Was Abraham Lincoln's legacy purposefully embellished by historians?

Answer 1

Yes, he pretty much suspended the Bill Of Rights and He had no Intention of Freeing the Slaves, thats a myth.

Answer 2

Come on--get serious!!

Lincoln was the greatest President in our history. His record (on paper, which can be verified, unlike anecdotal evidence) stands alone, head and shoulders above every other occupant of the Office.

Without Washington, we wouldn't have gotten started, but without Lincoln, we would have ceased to be, or would exist today in a backwater of the world, much like a banana republic in Latin America or what is laughingly called a nation in Africa.

Answer 3

When I worked in Washington DC a member of my company took me on a tour of DC. I had already visited when I was young (1970) and even took a tour of the Watergate Hotel, the Whitehouse and all the usual stops, including the Smithsonian. But this person, was a true research historian who looked for evidence about Washington and the Whitehouse, and the Presidents. He took me to the back of the Whitehouse and showed me the steps that Lincoln took everyday to the telegraph office to get news of the War, He had documents showing letters Lincoln wrote to the mothers of slain soldiers, consoling them for their son's bravery to defend the Union. If I were you I'd read something of his biography attached below, which is simple and honest enough. He set a very high standard of honesty, and frankly, he's the only President enthroned in Washington DC.
I think he loved his fellowman a great deal, and if we could have a king we couldn't go wrong with him. He wanted opportunity for the poor, and the slave to be free. I am sure he didn't want war either, but freedom for individuals always comes at a very high price. It doesn't seem as much to you until you see little children grow up free because someone fought against their oppressor.
Popular during Lincoln's time, the Battlehymn of the Republic: As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free. His Truth is Marching On.

Portion of Lincoln Biography:
ENCYCLOPEDIA: LINCOLN, Abraham

(1809–65), 16th president of the U.S. (1861–65), who steered the Union to victory in the American Civil War and abolished slavery.

Early Life.

Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, 1809, near Hodgenville, Ky., the son of Nancy Hanks (1784?–1818) and Thomas Lincoln (1778–1851), pioneer farmers. At the age of two he was taken by his parents to nearby Knob Creek and at eight to Spencer Co., Ind. The following year his mother died. In 1819 his father married Sarah Bush Johnston (1788–1869), a kindly widow, who soon gained the boy's affection.

Lincoln grew up a tall, gangling youth, who could hold his own in physical contests and also showed great intellectual promise, although he had little formal education. After moving with his family to Macon Co., Ill., in 1831, he struck out on his own, taking a cargo to New Orleans, La., on a flatboat. He then returned to Illinois and settled in New Salem, a short-lived community on the Sangamon River, where he split rails and clerked in a store. He gained the respect of his fellow townspeople, including the so-called Clary Grove boys, who had challenged him to physical combat, and was elected captain of his company in the Black Hawk War (1832). Returning from the war, he began an unsuccessful venture in shopkeeping that ended when his partner died. In 1833 he was appointed postmaster but had to supplement his income with surveying and various other jobs. At the same time he began to study law. That he gradually paid off his and his deceased partner's debts firmly established his reputation for honesty. [..]Lincoln ranks with the greatest of American statesmen. His humanitarian instincts, brilliant speeches, and unusual political skill ensured his hold on the electorate and his success in saving the Union. [...] For more information: Visit the History Channel

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."

Despite this expansive wording, the Emancipation Proclamation was limited in many ways. It applied only to states that had seceded from the Union, leaving slavery untouched in the loyal border states. It also expressly exempted parts of the Confederacy that had already come under Northern control. Most important, the freedom it promised depended upon Union military victory.

Although the Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately free a single slave, it fundamentally transformed the character of the war. After January 1, 1863, every advance of federal troops expanded the domain of freedom. Moreover, the Proclamation announced the acceptance of black men into the Union Army and Navy, enabling the liberated to become liberators. By the end of the war, almost 200,000 black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and freedom.

The Gettysburg Address: The Conclusion...
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us. . .that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. . . 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. "