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Abraham Lincoln Legacy

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Robert Day
Miss. Leavitt
English Composition 1
November 18, 2014
The Legacy of Lincoln: A President For The People
In a time when political injustice and scandals plagued Washington D.C, many lost faith in their government and the union which it looked to preserve. The country brought to the verge of civil war, only one man was thought to be the best chance to keep the nation intact in the Republican Party. His name was Abraham Lincoln. In this captivating biography, Doris Goodwin, a much admired historian, gives readers insight on what made President Lincoln one of the most respected and well known presidents in the history of the United States. Goodwin makes the case for Lincoln's political prowess by inspecting the connections he had with …show more content…

Chase, William H. Seward and Edwin Stanton. These men, all skilled, nationally known, and diplomatic, originally belittled Lincoln for his lack of experience and rural upbringing, and were appalled at losing to this backwoods Illinois Lawyer and failed politician. Lincoln not only convinced them later on to join his administration, but in time he ultimately gained their admiration and respect as well. If he did not possess the wisdom and confidence to select and work with arguably the people most suited for the positions, he could not have led the nation as effectively through this time of turmoil. Though Goodwin can't help but cover the basics of the history of Lincoln, the angle is focused enough to offer a new perspective on Lincoln's leadership style and his innate understanding of the complexity of human behavior and morality. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln shows readers detailed accounts and information of Lincoln’s political career in office about why he had made the choices he made, how imperative …show more content…

The end concludes, Lincoln wanted political power not for his own glorification, profit, or amusement, but because he wanted to for humanities sake. This drive kept him going in his early years of obscurity and enabled him always to put the good of his country above his own ego. Lincoln was not a politician in it for the fame or to push his agenda upon the masses, but he was a true humanitarian, and Goodwin credits him for it. Quotes from men like Walt Whitman, Ulysses S. Grant, and Leo Tolstoy who also give Lincoln admiration and respect for what he had done during his time as president substantiated the claims. Goodwin quotes Tolstoy near the end of the book about why Lincoln’s name had become so legendary: “Now, why was Lincoln so great that he overshadows all other national heroes? He really was not a great general like Napoleon or Washington; he was not such a skillful statesman as Gladstone or Frederick the Great; but his supremacy expresses itself altogether in his peculiar moral power and in the greatness of his character” (Goodwin, 2203). This was a man who had such strong determination to benefit others before anything else. This emphasizes just why Lincoln has kept such awe-inspiring status since his death while the seemingly good names of other assassinated presidents have fluctuated with time. In a time when political injustice was very apparent in

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