Fear the Beard

Abraham Lincoln

Now, I know what you’re thinking. That I’m just here talk about another old, white, male president from the 1800s. Well, yes, he is an old, white, male president from the 1800s, but he’s also an old, white, male president from the 1800s that cared about racial equality throughout America during a time where that wasn’t normal. Now, I’m not going to sit here and lie to you and say that all of his morals about race were in the right place because he probably wasn’t looking to make things completely equal, but he was on the side of the people who wanted to get rid of slavery in the South which was definitely a new concept. Now, who is Abraham Lincoln? I’m going to be honest here and tell you that before doing a little research I thought that he was the guy who cut down some tree. Well guess what that happens to be George Washington NOT Abraham Lincoln. Now Lincoln? He was 16th president of the United States of America and served from 1861 to 1865 when he was assassinated. Abraham Lincoln was president during the time of the Civil War. He was a great leader to many and gave his famous speech the Gettysburg Address(on November 19, 1863) after the Battle of Gettysburg, to honor the people who had died during the Civil War and express the importance of bringing freedom and equality to this nation. He was a strong supporter of the Union side of the Civil War and wanted to end slavery in the South. Although, even after the war, slavery didn’t end all together, his support of the Union was key in both their victory and eventually the end of slavery. If he had supported the Confederate Army, most likely, they would have had the power to defeat the Union and ,if that had happened, there may still have been slavery today and, for sure, the amount of race and gender equality that we have today would have diminished if the Confederates would have won that war. Due to President Lincoln’s support for the Union, my entire life was essentially made possible because without him and his contributions I may not have

even been born. Now what does Abraham Lincoln have to do with anything? Well, my father is African-American and my mother is white so if slavery were still prominent today my parents would never have been able to be together and even if they had had me, I still would have been forced to become a slave. I can’t even begin to imagine life as a slave. I would never be able to have the type education that I have the privilege of now because I probably wouldn’t have any education at all. When I think about it, I realize just how much different life would be. I would be forced to work for my entire life with no pay, treated with little to no respect, when now, I am given tons of opportunities every day to chose my own destiny and become the person I want to become instead of having to become a person that others believe I should be. Mine along with almost all others lives would be completely changed if Abraham Lincoln had not done what he had done in order to allow people of all different races a chance to be in America and become a free citizen. I believe that, even now, we are still carrying on his legacy by changing things to better people of all races, beliefs, genders, ages so that we may all be 100% equal one day. Now, I’m going to ask you. Is he just another old, white, male president from the 1800s? I definitely don’t think so because he was unique, progressive and willing to break the mold and become a rebel in order to do what was right for the country. I guess he is kinda like everything that Donald Trump isn’t… With better hair!!!!!! :)

Sources: Picture of Abraham Lincoln(Black & White), Picture of Civil War Flags:Confederate and Union

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