Abraham Lincoln: quotes from a famous statesman

What is Lincoln famous for?

Lincoln was one of the Presidents of the United States and also one of the greatest American leaders. His government came during the Civil War. Abraham was born in 1809 near Hodgenville, Kentucky. He was raised in Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. His parents were poor pioneers, and Lincoln was self-educated.

In '36 he qualified as a lawyer and entered the practice of law in Springfield, Illinois. He sat in the state legislature until forty-two, and four years later was elected to Congress, representing the Whig party. In '56 he joined the new Republican Party, and four years later he was asked to run as a presidential candidate.

During the presidential campaign, Lincoln made his opposition to slavery very clear. His victory sparked a crisis, and many Southerners feared that he would try to abolish slavery in the South. Seven Southern states left the United States to form the Confederate States of America, also known as the Confederacy. Four more joined later. Lincoln vowed to preserve the United States, even if it meant war.

The struggle broke out in April of sixty-one. Abraham always defined the Civil War as a fight to save the United States, but in January 1963 he nevertheless issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves in areas still under Confederate control. It was an important symbolic gesture that defined the US fight as a war to end slavery.

In an effort to win the war, Lincoln assumed more power than any president before him by declaring martial law. In November of '63, he delivered his famous Gettysburg Address.

A year later, Abraham ran for re-election and won. In his second inaugural address, he called for reconciliation with the southern states.

In 1965, Confederate General Robert Edward Lee surrendered, effectively ending a war that had lasted more than four years and claimed the lives of six hundred thousand Americans. Less than a week later, Lincoln was shot while attending a play at Ford's Theater in Washington and died the next morning. His killer, John Wilkes Booth, was a staunch Confederate supporter.

Aphorisms and quotes by Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln, (1809–1865), American politician, 16th President of the United States (among the most famous initiatives is the emancipation of slaves)

Look at me. If I were two-faced, would I wear this face?

By taking for granted the existence of chains of slavery, you thereby prepare these shackles for your hands.

Power is capable of conquering everything in its path, but its victories are short-lived.

Never say that the Lord is on your side; It’s better to pray that you yourself will be on the side of the Lord.

If you hold an elephant by its hind leg and it breaks free, the best thing to do is to let it go.

You cannot help the poor by ruining the rich.

I freed not only the blacks, but no less the whites.

My father told me that I had to work; he didn’t say that you have to love to work.

In alliance with public opinion, anything can be done; without it, nothing can be done.

God, apparently, loved ordinary people, since he created so many of them.

I don't know who my grandfather was; I'm much more interested in who his grandson will be.

My life experience has convinced me that people who have no shortcomings have very few virtues.

The best part of our life consists of friends.

Most people are only as happy as they consider themselves happy.

Marriage is neither heaven nor hell, it is simply purgatory.

In the art of fitting the maximum number of words into the tiniest thought, he had no equal.

The possibility that we may be defeated in battle should not stop us from fighting for a cause that we believe is just.

Let us believe that power is on the side of truth; and may this faith help you to fulfill our duty as we understand it.

If he had known what a magnificent funeral awaited him, he would have died long ago.

A ballot paper is stronger than a bullet.

Books are needed to remind a person that his original thoughts are not so new.

When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. This is my religion.

Horses are not changed at the crossing.

Hypocrite: A man who killed both his parents and pleads for leniency on the grounds that he is an orphan.

I don’t care what they say about me behind my back as long as they tell lies about me.

You can fool some all the time, you can fool everyone some of the time, but you cannot fool everyone all the time.

We will not help people by doing for them what they could do themselves.

The sheep and the wolf understand the word “freedom” differently; this is the essence of the disagreements that dominate human society.

Cheating and flattery are blood relatives.

Character is like a tree, and reputation is its shadow.

We care about the shadow; but actually you have to think about the tree.

I defeat my enemies by turning them into friends.

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

Delivered on the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, the Gettysburg Address is known as the world's greatest speech and one of the defining moments in American history. Four months before Lincoln spoke, forty-six thousand soldiers on both sides of the Civil War were killed or wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania.

Two hundred and seventy-three words spoken by Abraham invoked the founding principles of the Declaration of Independence and the ideals of American democracy

The legacy of this speech and its lasting influence forced American schoolchildren to learn and recite historical phrases for many years, while subsequent presidents used Lincoln's words as a blueprint for governing the country.

Abraham Lincoln. Quotes

No one will admire a person who has stumbled. But the one who was able to rise is worthy of admiration.

I walk slowly, but I never move backwards.

Whoever you are, be better.

My father told me that I had to work; he didn’t say that you have to love to work.

If you are holding an elephant by its hind leg and it breaks free, the best thing to do is to let it go.

It will do more good if you give way to a dog than if it bites you. Even if you kill a dog, you will still be bitten.

Those who deprive others of freedom do not deserve it themselves.

If despotism sets in here, I would prefer to emigrate to a country without pretense of love of freedom - to Russia, for example, where despotism can be considered pure, without the base admixture of hypocrisy.

History needs legends, desperate deeds and noble examples, fiery speeches, brave heroes and great victories, the winners forget betrayal and cowardice, hypocrisy and blood, the truth remains the truth, and lies become history.

I defeat my enemies by turning them into friends.

Many are able to withstand the blows of fate, but if you want to truly test a person's character, give him power.

