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Who do you think is America's greatest Hero?
Abraham Lincoln is our greatest hero in my mind. He was a deeply thoughtful and moral man who was able to balance all the forces that threatened to tear the country apart. If he had lived reconstruction would surely have had a profoundly different face.
One interesting facet of his presidency I recently read about was his contribution to the creation of the transcontinental railroad which was largely built during the civil war. While he did free the slaves, his actions also meant the end of a way of life for the plains Indians. When finally completed the railroad bound the economic future of California with the rest of the country and spurred the settlement of the whole land that lay between the Mississippi and California.
He was a very complex man, an extremely controversial figure in his time, and a masterful politician. He probably did more to preserve the legacy of our forefathers while skillfully guiding the country through the most serious crisis in its history than any other American. He was also a very eloquent yet humble man with a great sense of humor as well.
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