A Comparison of Barack Obama and Abraham Lincoln
“What is it that makes Lincoln such a seminal figure in our story? … Some of it has to do with the trajectory of his life. In his rise from poverty, his self-study and ultimate mastery of language and of law, in his capacity to overcome personal loss and remain determined in the face of repeated defeat - in all of this we see a fundamental element of the American character, a belief that we can constantly remake ourselves to fit our larger dreams.” (Senator Barack Obama, 2005)
The above quotation, by Senator Barack Obama, during the inauguration of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, displays Obama’s views on Lincoln’s accomplishments not only during his presidency, but also throughout the course of history. Obama applauded the contributions made by Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s 16th president. As time has progressed, and Obama has announced his campaign for presidency, more and more people are grabbing the opportunity to compare the two presidential candidates from Illinois. Though from two different time periods, President Abraham Lincoln and Senator Barack Obama are very similar, due to several reasons such as experience, viewpoints and eloquence.
Both Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama were very inexperienced when running for presidency. Lincoln was born in log cabin, to two uneducated farmers- Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. His mother died when he was only nine years old. Lincoln’s formal education consisted of eighteen months of schooling. But he mostly taught himself and was an avid reader. He began his career when he was twenty-three years old. He ran for Illinois General Assembly, but had an unsuccessful campaign. His political success began two years later, in 1834, where he was elected into the state legislature. At this time he began to teach himself law, and served four terms in the Illinois House of Representatives. Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, to a Kenyan father and a mother from Kansas. His parents divorced when he was two years old, and
The above quotation, by Senator Barack Obama, during the inauguration of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, displays Obama’s views on Lincoln’s accomplishments not only during his presidency, but also throughout the course of history. Obama applauded the contributions made by Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s 16th president. As time has progressed, and Obama has announced his campaign for presidency, more and more people are grabbing the opportunity to compare the two presidential candidates from Illinois. Though from two different time periods, President Abraham Lincoln and Senator Barack Obama are very similar, due to several reasons such as experience, viewpoints and eloquence.
Both Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama were very inexperienced when running for presidency. Lincoln was born in log cabin, to two uneducated farmers- Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. His mother died when he was only nine years old. Lincoln’s formal education consisted of eighteen months of schooling. But he mostly taught himself and was an avid reader. He began his career when he was twenty-three years old. He ran for Illinois General Assembly, but had an unsuccessful campaign. His political success began two years later, in 1834, where he was elected into the state legislature. At this time he began to teach himself law, and served four terms in the Illinois House of Representatives. Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, to a Kenyan father and a mother from Kansas. His parents divorced when he was two years old, and
Cited: Obama, Barack. The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. N.p.: Three Rivers Press, 2007. - - -. Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. N.p.: Three Rivers Press, 2004. - - -. “Remarks by Senator Barack Obama at the Opening of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.” Barack Obama: US Senator for Illinois. 20 Apr. 2005. Barack Obama. 27 Apr. 2008 <http://obama.senate.gov/speech/050420-remarks_by_senator_barack_obam/>. Ward, Andrew. “ In the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln.” Financial Times.com. 11 Feb. 2007. Financial Times. 27 Apr. 2008 <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/68b4c570-b9a2-11db-89c8-0000779e2340.html?nclick_check=1>. Wills, Gary. “Two Speeches on Race.” The New York Review of Books. 1 May 2008. NYREV. 27 Apr. 2008 <http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21290>.