Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from March 1861 to April 1865. He was a complex character. Many have argued that he was the greatest US president. I greatly respect and admire him, though I don’t agree with a couple of his major decisions.
He was a physical giant: 6 foot 4 inches tall. (Remember, at that time the average American male was probably 5 foot 7 inches.) And he was a mental giant. I was deeply moved by his Gettysburg Address.
The Gettysburg Address is a speech that U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivered during the American Civil War at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery … in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on the afternoon of November 19, 1863, four and a half months after the Union armies defeated Confederate forces in the Battle of Gettysburg, the Civil War’s deadliest battle. It remains one of the best known speeches in American history
Here’s a bit about Lincoln’s speech in The Civil War documentary by Ken Burns. Continue reading “Abraham Lincoln”
Steven Spielberg’s movie “Lincoln” which opens Friday is one that I plan to watch for sure. I think that Lincoln was a truly great man. It’s strange to think that there was a time when the US had an amazing giant of a man as its president, compared to whom the present leaders appear as pathetic caricatures — one of whom will be elected (or, heaven forbid re-elected) in a few days.
Life is a Random Draw 