Gabe-Braham Lincoln

One of my favorite shows on television is The Office. The show is a hilarious mockumentary on the everyday life of a Scranton, PA branch of Dunder-Mifflin Paper Co. Two weeks ago, the show did a story where the whole office goes to Gettysburg to boost company moral. At Gettysburg, one of the cast members, Gabe, gets confused as an Abraham Lincoln impersonator due to his overall height and awkward stature.
What could be more perfect for my final blog post?: my favorite show and President in one. Enjoy!


Gabe-Braham Lincoln



Lincoln Family Tree

Thomas Lincoln

Nancy Hanks Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Mary Todd Lincoln

Sarah Lincoln Grigsby

Aaron Grigsby

Robert Todd Lincoln

Mary Eunice Harlan

Edward Baker Lincoln

William Wallace Lincoln

Thomas "Tad" Lincoln

Mary "Mamie" Lincoln

Charles Bradford Isham

Abraham Lincoln II

Jessie Harlan Lincoln

Warren Wallace Beckwith

Lincoln Isham

Leahalma "Lea" Correa

Mary Lincoln Beckwith

Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith

Anna Marie Hoffman

Timothy Lincoln Beckwith

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”

-Abraham Lincoln

Honest Abe.

For more information on the 16th President, click the link below to find out more:

Abraham Lincoln

Gettysburg.

This past weekend, I went to visit by best friend at the University of Maryland. On Saturday, we spent a majority of the day in D.C. I took the opportunity to visit some national monuments- the Lincoln memorial being one- and enjoyed the area and sites.

Being the history nerd that I am, I recieve daily "This Day in History" texts from the History Channel website. Amazingly enough, on Saturday as I walked the streets of D.C I recieve my "This Day in History" text that reads, "This Day in History 1963: Lincoln delivers Gettysburg Address." I stopped in my tracks and couldn't believe the strange coincidence.

Gettysburg is known as the bloodiest battle of the Civil War; it is estimated that both sides lost around 23,000 soldiers each. Even though the Civil War was fought many, many years ago, I believe it should always be remembered:

The Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial, an architectural tribute to the 16th President, is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Located directly above Lincoln's head reads the text :

IN THIS TEMPLE

AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE

FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION

THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

IS ENSHRINED FOREVER

The Memorial has also been home to many famous speeches through the course of history. On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King proclaimed his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Memorial in front of 200,000 civil rights supporters.

Martin Luther King gave tribute to the 16th President in his masterful rhetoric with his opening words:

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

Both symbolic men- whose words still hold profound importance- remain prominent figures in our nation's history. Inscribed in the steps of the Memorial is:

I HAVE A DREAM

Martin Luther King Jr.

The March on Washington

for Jobs and Freedom

August 28, 1963

The Power of Power

Sunday October 30th, I was unable to make a new post in my blog due to a widespread power outage- something I'm sure many of my classmates also had to endure. Admittedly, I was absolutely miserable not being able to go on the Internet and my phones internet capables were even acting shotty. Around 9 on Sunday night I was huddled by the fire with my family thinking about how people used to live by these standards. It was candlelight that illuminated a room and a crackling fire that brought warmth in the midst of winter. This thought terrified me...

Having grown up in a time of vast technological advances as well as other luxuries, I have grown comfortable to using my wireless internet connection or charging up my iPod for a run. Having known these things, it makes it near impossible to imagine life without them. But when the power went out, I was given a first hand look at how it was to live, say, around the time of Lincoln.

With the lightbulb having been invented in 1879, Lincoln was just shy 14 years of seeing its creation. Today, media plays a huge role in politics and during the time of Lincoln's campaign, candidate really had to rely on world-of-mouth to pass along through the states to get voters to hear about them. As things like the lightbulb were invented, society quickly begins to change around it.

It was comical to see my family huddled around the fire and I almost prized myself on being free from any form of electronics but I looked down and saw my Kindle in my hands. Even though Abraham Lincoln had no choice but to read his books on paper, I still felt accomplished for having tried to "rough it".

An Ever Changing World

It recently donned on me how far we have come as a Country. Not only in engineering and other  discoveries and ingenious inventions , but our values and struggles have developed as well.

To live in the age Abraham Lincoln lived, you wouldn't be surprised to witness a slave auction in the South or hear of the unjustness to slaves brought on by their "Masters" or "Owners". In the mid to late 19th century, the U.S was in a dire struggle to remain Unionized. People of the Southern states couldn't bare to imagine a life where blacks were able to work a job that didn't serve to benefit a white man, let alone be given the same rights as them. The Confederacy wouldn't stand to see a nation where blacks and whites were equal. But in today's nation, we have reached a far greater enemy to fear.

Our age is not free of racism or other prejudices, but today's society has vastly matured. Before the abolition of slavery, racism was as natural to a person as breathing. But today, to be racist is to be ignorant. As a country we have moved beyond the struggle of race and with time has brought a broader range of obstacles.

With the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the U.S started its counter strike on the War on Terrorism. The U.S is now such a strong force, such a dominating figure in the world in various ways, we now pose a threat to others due to our success. To think that over a century ago our ancestors were fighting one another, it makes us realize how this world changes everyday. My brother and I always laugh about how much we would hate living in a time with no cars or basic electricity but when I really think about it, a century from now, this world will be that much more developed. A 100 years from now, people will be looking back at 2011 and saying how they can't imagine living than...