Abraham Lincoln's Impact On America

The United States of America country being the vast amount of North America founded July 4th, 1776. We have grown and learned from many mistakes given through hard times we have become a country of 50 states and as of today with our 45 President. Out of our 45 presidents one in particular stands out the most and his name is Abraham Lincoln the 16th President of the United States.
America's greatest hero, Abraham Lincoln, was born to Nancy and Thomas Lincoln on February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky. Abraham’s parents were the normal farmers, carpenters and loving caretakers. As life continued, his parents decided to relocate and move to Indiana when Abram was the age 7, a few years later his mother had died from milk poisoning Lincoln
only being the age of 9. Just a year after his mother’s death Abraham’s father had married again to Sarah Bush Johnston a mother of three and a widow as well. Sarah had encouraged Lincoln to read and from that time on, he read anything he could get his hands on although there was a very limited amount of books to borrow in his town. Lincoln had a rather simple childhood, his family had again moved, but he decided to work on his own, at age 19 Abraham had accompanied a produce laden flatboat down the Mississippi River to New Orleans and these voyages were hard work and he earned $8 a month. Eventually Lincoln co-owned a store for several years before he enlisted as a Militia Captain who defended Illinois at the time of Black Hawk War. After this, Abraham Lincoln went to school to study in Law and campaigned for a seat on the Illinois state legislature, he failed in his first attempt, but; in his second attempt he won in 1834 serving as a Whig. Abraham eventually married Mary Todd in 1842, having 4 sons known as Edward, William, Tad and Robert, Robert being the only one living passed his childhood who studied at Harvard Law School becoming an American Politician, later dying at the age of 82. On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election being the 16th President of the United States of America. Abraham Lincoln was the first president from the Republican Party being the 16th president of the United States of America.
Before his assassination in 1865, Lincoln is known as one of America’s greatest heroes, savior of the union and emancipator of the slaves. Abraham established the United States Department of Agriculture on May 15 of 1862, this establishment also known as “people department” consisted of developing farming, agriculture, forestry, and food. Until this day, it is still a big impact becoming a variety of topics such as health and safety, data, animals, climate solutions, etc. Not only did Lincoln create a USDA establishment he proposed a speech that had a huge impact on the states involved, known as The Gettysburg Address of 1865. The Gettysburg address stated “four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” He delivered this speech in 1863 on November 19 to dedicate the soldiers who were killed in war, there is also a statement made by Lincoln inscribed on one wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C.: "With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds.... " Additionally Lincoln brought forward the emancipation proclamation on New Year's day in 1863 that had reshaped the civil war, to
abolish slavery. He wanted all slaves to be free, but this proclamation did not affect all the states such as border southern states, Tennessee and any of Louisiana. Following the emancipation Abraham signed the first Homestead Act that according to my research it allowed any American and freed slaves to own up to 150 acres of free land, at the end of Civil War 15,000 claims were official. Prior to our Civil War countries saw themselves as independent states, although the government had grown American identity tension in regions were high leading to the Civil War. Lincoln's response to the rebellion of states was to help Americans see that the United States is a single nation this statement flows into complete racial equality. There is a huge impact of Lincoln's work that we still have till this day which is our U.S National Banking System.
According to my research Abraham understood that bank credit was a way to a healthy economy, Salmon P. Chase and Lincoln himself had borrowed from other governments and citizens to create the country's first general income tax and printed paper money also known as “Greenbacks”. He declared that “will create a reliable and permanent influence in support of the national credit and protect the people against losses in the use of paper money." In 1861 Lincoln signed the Revenue Act of the first federal income tax imposing 3 percent tax on incomes over $800. Due to inflation on minimum taxable incomes congress repealed Lincoln’s tax law in 1871, but passing of the 16th Amendment of 1909 that set the federal income tax system that is used today. Abraham Lincoln a man who made great betterment in his life known as one of America's greatest heroes. He achieved a humble rising background to the country's highest office with people claiming his presidency was his most outstanding success. Lincoln refused responsibility to the union and the Civil War that teared a deep wound in the nation, he simply was trying to repair the damage done, with all that followed by the rough period of time he managed to reshape America's
identity. Although we all have our thoughts and criticism on everything Lincoln has proposed we must remember he allowed those of all races who were slaves become freed citizen and able to make a living of decisions they make. Abraham once said “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” We must all stand together to all live in peace.