The Experiences of Abraham Lincoln as a Historical Leader

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Abstract

Abraham Lincoln remains to be one of the most outstanding leaders in the history of the United States. Coming from a humble background and educating himself prepared him for a greater responsibility in the future. He was elected as the President of the United States in the 1860 election. The greatest challenge of his tenure as President was the unexpected dissolution of the states from the Union ahead of the civil war. As the first Republican President to be elected, he greatly opposed slavery as he thought it was a hindrance to social mobility and democracy. This put a target on his back as his conspirators became determined to assassinate him. He upheld the values of honesty and fairness, which he gained growing up. He narrowly escaped death after his assassination attempt in Baltimore was unsuccessful. To implement his vision, he collaborated with the military and connected with his people. He made many sacrifices including putting his life and that of his family in danger. He was self-continuous and managed his emotions by channeling his anger and frustration to other activities like writing letters. He was a democratic leader. Leaders are made and born. While some people are born with innate traits that predispose them to become leaders are a product of the environment.

The crisis that President Abraham Lincoln Faced

The greatest crisis that President Abraham Lincoln faced during his tenure was the unexpected dissolution of states from the Union. President Lincoln had just been inaugurated as the first Republican and sixth president of the United States. In the days between his election and inauguration, seven out of 31 states in the lower secede had already voted and exited the Union (Amar, 2017, p.34). This was the time when the United States had been most divided in the country’s history. Even before Lincoln laid his hand on the Bible during his swearing-in, seven states had already exited the union. This was only the beginning of the crisis as more states would follow as the heat continued to build-up ahead of the civil war coming month. The 1860 election was deemed the most controversial and intense election in the history of America. The main reason for the collapse was the desire by Southern states to continue with slavery. The states were convinced that the November 1860 election that yielded a Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln posed a threat to slavery and white supremacy. As a presidential incumbent, President Lincoln had declared his intention to oppose the expansion of slavery to western states. In his March 1861 inauguration speech, President Lincoln said that he would not interfere with slavery in states where it was rife. However, he states the states’ secession from the union was illegal and would reciprocate violence with force.

Abraham Lincoln’s Childhood Experiences

Abraham Lincoln’s childhood and teenage experiences had a tremendous impact on his future as a leader. Undoubtedly, the experiences shaped how he handled the secession crisis of southern states when he was elected President. Lincoln had a rough childhood. His mother passed on when he was a boy, and his family moved around numerous times. Lincoln did not want to follow in the footsteps of his family to become an Illinois farmer. He quickly enlisted as a volunteer in the Black Hawk War. This war was a battle meant to move Indians into the United States. Lincoln was soon elected as the lead soldier which “gave him more satisfaction than any election he has ever won” (Browne, 2019, p. 56). His childhood prepared him to be the man that would lead American during the Civil War. Lincoln came from a humble background. He had a desire in him to learn, but at the time textbooks did not exist. Lincoln attended school for a total of one year in his early life. Because he loved to read, he would walk long distances to borrow a book. Eventually, he made up for the lack of education with the reading his did during his spare time. He eventually became an educated man after studying law and starting his practice. Although he grew up as a free man, he did not have many freedoms like other privileged white boys from his state. His humble roots made him frugal and non-materialistic. This is the reason why he grew into an appreciative and humble adult. He grew up knowing the values of fairness and honesty. At nineteen, Lincoln co-steered a flatboat in the Mississippi river and was tasked with offloading the produce from the boat and returning the money earned to his employer. He witnessed first-hand the mistreatment and auctions of slaves, which shaped his views about the horrors of slavery and the world in general. These experiences shaped him to become a renowned leader in the history of the United States.

