Why Was Abraham Lincoln's Most Important Today

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What makes Abraham Lincoln so important? Abraham Lincoln is the ultimate picture of one of the most important revolutionary figures in history. He changed not only America today, but also guided future generations. Lincoln showed many attributes of a revolutionist impacting not only the past but most importantly affecting America today. Lincoln possessed many important qualities as a leader although his most evident ones include, his value of life, showing boldness, protecting the weak and vulnerable, and finally his honesty. The word revolutionary is commonly used in the English language but the importance of this word is often taken lightly. A standard definition of the word revolutionary is “Radically new or innovative, outside or beyond …show more content…

Lincoln wanted to see every human have the ability to be free. He valued the sanctity of life and respected every human no matter their age, race, or their moral views. Many people may argue, Lincoln only cared about the freedom of every human so he could gain the votes of those who were silenced by society. Although this viewpoint of Lincoln is commonly thought within those who dislike him, one important aspect to note is, Lincoln said during his presidency that he only cared for the union and that his official position as President of the United States did not affect his wish to save his country. This is seen when former President Lincoln says, “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it”. (“Abraham Lincoln and Emancipation”) This shows that Lincoln was not focused on gaining popularity but rather he cared for his country and the people in the United States. This also proves Lincoln put out ideas of equality for all humans, these ideas were never heard of before and that shows his revolutionary ideas still impact us today. Lincoln set an incredible example of how to be a genuine revolutionist by viewing every human life the same and protecting each individual’s life with dignity and …show more content…

Abraham Lincoln may have been bold in the way he spoke, but he was very tactical and wise when speaking his mind. He knew in order to get his cabinet members on board with one of his most important acts, The Emancipation Proclamation, he needed to be tactical in how he presented the act. The Emancipation Proclamation was not something Lincoln took lightly, but rather he reworked the way they put this act together multiple times, sometimes even restarting the document. He faced a great challenge when presenting this document. He knew that many people would be in opposition to his words and that on the contrary, this could save the lives of many. Many people who opposed Lincoln have said that Lincolns Cabinet members were swayed by their feelings towards the treatment of slaves and that caused them to forget their true duties as Cabinet Members. The many accounts of the treatment of slaves may have influenced some Cabinet Members but as closer examination of the reactions of the cabinet reveals that the reactions of the members were very mixed and varied greatly from one another. One clear example of this was when attorney general Edward Bates, who was a conservative and greatly opposed equality for blacks, gave his support to Lincoln. Bates did not give Lincoln his support for the reason that his heart was swayed or moved, but rather because Bates focused on the