Political Contributions of Abraham Lincoln:

Political Contributions of Abraham Lincoln:

Abraham Lincoln, America's sixteenth president, is regarded by many historians as the greatest president of the United States. This is because of Lincoln's wisdom, style of leadership and political contribution that has shaped America to what it is today. Lincoln is mostly remembered for his character, leadership qualities, letters, speeches and as a man from a humble background whose perseverance and determination led him to become president. The political contributions of Abraham Lincoln were not only exceptional during his time but they also continue to impact American politics today. His three major political contributions were unification of the country by winning the civil war, liberating slaves in the south and making slavery illegal.

During the long Civil War, President Lincoln endured unusual pressures since he had generals who weren't ready to fight, experienced bickering amongst his Cabinet ministers, received assassination threats, lost many people on the battlefields and faced strong opposition. Regardless of these extraordinary pressures, he remained brave and persevered while refusing to give in to the pressures and terminate the war early. As a result of his perseverance and determination during the war amidst hostile pressures, Lincoln fought until the Confederacy was defeated (Norton par, 2). One of his most famous speeches was the Gettysburg address in which he stated that "Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure."

This decision to continue fighting during the Civil War proved to be very integral since is helped in preserving the United States as a single nation. His main reason for continuing to fight amidst the extraordinary pressures was to ensure that America did not perish from the earth as a result of the Civil War. The result of this decision was that America remained as one nation instead of splitting into two separate countries. The second major political contribution of Abraham Lincoln was the Emancipation Proclamation which resulted in the freedom of all slaves in the south. This proclamation initially liberated slaves in the south only because it only applied to territories which were not under Lincoln's control. The Emancipation Proclamation set the ball rolling for the liberation of slaves by resulting in the freedom of all slaves in the south and allowing black soldiers to fight for the Union during the Civil War. As he set the ball rolling, Lincoln stated that "I leave you, hoping that the lamp of liberty will burn in your bosoms until there shall no longer be a doubt that all men are created free and equal."

The other significant political contribution of Abraham Lincoln was the ultimate freeing of all slaves in the United States as a military necessity and making slavery illegal ("Abraham Lincoln" par, 20). Lincoln abolished slavery in America and freed all slaves in the country through the endorsement of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Even though he was assassinated before the final enactment of the Thirteenth Amendment, Lincoln was a strong supporter of the amendment which guaranteed the legal freedom of all slaves in America after its final passage. He stated that "Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, cannot long retain it. The eventual legal freedom of all slaves in the United States through Lincoln's contribution changed the racial future of America.