitler chose to use his leadership talent and ability for evil purposes, while Lincoln chose to use his for good purposes. I liked how you said that just because someone expressed good leadership qualities doesn't make them fit to lead. It's so true. You may be a great leader, but in my opinion, you have to earn the right to lead.
ReplyDeleteSam, I really enjoyed your essay as well.The letter that you quoted really did just sum it all up. I mean, think about it in today's terms. Do you think our current President would take the time to personally write a letter of condolences to a mother who had lost multiple sons in Iraq???? I sure don't. President Lincoln was true blue and of the finest and utmost character. You're right, he didn't do it for PR, he did it because he cared. He cared about America, its citizens, and its future. And who knows? Perhaps if there hadn't have been a President Abraham Lincoln, there might not be a United States pf America as we know it today.
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ReplyDeleteMadison I agree with what you said. You made a lot of really good points in your essay. Abraham Lincoln was a good leader and so was Adolf Hitler, but what made them different was there intentions, obviously, Abraham Lincolns , Good, Adolf Hitler, Bad. I also believe that it would have taken a lot to stand up and run for presidency, when the North And The South were so close to haveing a major war.
ReplyDeleteJosh, i liked what you had to say about Abraham Lincoln. it would have taken a lot to stand up and try to run for Presidency at a time like that. It was also very good that we had a Christian President that was brought up knowing what was right and wrong. I believe it is very important to always have strong Christian leaders. Abraham Lincoln was a great President and did not deserve to die the way he did.
ReplyDeleteVanessa, I enjoyed reading your essay. I like hoe you pointed out the fact that his honesty made him great. We often focus on his fight to be educated, an his Christian family (which are all great things) but we forget the simplicity of his honesty coming into play as a great leader.
ReplyDeleteBen, we both pointed out the fact that Lincoln overcame adversity, but you pointed it out in a different way. He had the whole South against him, thats a lot to fight against. Ben, you also brought up the fact that he listened to his people, that is so important and is needed in a leader in a democracy. But my favorite thing you brought up was he was involved in everything. I think so many eaders today are too disconnected, they see things as only facts and numbers but being involved changes that; and Lincoln honestly was involved and cared. Not only that but Lincoln, like David, could've ended up messing things for himself-and inturn his country- had he not been so involved.
ReplyDeleteAnna, I love all the quotes that you used. You picked out some very good ones. I also liked how you related to them.
ReplyDeleteJessica, compassion can be both good and bad. In this case you brought out both. Lincoln was a very compassionate person, for example. There was young man that had fallen asleep on guard duty, he hadn't had any sleep in 48 hours. The boy was aloud to wright one letter to his family to tell them goodby. His family got this letter and his little sister was heartbroken. That night, the girl took the emergency money that her parents kept, and ran away to find president Lincoln, to ask for her brothers life.
ReplyDeleteLincoln, after hearing the girls story, and reading her brother’s letter that she had brought, went to the camp that the young man was staying in. When he arrived, Lincoln asked to see the boy, what he found was not what he had expected. This boy was ready to die. He knew that he had done wrong and also knew the consequences. He didn’t make any excuses for himself.
Lincoln sat with the boy all through the night, talking to him, asking about his family, and what he would do if he was aloud to live. The boy didn’t show any fear until the sun started to rise. That morning was the morning that he was scheduled to go before the firing squad. The young man looked at this man who had given him comfort in his last hours and said “I don’t know who you are, but thank-you for what you have done. And mister, could you do a dying man a favor? Could you tell my family that I love them, one last time?” A soldier had come for the boy. He said “Mister Lincoln sir, your time’s up.” At this the boy looked up at the tall man beside him. Lincoln looked at the soldier and said “Soldier, I want you to set this man free...”
To make a long story short, the young man returned home with his little sister, where they were greeted with open arms and tears of joy. Now that is what I call compassion. In a way this story reminds me of God.When we do something, on purpose or not, He gives us another chance.
Abraham Lincoln, as many say, was the greatest president of all time. Born to Thomas nad Nancy Lincoln on Feb. 12,1809 in a one room, log cabin.
