Martin Luther King Jr And Abraham Lincoln Alike

Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the greatest civil rights leaders in the history of America(3). Abraham Lincoln, the United States’ 16th president, was the leader of the union army in the civil war that also fought for civil rights(1). Even these two men were very different, they were both huge figures in the fight for civil rights and equality(o). They both would not stop fighting until there was equality among races(o). Abraham Lincoln lived a very successful life for how short it was. Lincoln was born in a cabin in Kentucky on February 12, 1809 to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. Lincoln received less than a year of school and mostly educated himself before volunteering for Illinois’ state militia. There he would fight the Native Americans

and Abraham Lincoln had many similarities, they also were very different. Abraham Lincoln did not share the same views of equality as Martin Luther King Jr. did. Abraham Lincoln wanted black people to be free of slavery and that was all. He didn’t agree with black people having the same rights. Lincoln however wanted the black Union Army soldiers to have the same rights as white people but saw no need for other black people to have civil rights. In comparison, Martin Luther King wanted all blacks to have the same rights as white people and to be able to do the same things as white people without being segregated(4). Their ideals were also different. Abraham sees that the intermarrying of black and white people should not be allowed. He also wanted there to still be superior and inferior races such as white dominance of black people. Finally, Lincoln thought that two races could not dwell together on the basis of social and political equality. This means that black people could not run for office or became socially well known(4). These two men also had different paths of life. Abraham Lincoln entered the world of politics to help the equality of black people and to free them from slavery(1). He also took fighting for equality to violence where Dr. King fought without violence(1,3). Dr. King’s occupation was a minister at a church and Abraham Lincoln was the president of the United States. That is a third difference in their actions. Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln were very