Thousands of books, articles, academic courses, and movies have been written, taught, and watched by millions since Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865.
I have been fascinated by Lincoln for years. I’ve read many books on his life. I’ve studied his speeches. I’ve even read books about one of his two secretaries, John Hay, and General Grant, John Wilkes Booth, and a book on one of the most critcal months in American history, April, 1865. But as I studied his life, it always amazed me how he even became president, and saved the country. An extarordinary man from the humblest of beginnings, who overcame overwhelming personal loss, to become one the most important figures in history.
As most people know, Lincoln was born in a one room log cabin into a poor farming family in Kentucky in 1809. He had an older sister Sarah. When Lincoln was two years old, his infant brother died. His mother died when he was nine, and the family was living in Indiana. His father left 11 year old Sarah in charge of Lincoln and a 19 year old cousin, while he went off looking for a new wife. He married Sally Bush Johnston, with whom Lincoln was very close.
When he was ten years old, he was kicked in the head by a horse and almost died. His sister Sarah died in child birth when she was about 21 and Lincoln was 18 years old. His first, and probably true romantic girlfriend, Ann Rutledge died when she was 22 years old. Many accounts say this threw Lincoln into a deep depression.
Lincoln had four children. Two died before he did. Edward, his second son, died after a two month illness when he was two years old in 1849. Lincoln’s third son, Willie, died in the White House in 1862. It devestated Lincoln, and his wife Mary, who may have had mental health issues, never got over her son’s death.
What would drive a man to keep going after experiencing so much death and disappointment? Lincoln spoke about the fleeting nature of life, and said he felt he would come to “some terrible end.” But he never gave up, and devoted himself to saving his country, and stopping the inhumanity of slavery.
Lincoln’s formal education, actually going to school, lasted less than one year. He was basically self taught. He studied the law, and became a very successful attorney. Lincoln said, “I studied with nobody.” He handled many transportation cases involving railroads.
He did win several terms in the Illinois state legislature, and served one term in the U-S House of Representatives. But, he lost his first big political race for a U-S Senate seat in 1858 against Democrat Stephen Douglas.
After he was nominated for the senate, Lincoln gave his first important speech against slavery, saying “A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved-I do not expect the house to fall-but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or the other.” This was a dramatic and courageous speech by a relatively unknown politician that bluntly stated the most serious issue facing the nation. It’s very survival.
Lincoln lost the Senate race to Douglas. Remember, this was a time when the state legislatures elected U-S senators. Senators weren’t elected by popular vote until after the 17th Amendment was ratified in 1913.
Of course, he went on to be elected president two years later. It was the most critical time in American history. An unknown, 51 old year, funny looking, self taught country lawyer now had the future of the country on his shoulders. He assembled what has been called “a team of rivals” as his cabinet. All men who thought they were smarter than he, some of whom thought they should have had the job. But Lincoln was a master in controlling them, getting the best advice from all sides, but he alone made the final decisions.
Lincoln had terrible judgment when it came to appointing generals to lead the army. He went through several, and lost several big battles before putting Grant in charge.
Lincoln was not only the greatest president in history, he was one of the greatest American writers. The Gettysburg Address explained the war, why it was critical to the country’s survival, and honored those who “gave the last full measure of devotion.”
In his second inaugural address, one of the greatest speeches in the English language, he spoke of both sides’ beliefs, and the toll the war had taken. But he most importantly spoke of forgiveness and healing. “With malice toward none: with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan-to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves and with all nations.”
Lincoln was a great communicator. Journalists and politicans should study his speeches and writing to learn how he could get to the heart of the matter with an economy of words that the common citizen could understand. Even with a great army at his command, his greatest weapon may have been the words he spoke.
In his life, Lincoln was criticized, ridiculed, defamed, and underestimated. But he saved the nation, and showed us all how to persevere, and we are all better for it.
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