Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln (http://sc94.ameslab.gov/TOUR/alincoln.html)

In our every day lives, we run into others that someday may change our lives or the government and become a hero by doing so. A hero can be someone who goes around saving others, but a hero can also be someone who wants to accomplish a certain goal, and face some obstacles on the way and yet conquer them and never giving up to get to their goal. A hero needs courage, perseverance, hope in themselves and others, and a strong sense of leadership, in order to achieve their goals in their life. Heroes such as Martin Luther King Jr., George Washington, and Thomas Edison were great heroes in their times of existence and had terrific dreams of many things, and they stuck to their dreams until they succeeded in it.

"Four score and seven years ago…" is known as the beginning of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Lincoln, born in a log cabin in Hardin (now Larue) County, Kentucky in 1809, along with an older sister and a little brother who died at birth. As the son of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln, Abraham would soon grow up to make many changes to our government and our country. In 1818, Lincoln’s mother died and Lincoln’s dad re-married a Kentucky widow in 1819. Ten years later, Lincoln made his first trip to New Orleans by sailing down the Mississippi River. From his birth in 1809 to 1816, the Lincoln’s lived in Kentucky, but then moved to Indiana. In all of their time in Kentucky and Indiana, Lincoln said he attended some schools, so called, but for less than a year altogether. Still, he said he could read and write very exceptionally, but that was all. Although Lincoln loved learning, his father hated learning and wanted Abraham to become more of an outdoors man, which is why they had a bad relationship. Abraham had impressed others in his hometown because he took on the town bully and that is where he got the nickname "Honest Abe." Lincoln first became interested in being a leader when his military leader put him in a high command position.

Abraham Lincoln (http://showcase.netins.net/web/ creative/lincoln/education/glance.htm)

In Lincoln’s life, he faced many difficulties. These difficulties included having to support his family after they were forced out of their house in 1816. Then Lincoln failed out of schools and jobs several times in both 1831 and 1832. Lincoln then payed off bankruptcy for fifteen years, borrowing money from friends to do so in 1833. Lincoln had been defeated for legislature three times in a row. Lincoln was once engaged to be married, but his sweetheart died and his heart was broken in 1835. Finally, Lincoln had to spend six months in bed after a meltdown in 1836. After facing these obstacles, Lincoln married Mary Todd Lincoln and had four children. Then, Lincoln became a successful attorney and bought a home with his family. When in office as President, Lincoln addressed many proclamations, speeches, passed many laws, and created a network of national banks. On Good Friday of April 14 in 1865, Lincoln was shot in the back of the head by John Wilkes Booth and later died the next day in a bed in someone’s house. Lincoln was 6'4", weighed 180 lbs., had gray eyes and black hair, and wore a size 14 shoe, before he died!

Abraham Lincoln has inspired me to never give up on my goals because I now realize that no matter how many problems I face in my life, and no matter how many times I get turned down, I can still make my way to my goals one by one. I know that even if I can't be the best at something, and get turned down, there is no reason why I can’t keep fighting for what I want.

Abraham Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.

It is always shown by others' attitudes that they will never give up on something until they get to it through their attitude and their perseverance in themselves. As it was once said by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody." That is how you know if you have persistence or not. If you are persistent, than you are like Abraham Lincoln, who was a very persistent man.