Lincoln American Hero

A hero has been defined in a variety of ways throughout history. According to dictionary.com (2014), a hero is a person with notable characteristics of bravery and power. Cipriano (2014) however, defines one as a person who receives the admiration of the public for his performance and judgment. Despite having different definitions, both Abraham Lincoln and H.H.S Zayed Al Nahyan have been declared heroes for distinctive reasons and accomplishments. Abraham Lincoln, born in 1809 was the 16th president of the United States; he supported unity and freedom and took the first steps toward the end of slavery in the US. (Abraham Lincoln, n.d) In contrast, H.H.S Zayed Al Nahyan, born in 1918 into the royal family was the first president of the UAE;

Firstly, with respect to Al Nahyan, his background as the grandson of the longest ruling president of the UAE led him to embody the quality of a great leader, which resulted in his utmost care toward his country (Almazroui, 2013). His eagerness for knowledge gave him a clear path towards the discovery of his nation. Moreover his brothers ultimate trust in him gave him the opportunity to create a difference as the responsibility of managing the newly discovered oil was given to him (H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan president of the United Arab Emirates, n.d). In contrast, Lincoln’s heroism was based on his interest to claim the presidency of the states. However, while this ambition started before the Black Hawk War in 1832, his position as the captain of the Illinois party fueled his desire (American President: Abraham Lincoln: A Life in Brief). His interest in law was also one of the triggering factors for his heroic acts as it led him to learn more about the state of his country and gain more information about the issue of slavery. Furthermore Lincoln’s humble characteristics and skills helped him gain the love and trust of his followers that encouraged him through the steps towards evolution desire (American President: Abraham Lincoln: A Life in

With regard to the former, Al Nahyan’s strong sense of leadership has resulted in the rise of the UAE as he led it with outmost care and built it into what it has become today, a developed country with strong economic stability. His rational decisions, which took the citizens’ best interest into consideration, gained him the trust, love and support from not only the people of his country, but many individuals around the world (H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan president of the United Arab Emirates, n.d). Indeed, he did not only strive to develop the state of his country, but also participated in solving issues in different nations such as the Palestinian war in 1973, the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, and other problems recorded in history. On the other, although Lincoln’s support for anti-slavery was the reason for the split of the union, he never abandoned his party and fought for the unity of mankind. This perseverance and support towards the cause resulted in not only the freedom of the slaves, but also the reunification of the lost states. However his initiative toward fulfilling his goal were short lived as he was assassinated in war, and so the impact was solely based on the united states and unfortunately didn’t include the rest of the world. (American President: Abraham Lincoln: A Life in