During Lincoln’s life, he learned he had to work hard in order to be successful. Lincoln was born in a small cabin in the middle of the Kentucky wilderness. He was born on February 12th, 1809 to his parents Mary Todd and Thomas Lincoln. Both his parents were uneducated. Because of this, Lincoln’s family did not have much. Lincoln learned from this, that he had to work hard for what he wanted. “Poverty, farm chores, hard work, and reading by the light of the fireplace dominated young Abe’s life until he was seventeen, when he found work on a ferryboat” as stated by Burlingame described …show more content…
The outcome of the war was a result of his strategic moves and his ability to convince others of his beliefs, that resulted in the outcome of the war. One example of how Lincoln acted during the Civil War was his ability to make huge executive moves. Many times these moves required him to overrule the supreme court and congress. “Lincoln assumed extralegal powers over the press, declared martial law in areas where no military action justified it, quelled draft riots with armed soldiers, and drafted soldiers to fight for the union” (Burlingame 1). Lincoln 's main goal during the war was to save the Union and he understood that the only way to do this was to break some rules along the way. As Lincoln said “it made no sense ‘to lose the nation and yet preserve the Constitution’ ” (Burlingame 2). In order to preserve the Union and win the war, Lincoln realized he had to make decisions that fit what the nation needed, even though the government may not be …show more content…
Lincoln is best known for his speeches, The Gettysburg Address and Emancipation Proclamation. He had a way during his speeches to uplift the entire nation while the nation was at its worst. “He mobilized and energized the nation by appealing to the best and highest of ideals, that is, he convinced the nation that ‘a more perfect Union’- a union of justice and freedom- was worth fighting for” (McGovern 153). Because of his powerful words he was able to convince many, black and white, to fight for his cause. During the Emancipation Proclamation he started to encourage freed slaves to fight in the Civil War. It was because of Lincoln’s strong leadership skills that the Union was able to win the