Abraham Lincoln is one of the most celebrated and controversial personality of American history. Lincoln is idolized even today for his brave character as he changed the shapes of United States, for the long lasting benefit of the Americans. His image is often portrayed in a sanctified light, as he worked according to a pattern in which he was incapable of doing wrong. Lincoln was well aware of his defects and demerits as a leader. He is more to human scale than generally assumed. Even though he was strong, a talented wrestler and experienced with an axe, he disliked killing and harming animals. His death even commanded far more attention than any other presidents. He administered over the most calamitous war in U.S. history and his decisions adapted forever on the American government. Though he was a barbarian but he threw away many bad guys and helped America. His most famous quote was “Whatever you are, be the good one”.
1. Live valiant
After the Union had taken the Confederate capitol of Richmond Virginia at the end of Civil War, Abraham Lincoln marched with few men to the capitol city, which was the heart of enemy territory. The day Lincoln was assassinated, at Ford’s theatre he denied large security with him even though he was to be assassinated any time. He believed in living fearlessly. He was not ready to live his life in fear because he will die someday. He used to say “fear is crippling thing, especially to the entrepreneur. There are always millions of things that can go wrong, you might just fail. But you’ll never know, until you try “. He was never scared of trying even if he fails. He was a man of great principals who deserve great respect and honor.
2. Work hard, Play hard
Lincoln knew how to work hard, and play even harder. He always made time to play with his children, even while he has to command the most stressful and gut-wrenching war in U.S. He used to say “many entrepreneurs take themselves way too seriously, it is after all just work”. He was a hard-worker. He was one of the busiest men in the country during his presidency, but he still made friends and family his priority. He was a great man and knew how to balance life.
3. Came under enemy fire on a Civil War battlefield
The battle of Fort Stevens was the American Civil War battle in Washington, D.C. On top of the parapet of Ford Stevens is a memorial stone dedicated to Abraham Lincoln for the battle of Fort Stevens. Lincoln stoop atop the parapet of the fort to witness the battle and came under direct fire of Confederate sharpshooters. It was the only time in American History in which a President came under direct fire from an enemy combatant.
4. Great military leader
Among the other war Presidents, Lincoln is viewed as the top military strategist. When American Civil War began, Lincoln was far less prepared for the commander in chief than his opponents. His only military experience had come in 1832, when he was the captain of militia unit. As President of the nation and leader of his party as well as commander in chief, Lincoln was responsible for shaping and defining national policy. Lincoln’s top priority was to keep border state Unionists and Northern Antiabolitionist Democrats in his war federation.
5. Secret service
On 14th April, Abraham Lincoln was shot at Ford’s theater in Washington, D.C. On the same day he signed into which the Secret service, whose work was to defend the President from dangers such as assassination which befell on Lincoln that evening. It was the historical coincidence. The major motive of the secret service was to encounter widespread currency fraudulent. The secret service carried out the Treasury duties. Until 1901, after the killing of two other presidents, the secret service was formally assigned to protect the commander-in-chief.
6. A Gentle Herculean
Abraham Lincoln was known as ‘Honest Abe’. He stands as the yardstick by which all the presidents are measured. He rose to be one of America’s great, ending slavery and keeping the country united. He had the courage to stand up for what he believed was right. He was a man of great integrity, depth, understanding and the heart of doing the right thing. He had a unique figure as a gentleman, an outstanding public speaker, superior statesman and a man who ended slavery. He wants to finish the work freeing the slaves and preserving the nation and for that he was ready to risk his political life and instead of backing out, he stood up in the fight. His speeches were filled with such poetry and clarity that people felt that they were watching him think and that he was telling them the truth. He held a moderate view of reconstruction and was seeking to unite the nation speedily through the policy of general agreement and settlement. He had ample qualities as a leader as he took the responsibility for what he did and he shared the responsibility for the mistake of others, so people became very loyal to him.
7. Fought against Slavery
Lincoln’s major work was to remove slavery issues in American history. He was known for his ‘free soil ‘ stance of opposing slavery and abolitionism. He believed that the institution of slavery is founded on both injustice and bad policy. He expressed his disagreement towards slavery in public and private. Lincoln expected to bring extinction of slavery by stopping its further expansion in any U.S. territory. In 1860, he stood by the Republican party who also demanded the end of slavery. His numerous complex movements towards the ending of slavery by using the Army to protect escaped slaves, encouraging the border states to outlaw slavery and helping push through the congress helped to outlaw the slavery permanently. During the Civil War, Lincoln used the war powers of presidency to issue the ‘Emancipation Proclamation’ which declared “all persons held as slaves within any states or designated part of the state, be in rebellion against the “United States”. Lincoln said that he wouldn’t try to free slaves but he ended up freeing them and gave up Emancipation Proclamation and fought to keep the country together. He also supported the American Colonization Society program of making the abolition of slavery practical by helping the freed slaves settle in Africa.
8. Predicament of his own death
In 1860 , Lincoln believed he saw the ghostly image of himself next to the actual reflection in the mirror. His wife interpreted that he will be elected as a second team. Five years passed, after being elected he dreamt that he was in the White House, surrounded by people mourning and crying. While walking down to the East room, he saw a corpse lying down there and when he asked a soldier who died, he replied ‘The President’. Two weeks later, Lincoln was killed by an assassin. He almost knew his death before. He was believed to possess some psychic powers as he could see the future happening events.
9. Attempt to steal Lincoln’s corpse
After his death by assassination, the body of Abraham Lincoln was brought from Washington, D.C. to his hometown Illinois by funeral train. A tomb was made where his body was buried. A criminal named Ben Boyd had been arrested for 10 years so his crime partner ‘Big Jim’ needed a plan to free Ben. So he planned on stealing Abraham Lincoln’s body. His body’s remains were held as ransom until the government paid $,200,000 in gold and freed Ben Boyd. Secret service agents impregnated the gang and destroyed their plan. After that Lincoln’s body was quickly moved to an unmarked and hidden grave and was encased in a steel cage and enshrined under 10 feet of concrete.
10. A Brilliant Wrestler
Abraham Lincoln was an accomplished wrestler. He can out-lift, out-wrestle and throw down any man in the country. He disposed an opponent with a single toss and challenged people to come up and fight him but nobody dared to step forward. The stories about his strength were pretty famous and he was called one of the strongest men in Illinois. One account has him lifting a thousand pound load in front of the New Salem mill. His strength made him an excellent grapple after throwing around a powerful wrestler named Daniel Needman in Coles country. He was challenged by Jack Armstrong too, but Lincoln defeated him also. He lost only once in approximately 300 matches. He was undoubtedly the toughest of all the presidents.
I have heard that President Lincoin slept with a General in the same bed. is this fact or fiction? I am not suggesting it was a sexual realationship.