Lincoln, Grant, And Whitman - 1605 Words

Lincoln, Grant, and Whitman Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Walt Whitman all represent a period of time in which the United States was embroiled in turmoil. From the year 1861 to 1865, the Union army from the North battled the Confederacy of the South, and when it came to an end at the Appomattox Courthouse, over 620,000 men had lost their lives (Civil War Casualties, n.d.). President Abraham Lincoln had finally found a general he could trust in Ulysses S. Grant, who had forced the surrender of Robert E. Lee and the Confederate army. Walt Whitman would live the Civil War life as the most influential author and poet of the times. These men represent three of the most important figures of the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln Born near†¦show more content†¦Lincoln considered his father a very stern man, and he did not find much favor in him (Miller Center, n.d.). After the move from Kentucky to Indiana, Thomas Lincoln built another crude 360 square-foot cabin for the family, which included Lincoln’s mother Nancy and his elder sister Sarah (Miller Center, n.d.). When Abraham was nine years old, his mother died and soon after his father remarried. The young Abraham bonded with his new step-mother, Sarah Johnston who encouraged his education and frequently defended him against his father in arguments (Miller Center, n.d.). The rural life Lincoln lived involved much labor, including farm chores, splitting fence rails and working the land (Abraham Lincoln, n.d.). Lincoln had a voracious appetite for attaining knowledge, and often read books late into the night, utilizing any free time he had remaining. Political Career After leaving home, the six foot four Lincoln stood out in his new home of New Salem, Illinois. He soon began work at the local general store as a clerk, and made himself known to the townspeople by feats of strength by felling trees and splitting fence rails as he had done during his childhood (Miller Center, n.d.). Because the general store was a gathering place for the town, he knew the community quite well. Lincoln’s ability to read and write made him quite popular with the less literate people in New Salem (Miller Center, n.d.). Only