The Obstacles Abraham Lincoln Faced During the Secession of States in 1861

One of the major obstacles Abraham Lincoln faced as he dealt with the secession of states from the union was his assassination attempt. There was a plot to assassinate him in February 1861 onboard a train on his way to the inauguration ceremony after he won the hotly contested election. His attacker James Luckett was hell-bent on assassinating Lincoln before passing Baltimore (Foner, 2018, p.21). His enemies feared that Lincoln would oppose slavery and prevent it from extending to new states. There were rumors about the threat on his life, but Lincoln did not take them seriously. He was traveling in the company of his family and his two secretaries and several bodyguards for protection and he would stop at various stops to give speeches. What put him at more risk is that his itinerary was public knowledge and people knew the cities he would stop. Initially, he did not respond to the threats and neither did he take precautions. He insisted on completing his journey and making public addresses in the cities of Buffalo, Cincinnati, New York, Albany, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and Cleveland. His conspirators planned to kill him as he boarded the carriage at Baltimore‘s Calvert Station after moving from the train, but this did not occur. He eventually took the threat on his life seriously and with the aid of Pinkerton’s plan, he escaped assassination. According to Pinkerton, Lincoln remained calm and collected as he disguised himself and traveled in the back of a public train until he was out of danger. Lincoln possessed the important traits of a leader, including commitment and confidence. Despite the threat to his life, he still insisted on making speeches to the people even when he was advised against it. He put the interest of other people before his own. He possessed a democratic leadership style where authority is decentralized.

How Abraham Lincoln Sought to Implement his Vision.

Lincoln capitalized on two strategies to implement his vision, including connecting with his people and managing the military. Having developed ordinariness following his 30 years political career in Illinois, he was good at relating with the members of the public. Lincoln always reassured his people and communicated a deeper message about the purpose of the war (Johnson, 2018 p.153). His aim was to fight atrocities in the United States because, in his view, slave owners were a hindrance to social mobility and democracy. Moreover, to attain his mission of ending slavery, he capitalized on his relationship with the army. He had established a good relationship with the commanders and generals which ensured there was no conflict in his dealings with them. Without a doubt, Lincoln was successful, and he heavily contributed to the end of the civil war. Lincoln could not have done anything differently. He did a good job and played his part in calling out slavery as a barbaric act. At the time, not many people were willing to stand up for the truth except Lincoln. If I was in Lincoln’s shoes, I am not sure how I would have responded to the situation. Under pressure, I tend to cave in. Being a leader is not easy, and it requires a person to rise above fear. If I were in Lincoln’s position, I would have probably put my life first because I do not believe in losing my life as I push an agenda is worth it. I value my life more than anything else and would not risk dying over pushing an agenda.

Sacrifices Abraham Lincoln Made

Lincoln believed in the cause of equality for all humans and he put his freedom and life on the line to achieve this goal. Additionally, he sacrificed his time and his family’s safety to put an end to slavery. He was referred to by many as a leader, a martyr, and an orator until his death. Lincoln changed his career from a lawyer and took a political route so that he could make a difference in other people’s life (Koehn, 2017, p.67). Many people also say that he was a God-fearing man who devoted his life to fighting the spread of slavery in the South and prevented its spread in the North.

How Abraham Lincoln Managed His Emotions

Lincoln had mastered the ability to control his emotions, a trait that is imperative for leaders. Subordinates often challenged him and instead of lashing out in anger or retaliating, he would channel his emotions to other activities. Lincoln used to write letters to diffuse his anger and feelings (Nicolay, 2018, p. 67). To overcome his struggles, Lincoln relied on faith and belief in higher authority in times of depression and hardships.

Are Leaders Born or Made

Leaders are born and made. Some individuals are born with intrinsic traits that groom them to become leaders in their future (Rable, 2021, p.121). At the same time, some people might not be gifted with natural leadership character traits, but their environment shapes them into great leaders. They might have a mentor who helps shape them into leaders. Mentors can be parents, teachers, or role models. All in all, grooming leaders requires effort, desire, and experience. As such, leaders are made and born.

References

Amar, A. R. (2017). The Inaugural Abraham Lincoln Lecture on Constitutional Law: Electoral College Reform, Lincoln-Style. Nw. UL Rev., 112, 63.

Browne, F. F. (2019). The every-day life of Abraham Lincoln: A narrative and descriptive biography with pen-pictures and personal/recollections by those who knew him. Good Press.

Foner, E. (2018). The fiery trial: Abraham Lincoln and American slavery. The Chautauqua Journal, 2(1), 5.

Johnson, R. J. (2018). Finding the truth: multivariable analysis and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. JR Coll Physicians Edinb, 48(2), 153-154.

Koehn, N. (2017). Forged in crisis: The power of courageous leadership in turbulent times. Simon and Schuster.

Nicolay, J. G. (2018). A short life of Abraham Lincoln. BoD–Books on Demand.

Rable, G. C. (2021). Index to a true history of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and of the conspiracy of 1865.