Great Americans: Abraham Lincoln

for Ford's Theater the night of April 14th 1865 at a performance of our American cousin a popular comedy John wils Booth shot Abraham [Music] [Applause] Lincoln the president was carried across the street to the home of William Peterson a Taylor his friends and family kept vigil with the doctors through the night but it was clear he was dying one of the most extraordinary men ever to be president of the United States had been fatally wounded by a fanatic Lincoln was in a way the last victim of the Civil War that had torn the country apart for 4 years a war that had ended only 5 days before when he died at 7:22 on that gray morning Edwin M Stanton is said to have whispered now he belongs to the [Music] ages Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin near Hodgenville Kentucky on February 12th 1809 his father was Thomas Lincoln and his mother Nancy Hanks he grew up on lonely Farms he had to do what every Frontier boy did it was back breaking work clearing planting helping with the [Music] chores young Abe had learned to use an axe but he also yearned to read and write despite the fact that his father a poor man needed him on the farm my father taught me to work but he never taught me to love it but the next next nine years Lincoln lived on a small farm despite his demanding father he read every book he could borrow in any moment he could find the things I want to know are in books he watched preachers and how they could hold a crowd he imitated them and he also began to pick up the rough folksy humor that delighted his friends all his [Music] life he grew to Young Manhood in the wilderness curious and [Music] ambitious in March of 1830 Thomas Lincoln moved his family again to the windy Prairie near decar Illinois Abe helped his father clear the land build the Log Cabin plant the corn but it was time for a [Music] change so in the spring of 1831 he hired up out to a man named Denton offer to build a flat boat and take it to New Orleans but the boat wasn't very far down the sangan when it grounded near a small town called New Salem Lincoln was [Music] impressed upon his return from new orans he settled in New Salem to run the store offord was opening there [Music] it was in New Salem that Lincoln really blossomed out for the first time he lived among people in a real Community Us Salem was a thriving town of about 25 families who owned and read books and lent them he got to know the people of New Salem and their children Lincoln made his first real friends and found that people liked him here he had a celebrated match with a local wrestler Jack Armstrong it was called a draw but it showed Lincoln to be strong fearless and fair in New Salem he learned to debate improve his grammar and speech and taught himself math ambition was beginning to burn in him the attraction was politics so in March of 1832 at 23 he decided to run for the State Assembly my politics are short and sweet like an old woman's dance if elected I shall be thankful if not it'll be all the same in April he rode off to the Blackhawk War as elected captain of the local volunteers wasn't much of a war and Lincoln said about it I had a good many bloody struggles with mosquito I bent a musket pretty bad on one occasion by Late July Lincoln was back in New Salem and took up his Run for the assembly again he didn't win but this setback spurred him to Greater effort to improve himself he decided if he was to succeed in politics he had to learn the law so he read the law in the next 2 years years his training in the law helped him as a politician and so did his faithful party service in 1836 he was licensed to practice law and was reelected to the state house one of the policies he advocated was woman suffrage it was evidence of Lincoln's caring for people and his concern about the inequities that he saw around him in 1839 he met Mary Todd she was from a prominent slave holding family in Lexington Kentucky a young woman cultured and much admired two years later they were married in May of 1844 they bought a home at a and Jackson in Springfield the only home Lincoln was ever to own he and Mary had four sons in the Springfield house one died [Music] there Lincoln Rode the law Sur tried cases studied and made longlasting friendships in the next Dozen Years in 1847 he took advantage of the growing strength of the wig position and ran for the US House of Representatives he won a seat and spent 2 years in Washington again he was a faithful congressman and partyman he made a small name for himself by opposing the then raging Mexican war and his feelings grew more to toward an anti-slavery [Music] position like many first-term Congressmen he felt he had little influence in Washington so he returned to Illinois depressed and bitter he chose not to run again but instead began to build his Springfield law [Music] practice he was an astute lawyer [Music] he was asked to defend young Duff Armstrong son of the Jack Armstrong he had wrestled many years before in New Salem against a charge of murder Lincoln agreed to take the case without a fee the chief witness for the prosecution stated that he had seen Duff commit the murder at Night by the light of a bright moon Lincoln then pulled out an almanac on the night in question the moon was in its first quarter and gave virtually no light the witness was clearly lying and Duff was acquitted Lincoln was a smart lawyer in Springfield Lincoln listened made speeches and waited he was a success as a lawyer but he felt his political Ambitions were thwarted then at the Illinois State Republican convention of 1858 held in Springfield he was chosen the Party's candidate for the US Senate and in response on June 16th Lincoln delivered a remarkable speech his feelings on slavery had matured and he was no longer hesitant about speaking out A house divided against itself cannot stand I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free it will become all one thing or all the [Music] other the house divided speech focused attention in Illinois and Across the Nation on Lincoln and his views on slavery more than any other Factor it brought on the most famous public dispute in American history the seven debates between Abraham Lincoln and Steven A Douglas Lincoln opposing the spread of slavery in the name of reason and Justice and Douglas defending it with passion and a sense of popular will at the last debate in Alton on October 15th referring to slavery Lincoln said it is the eternal struggle between two principles right and wrong they are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time on Election Day November 2nd 1858 the people of