Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States and he was in office from 1861 until his death in 1865. He led the nation through the American Civil War, which was instrumental in abolishing slavery and modernizing America and its economy. In April 1865, Abraham Lincoln was attending a play with his wife when he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, who was a Confederate sympathizer.
He is highly regarded as one of the best presidents of all time, and Abraham Lincoln’s face is carved into Mount Rushmore with three other American Presidents. During his presidency, Abraham Lincoln also had to deal with a lot of different fractions within the government. His leadership during a very difficult time in American history is why he is remembered as one of the greats.
There where a lot of aspects to be considered when thinking about what made Abraham Lincoln a great President, have a read on below to find out more:
Abraham Lincoln knew that it wasn’t just him that changed the face of America and abolished slavery, among other things. One of the things that made Abraham Lincoln so great was that he gave credit where credit was due. No one person can accomplish all this by themselves, they need a solid team around them. He wasn’t too proud to share the credit.
Knew His Weakness
Even the greatest of Presidents will have some sort of weakness. Abraham Lincoln was able to recognize where his weaknesses were and he tried to work on it. One of his main weaknesses was that he forgave people too easily and gave them too many chances. Eventually he realized the error of his ways and was able to compensate.
Had a Solid Vision
One of the most important things for a President to have is a solid vision for what they want to achieve during their time in power. Abraham Lincoln certainly did have a great vision and he never wavered from it because he knew that it would ultimately make America a better place, and that is one of the major reasons why he was such a great President.
Control of Emotions
There are a lot of things that can go wrong (and right) during a presidency, but no matter what happens it is important that the leader has a cool head and doesn’t make rash decisions that have a significant negative lasting impact on Americans. Abraham Lincoln was known to be very level headed and able to keep control of his emotions, even at the most difficult of times.
Knew How To Take a Break
It should come as no surprise that being the President of the United States is a very difficult and time consuming job. This means that it is pretty easy to be burnt out, and when people are burnt out they tend to not make the best decisions. Abraham Lincoln knew when it was time for a break to recharge his batteries and come back rejuvenated and stronger. Something as simple as heading off to the theater is one of the things Abraham Lincoln liked to do.
Get Hands Dirty
Abraham Lincoln wasn’t about to engage in the American Civil War from the sidelines, he was a President that wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and actually go out into the field. During the American Civil War, he spent a lot of time visiting the hospital where sick troops were held and even the battlefield itself. He also liked to spend time talking with the public.
