The Myth of Abraham Lincoln - 1304 Words

The myth of Abraham Lincoln, no myth in American history is more prevailing or enduring. Good old Honest Abe, The Great Emancipator, Defender of the Union. We have come to a crossroad in this country. It is a time of great peril; freedom is in its maximum hour of danger. We must put to rest this myth, which only serves to propagate tyranny and undermine liberty. Abraham Lincoln was not a great man trying to free the slaves; he was a racist, power hungry, tyrant who really fought the civil war to stop the south from seceding. Before we decide to travel down the path of laying out why Abraham Lincoln is a tyrant, I think we must first define the word tyrant. The online Merriam-Webster online dictionary gives the following†¦show more content†¦Not to mention, he spent money before it was authorized by congress. Or the fact that he introduced a draft even though there is nowhere in the constitution that grants him the authority to do so. Although there are many transgressions th at Lincoln committed against the constitution, I do not think it necessary to list them all. I believe we have sufficient evidence to establish that he does indeed fit the first definition of the word tyrant. For good measure though, I will add this final example. By far Lincoln’s most appalling infringement on the constitution is his suspension of habeas corpus. Article 1 section 9 of the United States Constitution guarantees the writ of habeas corpus or the right to not be indefinitely detained with showing just cause. Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus led to over 3,000 suspected â€Å"confederate sympathizers† and journalist in the north to be imprisoned. Now that we have without a shadow of a doubt provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that Lincoln fits the first part of the definition above, let us move on to the second, â€Å"2 a : a ruler who exercises absolute power oppressively or brutally b : one resembling an oppressive ruler in the harsh u se of authority or power†. In order to prove that Lincoln once again conclusively meets the criteria, we need to look no further then the atrocious acts that he, and those under hisShow MoreRelatedThe Myth Of Abraham Lincoln1291 Words   |  6 PagesLincoln was a man of many talents that helped form the myths we know today and that most of those myths are well justified. With Lincoln being a man solidified into history and mythology, have the myths overshadowed the facts that truly made his life historically worthy or is it that within every myth lies an element of fact? The myths about Abraham Lincoln are ones of much debate leaving some to say that they accurately depict what Lincoln was and some see them as an embellishment of the truthRead MoreAbraham Lincoln: The Man Behind the Myth1457 Words   |  6 PagesAbraham Lincoln: The Man Behind the Myth Brittany Marroquà ­n Abraham Lincoln is by far our most revered president in the history of the United States. He had a strong moral vision of where his country must go to preserve and enlarge the rights of all her people, but he was also a good man with a strong sense of character and a great discipline in the art of law; and he sought to continue the great and mighty legacy of the Constitution. He believed that the Founding Fathers had drawn up theRead MoreAbraham Lincoln : The Man Behind The Myths Essay2365 Words   |  10 Pages Abraham Lincoln: The Man behind the Myths 1. Oates, Stephen B. Abraham Lincoln the Man behind the Myths. New York: Harper Row, 1984. Print. 2. â€Å"Abraham Lincoln the Man behind the Myths† exposes and refutes the myths that have evolved around Abraham Lincoln. Most particularly, the scandalous myths showing how he has been misunderstood and mischaracterized by some authors. Stephen B. Oates strives to help the reader distinguish the â€Å"mythological Lincoln† from the â€Å"historical Lincoln.† FurthermoreRead MoreEssay about Abraham Lincoln: The Man Behind The Myth1447 Words   |  6 PagesAbraham Lincoln: The Man Behind the Myth Abraham Lincoln is by far our most revered president in the history of the United States. He had a strong moral vision of where his country must go to preserve and enlarge the rights of all her people, but he was also a good man with a strong sense of character and a great discipline in the art of law; and he sought to continue the great and mighty legacy of the Constitution. He believed that the Founding Fathers had drawn up the Constitution withoutRead MoreThe Views Of Abraham Lincoln1147 Words   |  5 PagesA more recent myth that has developed is the theory that Abraham Lincoln was homosexual. This myth came to light in 1999 when Larry Kramer, the founding member of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, made the statement that Lincoln was homosexual and backed up his statement with diary excerpts from Lincoln’s bunkmate’s Diary. The excerpts read: He often kisses me when I tease him, often to shut me up†¦ He would grab me in his long arms and hug and hug†¦ our Abe is like a school girl† (Steers 126). Kramer alsoRead MoreFrederick Douglass Cuts through the Lincoln Myth to Consider the Man1301 Words   |  6 Pagesstop the people that were being stolen from their family. Frederick Douglass Cuts through the Lincoln Myth to Consider the Man. Frederick Douglass was the main author of this speech. The Antislavery movement took place in 1849. This speech was given in Ireland, Britain, and United States. This movement was to help people learn to be equal with each other. In Frederick Douglass â€Å"Cuts through the Lincoln myth to consider the man†; he motivates his/her intended audience during the Antislavery MovementRead MoreThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln1117 Words   |  5 PagesTradition† Hofstadter does nothing but criticize different historians. One particular historian he challenges in his writings is Abraham Lincoln. According to Hofstadter, Abraham Lincoln was â€Å"the exemplar of the self-made man,† he was a very humble man that easily pleased the people and easily attained very high political ranking, as well as success and a lot of power. Abraham Lincoln’s flaws as a president were often overlooked because many Americans felt as if he brought to life what is known to beRead MoreAbraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunter893 Words   |  4 PagesAbraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter The novel Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was written by Seth Grahame-Smith and published in 2010. In 2012 the movie adaptation was released and made a gross amount of $37,516,013. Both discuss the theme and topic of slavery while telling the story of how Abraham Lincoln discovered, trained, and fought against vampires, who were planning to take over the United States. (â€Å"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)†). Abraham Lincoln is known as â€Å"honest Abe†, the 16th presidentRead MoreThe Legacy Of The Emancipation Proclamation954 Words   |  4 PagesWhen it comes to Abraham Lincoln people will accept anything as factual, which is why all the myths of Lincoln have actually dominated history for so long. Many believe that the Emancipation Proclamation is solely about honest Abe being a just man and freeing all the slaves with his executive power as sitting president. Lincoln himself stated that it was actually a war tactic strategically planned to cripple the sou th. If Lincoln’s 1863 article is so dedicated to the freeing of slaves then why wereRead MoreThe Views On Lincoln s Presidency1738 Words   |  7 Pagesregarding Lincoln’s opinions and policies toward slavery, and the unification of a nation as a whole, I distinguished that several authors have contending visions of Lincoln’s actions during his presidency. Some authors (Dirck, Guelzo, Striner) portray Lincoln as the great emancipator in depicting him as a crusader whose main purpose during the Civil War was only to accomplish the abolishment of slavery. In contrast, some authors (Escott, Gates, Foner, and McPherson) maintain a more critical stance on Lincoln’s