research paper

Mike Millhiser
May 4th
Martineau(wlit)
Abraham Lincoln’s Legacy with Overcoming Adversity

Abraham Lincoln’s lifelong triumphs helped his decision-making as president. The

trials he faced growing up taught him endurance. His way of life with his family,

education, law career, and as a politician helped him to become what he was in the end.

These events helped him overcome adversity.

Abraham Lincoln overcame adversity from his childhood situation all the way

through to his presidency. He learned how to accept his situation and help out his family,

and eventually achieve a job as a lawyer, before becoming president. Lincoln overcame

adversity in the following areas, Family, Education, and his legacy. The first area he

achieved adversity in was his family life. He was born in a log cabin in Hardin County,

Kentucky. His parents were Thomas and Nancy Lincoln. Five years later after living in

the log cabin, the family outgrew so the Lincoln’s father had to sell the land and then

traveled into the wilderness of Indiana. There was no food so his father had, to hunt

deer ( Gale 2).

Lincoln had to help his family out a lot he had to learn how to chop wood to help

his dad build the new log cabin. He also had to learn how to hunt at an early age. He

had a job of being a shopkeeper when he was a boy, he took care of a store, which

earned a very low salary. In 1884, the business that he worked for started getting a lot

of customers so that made having more money make the life of his family a little better

with more clothes, and better food. ( Gale 2 ).

 Lincoln taught himself everything, he read law and he studied English from books

right from his cabin. He loved to read and from reading he picked up knowledge. He

thought about words that people said, and, eventually was able to put them together in

his head and speak them. He also read law books and studied them everyday until he

memorized them. He also became a lawyer clerk in Springfield and this helped him

learn things of government by working there and being exposed to it at an early age

( Ny times 1).

After this he successfully became a lawyer. In 1834 he was elected to the Illinois

state legislature as a member of the Whig party. He learned his early views on slavery

from it to. And in 1837 he moved to Springfield to become a lawyer to practice in the

john t. Staurt law firm. While this was going on, he fell in love with a girl named Anne

Rutledge. Before he had the chance to ask her to be his wife she died from a horrible

fever. And this death left him very depressed. In 1844 Lincoln practiced law with a man

named William Herndon, and they developed a close relationship with the way they

viewed subjects of the law. To make more money he went to various county seats in

Illinois for jobs, also. ( bio Editor 3 )

Next Lincoln started entering politics which he served a term in the House of

Representatives from 1847 to 1849. His time there was very short. Lincoln supported

Zachary Taylor for being president in 1848. He became a lobbyist for the Illinois Central

railroad as an attorney. Lincoln also did court cases.( bio editor 4)

There was a Missouri compromise and this was on the Republican Party's job to

make a decision and Lincoln was joined the party in 1856 and people liked his views on

slavery and how it was a bad thing. And in 1857 the Supreme Court made a Scott vs.
Stratford law saying that African Americans are not citizens and they don't have any

rights. And Lincoln challenged U.S senator Stephen Douglas for his seat. Lincoln was

mad at president Buchanan for promoting slavery and declared “ a house divided

against itself cannot stand”. Newspapers were printed with Lincolns views on the

debates and people began to like what Lincoln was saying. In 1860 political

representatives made a campaign to support Abraham Lincoln for president. On may 18

there was a national convention in Chicago, and Lincoln did better than candidates,

William Seward, and salmon chase. From winning this Lincoln was inaugurated for

president in march 1861. He became the president of the United States ( Bio editor 5 ).

Lincoln enlisted as a militia Captain on the union side. He distributed 2 million

dollars from the treasury for war materials. He called 75,000 Volunteers to fight in the

war. Lincoln faced defince, and was often at odds with his generals. He also helped the

proclamation for all of the states that had slaves.

During Lincoln's presidency he worked on trying to end slavery and freeing

Africans from their masters. It worked and he got votes for it. One evening president

Lincoln decided to go out to a theater called Fordes theater with his wife for

entertainment. But while he was their a man by the name of John Wilkes booth, had

seen the play and he knew when the scene was coming. when the crowd cheer loudly

he shot president Lincoln in the back of the head using a small revolver. And historians

say he broke his leg while doing so but managed to get on his horse and rode away. As

for president Lincoln they carried him over to a house across the theater, and a woman

there tried to care for him but he died early the next morning.

All of Washington and the world was shocked when they read in the newspaper
that Lincoln had been killed, and in order to give the president recognition they started

constructing a monument Years later of remembrance for Lincoln and is in Washington

DC today.

In conclusion, Abraham Lincoln conquered adversity by showing not just himself,

but the world that even a boy who lived in a log cabin, and came from nothing can

overcome anything and become a lawyer, and eventually become a president with the

hard work and the motivation it takes. Lincolns drive is what made him accomplish what

he did. He is an inspiration and a leader to how you can overcome anything in the

world.