Illinois sent Douglas back to the Senate even so Lincoln gained something too the debates made him a figure of national interest he was now aware that he was politically on the way up he campaigned against the spread of slavery all through 1859 then he was invited to New York to speak at Cooper Union on February 27th 1860 it was a speech opposing the spread of slavery cued to the convictions of his audience Lincoln said let us have faith that right makes might and in that Faith to the end dare to do our duty as we understand it the speech made Lincoln a potential presidential candidate he surrounded himself with wise and clever counselors Like Richard Oglesby just before the Illinois State Republican convention in May 1860 Oglesby learned that Lincoln had been a rail splitter so he had Lincoln supporters parade on the convention floor logs Lincoln had split 30 years before and a banner proclaiming Lincoln the rail splitter thus a popular symbol was born Lincoln The Humble rail splitter the 1860 Republican National convention was held in Chicago William Seward was the favorite candidate with Lincoln a serious Dark Horse most people thought Seward would get the nomination but in David Davis Lincoln had a shrewd floor manager with Lincoln's consent Davis played one tune Seward can't win Lincoln can he asked Lincoln for possible compromises to win the nomination but Lincoln who remained in Springfield telegraphed make no contracts that will bind me May 18th 1860 the balloting started at 10:00 in the morning on the third ballot Abraham Lincoln became the Republican candidate for president Little Grace Bedell of Westfield New York wrote to suggest that Lincoln grow a beard because all the ladies like whiskers and would tease their husbands to vote for you Lincoln and having never worn any do you not think people would call it a piece of silly affectation if I were to begin it now but the idea stayed with him Lincoln faced two Democratic Rivals Steven A Douglas for Northern moderates and John Breckenridge for the Hardline Southerners it was not a pleasant campaign Lincoln was viciously represented as a radical and warmonger out to destroy the South he was neither on November 6th he was elected president of the United States the South threatened secession the day after his election Lincoln told some reporters well boys your troubles are over now mine have just begun Lincoln left for Washington from the Springfield Depot on February 11th 1861 never to return again alive on the way the train stopped in Upstate New York and Lincoln was able to show Grace badell his new Grown whiskers on March 4th 1861 he became the 16th president of the United States seven states had already succeeded in his inaugural address he said in your hands my Des satisfied fellow countrymen and not in mine is the momentous issue of Civil War the government will not assail you you have no oath registered in heaven to destroy the government while I have the most solemn one to preserve protect and defended the country was seething Civil War was on every tongue the first question was should the Garrison of at Fort Sumpter in the Charleston Harbor be reinforced or removed on April 12th Confederate batteries opened fire on the Forts and answered the question the Civil War had begun on April 15th Lincoln's Proclamation for 75,000 militia men was his response the union would be defended and preserved 11 states had dissolved their ties with the government and formed the Confederate States of America they had to be brought back into the Union over the next four years the country was torn by War the ugliest sort brother against brother it was a struggle of ideas that rent the country before it was over more than 600,000 would die in The Conflict by 1862 Lincoln concluded the nation could never be brought together again as long as it remained half slave and half free so on January 1st 1863 he issued a proclamation that all persons held as slaves within any state the people whereof shall be in Rebellion against the United States shall be then then forward and forever free the war grew ever more [Music] violent on November 19th 1863 at the gettsburg battlefield Lincoln spoke words of Solace and dedication that have become part of the tradition of our language we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom and the government of the People by the people for the people shall not perish from the earth the war was as Carl Sandberg said fought over a verb before it you could say the United States are after it Lincoln had made it the United States [Music] is but the war was more than that for the first time in our history brother fought brother to rid us of slavery and finally make brothers of us all the weight of all this was heavy on Lincoln's soul and it showed more and more in his face but his humor stayed ready and easy Once when people criticized him for telling jokes he said were it not for this vent I would die I must Laugh to Keep from Crying in the presidential campaign of 1864 Lincoln ran against George mclen once commander of the army of the pomac it was again a bitter personal campaign that depressed him greatly but Lincoln won handsomely the United States supported his policy it lifted his spirits a [Music] bit in his second inaugural address Lincoln reminded his fellow citizens with malice toward none with charity toward all with firmness in the right as as God gives us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation's [Music] wounds the war had started badly for the union then seesar and finally generals like Sherman Sheridan and Grant turned the tide at last on April 9th 1865 at the Wilmer McLean house in aomax Virginia General Robert E Lee surrendered to General ulyses S Grant the griest war in America's history was virtually over at the celebration in Washington Lincoln asked the band to play Dixie [Music] it was time to bind up the nation's wounds but Unbound elements remained less than a week later Lincoln was dead Lincoln holds a unique place in history he is one of the very few political leaders admired and respected everywhere why perhaps because of his unswerving faith in what he called the whole great family of man as exemplified in the whole of a United America he saw his life's work as a struggle to prove that men could govern themselves with Justice for All the governed for the good of their children and their children and their children's children and the countless myriads who should inhabit the Earth in other [Music] ages Lincoln was a man who spoke with courage and compassion for all people who in all times and places have no voice of Their Own [Applause] [Music] h [Music]