Lincoln The Civil War Was Essay

However, Lincoln would not budge. It would have certainly been the politically expedient thing to do for Lincoln to surrender and make a compromise that would result in the preservation of the union on the South's terms. Lincoln did not want to preserve the union at the expense of its moral integrity, though. For Lincoln, the emancipation of the slaves was integral to the creation of a "more perfect union." Referring to the tremendous loss of life that the Civil War caused, Lincoln (1863) stated in the Gettysburg Address, "It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced." The soldiers who fought in the Civil War would have died in vain if Lincoln had not persisted in accomplishing the dual goal of preserving the union and eliminating slavery. Because he was willing and able to do what was right in terms of moral and constitutional law, Abraham Lincoln was a superior leader. He remained stalwart in his commitment to the constitutional values of freedom, and he even offered the world "a new birth of freedom," with the emancipation of the slaves. What Lincoln understood was that the nation founded on principles like "liberty and justice for all" could not stand divided on an issue as morally contentious as slavery. Lincoln also understood that slavery was not compatible with the Constitution, which is why the Civil...

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Lincoln could have allowed the South simply to cede, which would have cost fewer lives on the battlefield. Instead, Lincoln pursued the path of righteousness that saved the lives of countless African-Americans, paving the way for a new and more just nation.
Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest presidents of the United States, and was also one of the country's foremost leaders and role models. Books like Phillips' Lincoln on Leadership and Goodwin's (2005) Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln show that Lincoln has gone beyond a mere historical figure and has entered the public consciousness as an emblem of freedom and justice. Lincoln's actions as president highlight the means by which a humble person can rise up and do great things. Historians will continue to discuss Lincoln's leadership style, which can also be applied to leadership models in the corporate sector. All organizations have a political dimension to them, which is why it is possible to learn from the exemplary leadership qualities of Abraham Lincoln.

Sources Used in Documents:

References

Goodwin, D.K. (2005). Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Lincoln, a. (1863). Gettysburg address. Retrieved online: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/gettyb.asp

Moreton, C.L. (2008). 10 Qualities that Made Abraham Lincoln a Great Leader. HRBLR. Retrieved online: http://hr.blr.com/whitepapers/Staffing-Training/Leadership/10-Qualities-that-Made-Abraham-Lincoln-a-Great-Lea

Phillips, D.T. (1992). Lincoln on Leadership. New York: Warner.
Smith, S.B. (2013). What sort of leader was Lincoln? The New York Times. Feb 13, 2013. Retrieved online: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/what-sort-of-leader-was-lincoln/


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