I would not like to be a slave, and I would not like to be a slave owner. This expresses my understanding of democracy.

The politician reminds me of a man who killed his father and mother, and then, when he is sentenced, asks for his life on the grounds that he is an orphan.

You can fool some all the time, you can fool everyone some of the time, but you cannot fool everyone all the time.

If you want to succeed, continue to believe in yourself even when no one believes in you anymore.

I don’t care what they say about me behind my back as long as they tell lies about me.

Sheep and wolf understand the word “freedom” differently. This is the essence of the disagreements that dominate human society.

I may not agree with your opinion, but I am ready to give my life so that you have the right to express it.

People who have no flaws have very few virtues.

My memory is not good enough to lie.

When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. This is my religion.

Books are needed to remind a person that his original thoughts are not so new.

Always rely on the idea that your own decision to succeed is much more important than anything else.

Character is like a tree, and reputation is its shadow. We care about the shade, but what we really need to think about is the tree.

I don't care whether God is on our side; my biggest concern is to be on God's side because God is always right.

When you feel discouraged, seek healing in work.

If I had eight hours to cut down a tree, I would spend six hours sharpening the axe.

Since we have taken on a new business, we must think and act differently.

I don't know who my grandfather was; I'm much more interested in who his grandson will be.

A house divided in half cannot withstand a storm. I think that the government of a country consisting half of slaves and half of free people will not be able to survive.

Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not survive long.

Horses are not changed at the crossing.

We will not help people by doing for them what they could do for themselves.

Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.

I was successful today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down.

At the end of your life, what matters is not the years you lived, but how you lived them.

Nothing is settled until it is settled fairly.

It is impossible to fail until you give up.

Other Famous Speeches by Lincoln

In addition to the Gittisburg speech, the following speeches of the man became the most famous:

Farewell speech (1861). A touching farewell message to friends from his hometown.

Speech at Independence Hall (1861). We're talking about the Declaration of Independence.
Second Inaugural Address (1865). Conversions revealing Abraham's deep political and theological views.

Killed by a man's bullet less than a week after the surrender of the Confederate forces, Abraham Lincoln left the American nation a more perfect country and in doing so earned the admiration of most citizens of the United States and the title of the greatest president in history.

Abraham Lincoln - born February 12, 1809, Hodgenville, Kentucky, USA. American statesman, 16th President of the United States (1861-1865), first from the Republican Party, liberator of American slaves. Killed - April 15, 1865, Washington, USA.

Quotes, aphorisms, sayings, phrases - Lincoln Abraham

Horses are not changed at the crossing.
Whoever you are, be better.
A ballot paper is stronger than a bullet.
Marriage is neither heaven nor hell, it is simply purgatory.
When you feel discouraged, seek healing in work.
I don't have a good enough memory to lie.
Those who deprive others of freedom do not deserve it themselves.
I defeat my enemies by turning them into friends.
Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.
People who have no flaws have very few virtues.
You cannot give up not only after one, but also after a hundred defeats.
Since we have taken on a new business, we must think and act differently.
We will not help people by doing for them what they could do for themselves.
I don't like this man. So, we need to get to know him better.
I insisted on the resettlement of blacks (back to Africa) and I will continue.
I know disappointment too well to be upset about it.
I don't know who my grandfather was; I'm much more interested in who his grandson will be.
I don’t care what they say about me behind my back as long as they tell lies about me.
Most people are only as happy as they decide to be.
Books are needed to remind a person that his original thoughts are not so new.
If you catch an elephant by its hind legs and it tries to escape, the best thing to do is let it go.
Like everyone else, I am in favor of the white race being dominant.
If it's coffee, please bring me some tea, and if it's tea, please bring me coffee.
No one will admire a person who has stumbled. But the one who was able to rise is worthy of admiration.
Character is like a tree, and reputation is its shadow. We care about the shade, but what we really need to think about is the tree.
Always rely on the idea that your own decision to succeed is much more important than anything else.
You can fool some all the time, you can fool everyone some of the time, but you cannot fool everyone all the time.
Sheep and wolf understand the word “freedom” differently. This is the essence of the disagreements that dominate human society.
Those who wait passively eventually receive what they expected, but only what was left after those who acted energetically.
Many are able to withstand the blows of fate, but if you want to truly test a person's character, give him power.
Let us believe that power is on the side of truth; and may this faith help us to fulfill our duty as we understand it.
It is better to give way to a dog than to let it bite you, insisting on your rights. Even if you kill a dog, the bite will still be a bite.
The politician reminds me of a man who killed his father and mother, and then, when he is sentenced, asks for his life on the grounds that he is an orphan.
We can never achieve the ideal union, as our fathers dreamed, with the millions of strangers, the inferior race among us, whose assimilation is neither acceptable nor desirable.
If despotism sets in here, I would prefer to emigrate to a country without pretense of love of freedom - to Russia, for example, where despotism can be considered pure, without the base admixture of hypocrisy.
If God had created people whose purpose was only to eat and not to work, he would not have given them hands, but only mouths; and if he had created another class that would only have to work and not eat, he would not have given them mouths, but only hands.
The rise of corporations will inevitably lead to an era of corruption and corruption in the highest organs of the country, and capital will seek to assert its dominance by playing on the darkest instincts of the masses until all the national wealth is concentrated in the hands of a select few - and then the end of the republic.