Honest Abe by Jaeda

Honest Abe by Jaeda - October 2017 Scholarship Essay

Abraham Lincoln was a man that stood for freedom, determination, unity and honesty. In Lincoln's four years of being president he wasn’t afraid to take risks. Lincoln risked the future of the entire nation in the Civil War (1861-1865) because his main goal throughout the course of his presidency was to “preserve the union” and keep the United States united. In 1863 Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which would free 3.1 million slaves in the United States, making him a true liberator. Though in the end President Lincoln was assassinated, his presidential decisions would go on to change America forever.
I believe that I have a lot to learn from President Lincoln. At a nice dinner overlooking the New York City skyline I would love to pick his brain on what was going through his mind during his time as President. Lincoln is seen as a hero in many different aspects of American history but all were for the greater good of America. Daily I face obstacles that are in a sense my “Civil War” and all I can think is “What would Lincoln do?”. Lincoln's response to my questions would always essentially tell me to “take the bull by the horns” because that is what he had to do in many of the situations he faced in his life.
Other than questioning Lincoln on how to overcome adversity in similar ways that he did, I want to know about what it was like growing up for him. In any old Abraham Lincoln biography book I can read that he grew up in a log cabin in Kentucky. Our conversation would consist of me asking him of the interesting trials and tribulations he went through on his journey to becoming 16th President of the United States. Lincoln would tell me stories of living in the log cabin, the loss of his mother, the odd jobs he took up as a teenager, and how he went from lawyer to president. I would sit in awe just listening to Lincoln's story of success, coming from one person who came from humble beginnings to another it's amazing to know that truly anything is possible when you put your mind to it.
Needless to say, Lincoln had many people completely against him, his ideals and his decisions. During this time period the majority of elitists and people with money resided in the south and owned slaves. The Civil War had been raging on since 1861, but once the Emancipation Proclamation was signed Lincoln had even less support. Some of those that weren’t slave owners believed that the former slaves were second class citizens. Those who believed that were also against Lincoln for freeing the slaves which would technically make former slaves equal to all other citizens. Throughout all the hate and the naysayers President Lincoln pulled through. In today's society everyone has “haters” but Lincoln was President with an entire confederation against him. Today we live in a world full of technology and social media which allows for the spreading of opinions and ideas much more easily. I’d ask Lincoln if he were President today would he be able to be just as successful although he’d be getting much more direct hate and criticism. I’d imagine that even if we happened to go through the Civil War once more in America currently and Abraham Lincoln was the President we’d still manage to have a preserved union four years later.
Though President Lincoln's life was cut short if I could have dinner with him one time I would make it a memorable one. Lincoln would shower me in his knowledge in overcoming hardships and he’d teach me that sometimes the bigger sacrifices will come back to pay off big in the future. Abraham Lincoln should be seen as an inspiration to many people throughout the world; by definition he stands for freedom, determination, unity and honesty.