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...

The Assassination

WHO:

Assassinator: John Wilkes Booth

WHERE:

Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C

During a production of Our American Cousin.

WHEN:                   

Good Friday, April 14, 1865

As the American Civil War was drawing to a close.

WHY:

Five days before the assassination, Robert E. Lee- a commanding general for the Army of Northern Virginia- surrendered to General Ulysses S.Grant. As part of a larger conspiracy

intended to rally the remaining Confederate troops to continue fighting, John Wilkes Booth was assigned to carry out the assassination of President Lincoln.

Booth plotted with Lewis Powell and George Atzerodt to kill Secretary of State William H. Seward and Vice President Andrew Johnson as well. By killing the top three in the Presidential line of succession, the desired results were to throw the Union Army into dismay. In the end, it was only President Lincoln's assassination that went according to plan; Powell only managed to wound Seward, while Atzerodt, Johnson's would-be assassin, lost his nerve and fled.

The Curse of the First Lady

Her name was Mary Todd Lincoln.

She appeared to be your typical first lady: she competed with the other wives of the social and political elite, remained a loyal and dotting wife to her husband the President and raised her children to fit in with Washington's society. But behind the veil that separated the Washington Mary Todd from the true Mary Todd, you'll find that she wasn't your average first lady: tragedy would soon strike the Lincoln family that would follow Mary through the rest of her life.                When the Lincoln family entered the White House, they were a happy family of 5. The Lincoln children- Tad, Willie and Robert- grew up in a very loving household with considerably "easy going" parents for the time. Willie was deemed a young Abraham Lincoln at a young age with his kind face and loving manners and was the apple of his mother's eye. It was Willie's early death that got the ball rolling for Mary Todd Lincoln's streak of turmoil.

The Lincoln family was extremely disheartened after young Willie's death and tragedy struck again as the Civil War was drawing to a close.

As Mary Todd and President Lincoln were sitting through a production of Our American Cousin at the Ford's Theatre in D.C, John Wilkes Booth entered their box and shot the President at point blank range. Mary Todd, witness to all, left the theatre a widow, donning a dress sprayed with the blood of her late husband.                                                          Mary was resistant in leaving the White House but eventually found herself settling in Chicago with her son Tad as Robert was making a life for himself as a lawyer. In her efforts of making a new life for herself, Mary found herself again in the midst of turmoil when the Great Chicago Fire hit leaving her and Tad in a city of destruction.

Various scandals later, including her battle with Congress to receive more money, Mary found herself moving abroad to make a new name for herself with Tad. But once again, Mary had to suffer through the death of another child as Tad became severely ill and died with his mother by his bedside.

Many years later with countless more scandals and a failed relationship with her son, Mary Todd was admitted into an insane asylum by her own son Robert.

Mary ended getting out of the asylum and patched things over with her only living son shortly before her death years later. Whether she was truly insane or extremely clever, history will always remember her as one of the more creative First Ladys.

Top 5 Abraham Lincoln Quotes

Number 5.

"Fourscore 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."

-Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863.

Number 4.

"Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today."

-"Notes for a Law Lecture" (July 1, 1850?), p. 81.

Number 3.

"...that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

-Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863

Number 2.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved - I do not expect the house to fall - but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other."

-'House-Divided' Speech in Springfield, Illinois, June 16, 1858.

Number 1.

"The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country."

-Lincoln's Second Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Abraham Lincoln to this day remains a stable media icon. From books to movies, the 16^th President has been portrayed in various forms starting from his death and well into the 21^st century. His incredible success while President, overall stature as a man, and iconic hat have all helped to make him such interesting character to portray.

               

 So, for the sheer purpose of this blog, I will unwillingly admit that I am also a big fan of Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight Saga. I have read all four books and have even been one of the crazed fans at the midnight movie premiere showings. I would like to disclaim that I have grown out of my vampire phase but the intrigue is still there. That’s why when I saw the book Abraham Lincoln:  

Vampire Hunter, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity read a story based on two of my obsessions.

