Abraham Lincoln's Abolishing Slavery

"As an instrument in his hands, you have done a mighty work for the freedom of millions who have so long pined in the bondage our of land." (Bodenner 9) These are the words of abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, who felt heavily relieved of the works Abraham Lincoln accomplished as president. No doubt, Abraham Lincoln 's act in abolishing slavery and the difficulties that he faced along the way are what made the lasting impression he has on the world today.

Abraham Lincoln made presidential history by putting an effort in the act of abolishing slavery. In the midst of his term in office, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, that was signed January 1, 1863. President Lincoln changed the civil war from "a struggle to save the Union

During his presidential reign, Abraham Lincoln experienced many difficulties along the way. While he was working to abolish slavery, the southern states, known as the Confederates, were rebelling and trying to secede from our nation. Impressively, Lincoln argued, "no state upon its own mere motion, can lawfully get out of the Union" (Paulsen 4). This quote from Lincoln 's inaugural address shows that he remained calm and handled their attempts in a professional manner. However, when I came to the lawfulness of the act of slavery, the Constitution had no rule against it. In fact, many famous debates were triggered that "condemned Lincoln 's position as the equivalent of hostility to the Constitution itself" (Paulsen 3). Though the Constitution had nothing against slavery, Lincoln stood firm and worked to end slavery, while other politicians disagreed. In addition, Lincoln also struggled with serious depressive episodes. Depression was in Lincoln 's family history. He had many losses of people that were close to him, such as his mother, siblings, and friend (Carson and Wakely 2). Not only did Lincoln have physical challenges, but he had mental dilemmas as well. Because Abraham Lincoln overcame these struggles, he left a lasting

The way America values human rights is a big part of the lasting impression Abraham Lincoln made. During the Civil War, the United States had trouble with staying as a united nation. According to Luke and Michael Paulsen, "the United States is the nation it is today because of Lincoln 's unswerving constitutional commitment to maintaining the Union" (4). This evidence concludes that we owe gratitude towards Abraham Lincoln for our nation as it is currently. Additionally, Lincoln has made a permanent mark on the Constitution, known as the 13th amendment. Our country finally ratified this amendment that states, "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude" can ever "exist within the United States (Bodenner 12). This evidence logically implies that Lincoln was an essential step in the abolishment of slavery. Furthermore, Lincoln left a lasting impression by providing the world with a model president. Arguably, no other president has defended his stance so aggressively. Many would agree with Luke and Michael Paulsen when they say Lincoln is, "the model of a president committed to the faithful execution of the laws and of his constitutional duties" (8). This example demonstrates how a committed leader leaves a legacy not only for his country, but places worldwide. Our country is very lucky that Abraham Lincoln made an impact on human rights and promoted equality.

For many reasons, Abraham Lincoln left his legacy by being active in improving human rights, and overcoming