A Date With Lincoln by Jasmine

A Date With Lincoln by Jasmine - October 2017 Scholarship Essay

Abraham Lincoln, the man who took a stand against slavery and changed the course of United States history for the better. Lincoln is a desirable choice for the president I would have dinner with because he is inspiring. Lincoln would be my first choice because he was courageous enough to be a leader and fight against a favorable trend, he was the first US president to fix issues that faced the country, and because he understood what true freedom and equality were, so he gave it to everyone.
Courage is an individual's ability to face what scares them the most. Everyone has courage, but only leaders use courage to turn their fears into their strengths. Lincoln had a fear of splitting the nation apart over the issue of slavery. To overcome his fear, he courageously pronounced slavery as unconstitutional , which, in turn, split the nation. He then quickly declared the civil war to affirm his challengers that he was not going to back down on his new policy. His actions united the nation and strengthened industrialization. Lincoln fought against the favorable industry of slavery and made factory working the new favorable industry. Lincoln's actions taught me to stand behind he cause I believe in.
To take initiative is to take responsibility by doing what you know is right. This is what Lincoln did when he took office as the sixteenth president of the United States. All of the presidents that preceded Lincoln put aside the ongoing issues with slavery. Many of those presidents had plans to deal with those issues, or end slavery all together, but they just never got around to it. Lincoln, on the other hand, took it upon himself to end slavery because he knew that it was never going to get done , since it had already been passed through fifteen other presidents. What I learned from this action was to do something myself if I want it done .
America is called the land of freedom and opportunity, yet the values of freedom and equality only applied to certain groups of people. Until Lincoln outlawed slavery, African Americans were viewed as property with value, not people with rights. Lincoln took the first step toward equality and freedom for all races of people when declaring the Emancipation Proclamation as a constitutional law. Lincoln brought to light the issues with slavery to inform the people that turned a blind eye toward or didn't see any issues with slavery could see how detrimental enslavement really is to a country based on the idea that freedom and equality are guaranteed to everyone. Lincoln set a precedent that taught me to treat everyone the same, with respect and kindness.
Having dinner with Lincoln is something I would do because his actions helped shaped me into the person I am today. He taught me many life lessons through his words and actions. Lincoln is inspiring to me because he was a courageous leader, he took initiative against national issues, and because he treated everyone as if they were the same. Overall, Lincoln taught me to have courage, how to be and act as a leader, and how to treat others.