ReplyDeleteWe don’t know a whole lot about the childhood of the great american, but what we do know, and what we don’t, changed all of history. Lincoln’s family moved a number of times. Because of this he and his sister didn’t get a very good education. At the age of 9 Lincoln’s mother died of an epidemic of milk sickness, she was 34. Soon after Lincoln’s father went back to Ky where he married Sarah Bush Johnston, whom he had courted in his younger years.
Sarah and Abe grew close, while Abe and his father grew farther apart. The relationship between Sarah and Abe was one of, not really pitty, but of a mother taking in a child that no longer had a mother to care for him. This is not to say that he was spoiled, because he had his share of discipline. Because of the lack of education in the home Sarah encourage Abe in his attempts to teach himself, although Sarah herself couldn’t read or wright, (this may have been the very reason that she encourage him so much).
Throughout his childhood Abe, no matter the place that they were living, found great comfort in the outdoors. He would spend hours on end playing in the woods and streams. One particular day Abe had been fishing. He had caught one small fish which he was taking home when he met a soldier on the road, having deen told that he should always be good to soldiers, he gave the man his fish. This is just a glimpse of Abraham Lincoln’s childhood, but it just goes to show you that that kid next door that you think could never amount to anything, just might become president one day.
I finish with a quote that ment a lot to me. Think about it and you might get something out of it too.
“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.”
Abraham Lincoln
sites:
www.americanslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/presidents/lincoln/youth_2
http://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln81.html
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ReplyDeleteHere is what was on my desktop Mr. Akers: Abraham Lincoln was a man of many words. Well, not if you count the Addresses.. (they were rather short). But anyhow, when I think of the character of Abraham Lincoln I think about his background. He grew up a hard worker. He may have been sick with the "tall disease" but in his day laziness was not common. Everyone carried their burden of the work and pride was great. Pride in your family was a thing of passion. If that makes no sense, let me clear it up..
ReplyDeleteFamilies actually had goals of worth and the worked towards them with manual labor! Family bonds were strong and houses were built be hand by said families. Now, you may be wondering: “What does this have to do with Abraham Lincoln?” I’ll tell you. This is what he grew up believing. It was indoctrinated in to his mind at an early stage. It seems foreign to us, I know, but he knew no differently. This is what made him a great president: that he lead with family and bonds in mind. Yes, he did focus heavily on war, but we all knew he wanted honor and integrity in office. I don’t care what the University of Kentucky has to say about Mr. Lincoln. After reading a couple of biographies and autobiographies myself, I see the true Lincoln shine through the lies. Which brings me to my next point.
Lincoln did in fact have opposing generals of course, but they all respected one another’s talents. I also read books about Grant and Lee and they did respect each other. Ruthless idiots were NOT leading our country. That’s why they were in charge. They met the standard. Enough said.
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ReplyDeleteWell Honestly Lincoln wasn't really that successful before his presidency, lets see of failed to do anything in the military, but i will give it to him he was in the military. He failed in the Presidential election twice.
ReplyDeleteBut past all of that I personally think Lincoln was one of the greatest president we have every had. His election was the final straw for the South but Abraham Lincoln is the man who stitched America back together.
He was a great man, who had many accomplishments in his life. Obviously, the presidency was number one but he was also part of the house of Reps. He was Involved with the Military during some of the Texan War for Independence.
He was a Christian man. He was a very honest, peaceful, understanding person. Have a Christ centered life in the most import thing in a person. He also gave many famous speeches, probably The Gettysburg address was his most famous one. He also wrote the Emancipation proclamation which freed black slaves in the southern rebelling states.
But sadly everything he had accomplished during the Civil War had little time to celebrate as he was assassinated be John W. Booth only five days after the war ended.
Yeah I liked how Maxwell pointed out how Lincoln tried to keep some what peace between the North and the Confederate. And how he tried to get the rebelling states to return to the Union but would not. Because the North didn't want anything to do with a war against the south.But it was a plot not even Lincoln could complete.
ReplyDeleteWow Sam that is some pretty compelling stuff with that letter and all. oh and love how you throw you favorite movie in as well. But how Abraham Lincoln cared for this country so deeply he was about to let anything stop him from keeping this country exactly what is "The United States Of America"
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