Abraham Lincoln: His Effects In The Civil War And The Emancipation Of Slaves Research Paper Sample

Research Question

This research will focus on the life and time of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States of America (McPherson 21). A number of social and political developments in the United States during and immediately after the civil war are attributable to him, given the unprecedented contribution he made to ensure that the various states, forming the United States remained together After the American civil war. His leadership prowess and courage was legendary (Burlingame 11).
The Research question “How did Abraham Lincoln influence the Civil War and emancipation of slaves” will shed a lot of light in the success story that is synonymous with Lincoln’s life. My question will focus on three main things. One, the background of Abraham Lincoln; two, his foray into politics and leadership style; and lastly, his specific contributions in bringing to an end the American Civil war and slavery which had become quite popular with the Southern States at the time.

My Working Thesis

My audience for this research is the staff and students of the Department of Humanities at my University. This paper aims at informing them about the monumental contributions of Abraham Lincoln to the foundation of the freedoms we enjoy today as a country. This paper aims at convincing the audience that the American society, as it is today, owes its existence to our founding fathers, one of which is Abraham Lincoln (Neely 17). And that the personal sacrifices they made, sometimes even putting their lives in the line for the sake of our country, are indeed invaluable (Miller 124). The research will also attempt to explain the lessons we can learn from the efforts of these great people in order to make our country a better place to live in.

Literature Review

This research will make use of numerous primary and secondary sources. The book Abraham Lincoln: A Life by Michael Burlingame Goodwin will be the basic text for this research. The choice of this book is based on the general consensus that it is one of the most comprehensive texts ever written about the life and achievements of Abraham Lincoln. The book also gives important insight into the thinking of Abraham Lincoln and how he was able to outdo his rivals and stand tall in the politics of the United States (Burlingame 31).
Another book that will be used in this research is Belz Herman’s Abraham Lincoln, Constitutionalism, and Equal Rights in the Civil War Era. This book is a treasure to history lovers. Not only does it illuminate the question of Abraham’s unique leadership style and political wit but it also gives a most comprehensive account of Lincoln’s early life (Belz 11). This paper will draw immensely from this book in tracing the early life of Abraham Lincoln. Other books that will be used in this research include Tried By War: Abraham Lincon asCommander in Chief by McPherson, The Last Best Hope on Earth: Abraham Lincoln and The Promise of America by Neely and Lincoln’s Virtue: An Ethica Biography by Milller. Numerous research paper and online sources will also be used in the paper.

What we already know, what we need to know

We already know that Abraham Lincoln was the key figure behind the ceasefire that eventually led to the end of the Civil war. What we do not know is the behind the scenes operations that culminated in this success. This paper seeks to shed light on this aspect of Lincoln’s achievements and political career.

Work Cited

Burlingame, Michael. Abraham Lincoln: A Life (2 volumes). Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008
McPherson, James. Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief. Penguin Press, 2008.
Neely, Mark. The Last Best Hope of Earth: Abraham Lincoln and the Promise of America. Harvard University Press, 1994.
Miller, William Lee. Lincoln's Virtues: An Ethical Biography (Vintage Books ed.). New York: Random House/Vintage Books, 2002.
Belz, Herman. Abraham Lincoln, Constitutionalism, and Equal Rights in the Civil War Era. Fordham University Press, 1998.