Written by Seth Grahame-Smith, the story begins with a young Abraham Lincoln kneeling at his sick mother’s death bed in their infamous one-room cabin in Indiana. It was said that Lincoln’s mother died of what they used to call “Milk Sickness” and following her death, young Lincoln is presented with horrifying news - his mothers fatal death was actually the work of a vampire.  

“Gifted with legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.”  The story masterfully combines his victories in the White House such as the saving of the Union and freeing millions of slaves, and adds Lincoln’s own personal battles with immortals.

To read this book and enjoy it you do not have to like vampires or even have an interest in the life of Abraham Lincoln, but it is surely a fascinating book. Seth Graham-Smith successfully combines real historical facts with a vengeful twist of a son trying to avenge his mother’s death. It is also reported that the book will be made into a movie that is expected to be released in 2012. Now we can add one more Abraham Lincoln-based Hollywood creation to the long and growing list.

Priceless Words

 
Last Sunday (September 11th, 2011) was the 10 year anniversary of 9-11; a day when our nation's patriotism and nationalism we're put to the test. Our homeland was attacked by a foreign enemy and their acts of terrorism brought deaths in grueling numbers as well as memories we will never be able to shake. FoundersofAmerica.com created a special September 11th tribute page and included pictures of the disaster attached with quotations from various political and national figures. These quotes ranged from former President George W. Bush to another former President, Abraham Lincoln.

... in a larger sense, we can not dedicate --

we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow --

this ground. The brave men, living and dead,

who struggled here, have consecrated it,

far above our poor power to add or detract.

(Gettysburg, Nov. 19th, 1863)

These words hold profound meaning to a nation at war. We cannot take back what has been done, nor will we dwell on what we cannot change. I find Abraham Lincoln to be a man of advanced rhetoric. His incredible way with words was one of his greatest gifts that helped create his path to the White House. Like the 2nd George W. Bush, Lincoln was President for a nation at war. From the Civil War to the War on Terrorism, both men faced great obstacles and challenges while in the White House. In breaking down this quote, I found it amazing how it can still hold truth and value over a century later.

... in a larger sense, we can not dedicate --

we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow --

this ground.

In this quote, Abraham Lincoln is speaking of Gettysburg, the Civil War battle where almost fifty-thousand Union and Confederate soldiers lost their lives. The ground where the battle had been fought has become a marker, a symbol of all that has been lost. The same is also true with Ground Zero. Where the Twin Towers once stood is now far more nostalgic and monumental due to the disaster that occurred on that very plot of land. We can never build over or cover up the damaged land in hopes of erasing the memories. Gettysburg shows a once damaged nation and the sacrifices that occurred to rebuild and strengthen it. Ground Zero symbolizes the enemies that wish to do our country harm and our ability to prevail through hardship.

The brave men, living and dead,

who struggled here, have consecrated it,

far above our poor power to add or detract.

Where American lives have been lost, that land will now symbolize their struggles and honor the life of the departed. For every life lost at Gettysburg or on 9-11, there is no building big enough or tall enough to cover the land where our nation's brothers and sisters fell. There is no man power strong enough to rebuild on the lives of men and women who called themselves Americans. From the Civil War, through the World Wars, to the War on Terrorism, there is nothing that can or ever will mask the importance of an American life.

Honest Abe

I wish I could tell you why I have a fascination with Abraham Lincoln. Really, I wish I could. I have always been interested in history; especially the pre and post Civil War era. So, recently in the past year I began to read books on Abraham Lincoln in my free time and instantly became addicted to Lincoln's life and his family line. I understand this isn't your average blog where people will be itching to write a comment but I do hope by sharing my slightly above amateur knowledge, I can help other people to understand more about the 16th President's life and perhaps find the information interesting enough to share their own thoughts. Enjoy!