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Why Is Abraham Lincoln Our Greatest President?

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Why is Abraham Lincoln Our Greatest President? Abraham Lincoln has a warm place in many American’s hearts. For most of my life I’ve tried to mirror myself after him (even wearing a top hat everywhere I went as a child). He was always this fascinating person that I always had to learn more and more about. I’ve been looking for a real reason why he is my favorite president. I’ve finally come to the conclusion on why he’s our greatest president based on facts and his actions during his terms as president, rather than just me saying he was because he was/is my childhood hero. He is our country 's greatest president because he helped pass the thirteenth amendment, he passed the homestead act and approved the transcontinental railroad, and he …show more content…
Before Lincoln could even step foot into Washington Southern states were seceding and declaring their independence from the Union, his election being the cause of their secession (Arrington,1). Lincoln, being a Republican was thought to be an abolitionist by those in the South even though, he actually wasn’t (Bos “Abraham”,1). Lincoln’s original plan was to not interfere with slavery. since the constitution didn’t give the president that power (Bos “Abraham”,1). When he took office the nation was already divided (Bos “Abraham”,1). Only a short month after Lincoln began his first term, shots were fired at Fort Sumter by the Confederates starting the Civil War (Bos “Abraham”,2). Initially the Union was expected to be able to handle such attacks as the South’s but, military leaders in the North didn’t serve their purpose (Bos “Abraham”,2). Soon after President Lincoln realized he needed to make a quick and drastic change to his military (Bos “Abraham”,2). Early on the war was about keeping the nation whole, but as fighting continued the war became about much more than that (Bos “Abraham”,3). The war became about freeing slaves (Bos “Abraham”,3). With this in mind the President passed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which legally didn’t do much of anything, but it did boost Union troops will to fight (Bos “Abraham”,3). The victory at Gettysburg was the turning point in the war for the Union (The History Place,8). After three days of battle 57,000 people were dead (Bos “Lincoln”,2). After this bloody battle Lincoln gave his famous speech, the Gettysburg address which he gave on the battlefield in Gettysburg (Bos “Lincoln”,2). As the war began to sizzle out and the North took over the South, President Lincoln was re-elected (Bos “Lincoln”,3). In his second inaugural address President Lincoln said he hoped for a brighter future and that there would be “malice towards none,” (Bos

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