Abraham Lincoln

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Turn the pages of America’s political history, and you are sure to find one man who clearly outshines all others and manages to attract the attention and interest of all, till date, - Abraham Lincoln! Nicknamed ‘Honest Abe’ or ‘Father Abraham’, Lincoln was, by far, one of the most powerful and greatest Presidents’ that America has ever witnessed. Rising from a modest and humble beginning, it was his sheer determination and honest effort that led him to the nation’s highest office. An astute politician and proficient lawyer, he played a vital role in unification of the states and led from the front for the cause of abolishing slavery from the country, eventually giving people equal rights, irrespective of caste, color or creed. He not only envisioned but actually brought to the forefront a truly democratic government which was led by the concept of ‘by the people, of the people and for the people’. What’s more, Lincoln led the country when it faced its greatest constitutional, military and moral crises. He not only turned up victorious but also was effective in strengthening the national government and modernizing the economy. He was a saviour of the Union and an emancipator for the slaves. However, just as astonishing was his rise to the top-notch position and his eventual governance, his death was equally bewildering as he became the first U.S President ever to be assassinated. Though in his life Abraham Lincoln has been felicitated with no awards and honors, as there did not exist any awards then, he has till date retained a spot in the Top Three Presidents since 1940s. As for the presidential ranking polls conducted since 1948, Lincoln has been rated at the very top in the majority of polls.

Childhood & Early LifeFormative Years

• In 1832, Lincoln shifted to New Orleans, where, along with a friend, he bought a small general store. However, since the venture did not turn out to be profitable, he sold his shares and instead, tried his hand at politics. He started campaigning for a seat at the Illinois General Assembly.
• Though Lincoln had gained popularity through his skilled storytelling ability, his lack of proper formal education, money and powerful friends lead to his loss. Meanwhile, while taking part in the assembly, Lincoln also served in the Black Hawk War as a captain in the Illinois Militia.
• After working as a postmaster and county surveyor, Lincoln’s gave in to his wish to become a lawyer. He started reading law books to equip himself with the knowledge required in the field. Lincoln’s social skills and antics at story-telling were honed during this phase of life.
• In 1834, his second campaign turned out to be successful as he won election to the state legislature and ran as a Whig.
• In 1836, Lincoln moved to Springfield Illinois where he enrolled himself to the bar and started practicing law under John T. Stuart.
• Lincoln’s reputation as an able and efficient lawyer grew up leaps and bounds. He began known for his tough and challenging cross-examinations and closing arguments. Over the years, Lincoln worked with a number of professional lawyers including Stephen T. Logan and William Herndon.
• Lincoln’s political career was progressing steadily as well. In his four years of successive term at the Illinois House of Representatives as a Whig representative, he was known for voicing against the perils of slavery and abolitionism. He regularly spoke for economic modernization in various sectors including banking.
• Rising popularity and great work earned Lincoln a seat at the U.S. House of Representative in 1846, where he served a two-year term. A true Whig supporter, he stood for his party beliefs and participated in all votes. He even made speeches that stressed on abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia.
• As far as foreign and military policies are concerned, Lincoln was heavily against Mexican-American War and President Polk and instead supported the Wilmot Proviso. His stand against the President earned him negative publicity as Lincoln lost political support from not only his district, but even earned the nickname ‘spotty Lincoln’.
• In the 1848 presidential elections, Lincoln changed his preference as he shifted to the General Zachary Taylor camp for the Whig nomination. Though Taylor won the elections, Lincoln lost to Justin Butterfield for the office of the Commissioner of the General Land Office. Instead, he was offered a position of a secretary or governor of the Oregon Territory. He refused the same to resume his law practice.
• Lincoln’s career as a lawyer was steadily growing as was his reputation and status. He even appeared before the Supreme Court of the United States. Out of his 175 appearances at the Illinois Supreme Court, 51 times he stood as a sole counsellor out of which he won on 31 occasions. His client list included big names from the country.

Work on Anti-Slavery

• While the northern states of US had banned slavery and were against suppression of people belonging to the lower class or caste, the southern states and the newer territories in the West still did not think of same as morally unethical. As such, to cast a similar influence, Lincoln switched back to his political career by the 1850s and strongly opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
• According to the Act, Douglas had permitted the settlers to determine whether or not they wanted to allow slavery in the new territory. He even argued that the national Congress had no role to play in the matter that he adjudged as only locally important.
• Lincoln’s stand against slavery was prominently visible in his ‘Peoria speech’ which he gave on October 16, 1854. According to it, he strongly hated slavery due to the monstrous injustice that it represented and also the deprival of equality of rights among men.
• Lincoln ran for the seat at the US Senate from Illinois in 1854. Though he was comfortably leading ahead of others in the first six rounds, it was his strong opposition for the Kansas–Nebraska Act that lead to his downfall as there was a split amongst the Whigs.
• It was his take on anti-slavery along with an appeal for ‘Free Soil’, ‘Liberty’ that shaped the new Republican Party. At the 1856 Republican National Convention, Lincoln was second in the contest to become the party's candidate for vice president.
• In 1858, Lincoln won the state Republic party’s vote which nominated him for the U.S Senate. With this started the series of Lincoln-Douglas debates, which have earned the reputation of being the most popular debates in American history.
• Lincoln and Douglas were tangent apart from each other in terms of their political outlook and physical appearance. While Lincoln professed the seizure of slavery, Douglas promoted his ‘Freeport Doctrine’ according to which local people of a state were free to decide whether or not slavery should be practiced in their state.
• Lincoln’s Republican Party won great many votes, but the Democratic Party bagged a number of seats thus re-electing Douglas to the Senate. Despite the loss, Lincoln was committed towards eradicating slavery from the nation and insisted that the moral foundation of Republic required opposition to slavery

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