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Abraham Lincoln as the Greatest President Essay

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Abraham Lincoln is regarded by many Americans as the greatest president to ever hold office in the history of the United States, and his reputation is definitely well deserved. Lincoln wasn't scared to stand up and fight for what he knew was right. He was convinced that within the branches of government, the presidency alone was empowered not only to uphold the Constitution, but also to protect, and defend it. Lincoln was able to lead our country and preserve the Union, keeping the United States from splintering during the devastating times of the Civil War. As President, he built the Republican Party into a strong national organization, and he rallied most of the northern Democrats to the Union cause. On January 1, 1863, he issued the …show more content…

Lincoln had an older sister, Sarah, and a younger brother, Thomas, who died in infancy. Little is known about Lincoln's mother and the Hanks ancestry. She was one of at least eight children named Nancy Hank's born during the 1780's. (Donald, 1995) His mother was reportedly an illegitimate child born out of wedlock, but it was a subject that Lincoln rarely discussed. Nancy died when Lincoln was only nine years old. Family meant a great deal to Lincoln, and he was unfortunately too young to actually know and remember his mother. A year after her death, his father Thomas married again and Lincoln became interested in new family relations. Lincoln and his stepmother were very close. She helped fill the void in his heart and the overall feeling loneliness after his mother's death. Of his Lincoln ancestors he knew only a little more than he did about his mothers side the Hanks. Lincoln's grandfather was putting in a crop of corn one day in 1786 when he was attacked and killed by a group of Native Americans. Lincoln's father Thomas, due to the loss, was left a poor

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