February 12 marks the birth of one of the greatest leaders of the United States of America. On February 12, 1809 one person by the name of Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Kentucky. He grew up in relative poverty and established himself as a renowned lawyer in Springfield Illinois becoming a member of the then Whig party (which ceased to exist in 1856 and re-established itself as the Republican Party thereafter). From engaging himself in the local politics of Illinois he eventually became the President of the United States in the 1860 election.
Upon him becoming the president in 1861, for Lincoln, (who was a champion of the abolition of slavery and a proponent of democratic values -- a very rare value considering that other past presidents were
mostly of affluent background), a state of uncertainty arose due to the political situation. Considering the uneasy state of mind with regard to the issue “slavery” there was division in the country. With the occurrence of an incident at Fort Sumter Charleston, South Carolina on April 12, 1861, the American Civil War began.
In 1863, specifically after the Emancipation Proclamation (the declaration of freedom and legal status of 3.5 million + slaves) on January 1 of that year, and after many battles won and lost, which were very bloody and their repercussions, the Battle of Gettysburg Pennsylvania came about. It was a three-day battle (July 1-3). This battle was one of the bloodiest in history, where the Union General Meade defeated the Confederates under General Robert E Lee. This more or less froze the northern invasion efforts by the Confederates. However, more than the occurrence, it also was a start of a drop in morale for the Confederates. Despite their hard efforts for two additional years thereafter, to pursue this war in hope for independence from the Union they did not see success.
Four months after the battle was over, President Lincoln was asked to visit the site in November 1863. In his speech he was expected to dedicate the landed space as a memorial graveyard against the battle that occurred there. Lincoln honoured the soldiers who died in the name of democracy. In this regard he was questioning the sustenance of a democracy, whereby he justified that institutions are above individual wants. He stated that the purpose is not to be engaged in any form of dedication but rather he was more inclined to make others understand from that this big battle was fought for a cause, however, henceforth the purpose of all the people must be unified in the reunification of the country and thereafter its reconstruction (the next 10-15 years period following the end of this war) of the United States of America.
With the development of industries during the Industrial Revolution a lot of prevailing mindsets about slavery were slowly diminishing
Lincoln thought that the battle would be remembered as a milestone historical occurrence. However, what he did not fathom was the fact that this specific speech carried more weight than the event itself and it became a form of document that has been studied for its depth as both a key piece of literature as well as a doctrine of democracy. Lincoln himself fell victim when he got assassinated at the Ford’s Theater in April 1865 within five days of Robert E Lee surrendering at Appomattox Court House to the Union Lt General Ulysses S Grant. This itself showed how unready the South was to unification. Lincoln could not reap the fruits of the peace thereafter.
The re-adaptation of a united country took time as it was not so easy for the agro-based South. There the farmers saw the need for slavery in order to sustain as agriculture entrepreneurs besides of course the inequality and social divide that prevailed throughout history. This was more so reflected in the South than in the North.
However, with the development of industries during the Industrial Revolution a lot of prevailing mindsets about slavery were slowly diminishing. This reflected a change. But one thing that did not change was the social inequality which stayed on till date. At the same time with the introduction of the railways, communications became more easily available so information was more ready to the common person. Nobody depended upon hearsay and preconceived notions of what may have been and was. This was, of course, besides the newspapers.
The war had such an impact that values changed with political parties. The Democratic Party was more rightist whereas the Republican Party was more left-leaning seeking the needs of the underprivileged initially. However, with time, the political nature changed. Woodrow Wilson and especially Franklin Delano Roosevelt were supported by the general public whereas the upper class stood with the Republicans. This specifically was reflected during and after World War I.
Do we need another Abraham Lincoln to reunite the “United States” or is Donald Trump the solution for the times?
There were always some disunities which came about many a times with the US participation in World War I, the Prohibition period, the economic collapse with the stock market crash of 1929, World War II, the Joseph McCarthy victimization of the Communists during the start of the Cold War in the 1950s, the Vietnam War in the 1960s-70s, and many more. However, never was there so much blood sacrificed as was done during the Civil War and especially Gettysburg within the bounds of the United States.
The Gettysburg Address showed that a document or a speech can have a bigger impact than a deadly occurrence in history. The values upon which Abraham Lincoln stood was the key towards a transition in the United States and thereafter it was realized that one man, one speech could contribute to a transformation and change that will uniquely be remembered.
It was also clear that the state governments were not always in league with the Federal government in Washington DC. Due to this it was very important for the federal government to understand the requirements of each of the states. Disunity with the federal government became the main cause of governmental changes in elections as well as policies which were not satisfactory for the people. It may also be stated that in the latter half of the 20th century onwards an artificial reality was created in Washington DC which was not acceptable to the country, the people the officials represented in DC mostly displayed a false reality and many of the requirements of the people they represented were not met. This also contributed to radical change in the people’s mindset especially after the availability of social media and the introduction of the fabrication of actual truth by the major media.
And now, with so much global disharmony the United States is also divided in approach and policies. The world is seeing that the identity of the lead parties is changing colours. The mass seems to want to affiliate themselves with the Republicans and the Democrats are more corporate centric to some extent, whereas they were the ones who stood for the needs of the common man, the unions, etcetera. This is clearly showing an identity crisis that has never been so overt.
Considering that the United States was established by the WASP (white Anglo-Saxon Protestants) with strict puritanical beliefs (something that has been passed down through generations), the bounds of acceptable understanding of values have been more defined as opposed to in Europe (specifically the UK). This was clear with the reintroduction of a reversal of Roe Vs Wade a few years ago. However, where the lines must be drawn has become a criterion of concern. Many who were comfortable living in the America of yesterday are finding it hard to accept the norms of today. Even factual information is being modified to meet the needs of acceptability. We see that fabrication of facts is becoming a norm that was never so transparent to the eyes of everyone.
So, do we need another Abraham Lincoln to reunite the “United States” or is Donald Trump the solution for the times? That is the question we all ask ourselves. A lot of questions arise in our minds, however it is better to sit and observe the way forward quietly and await the upcoming fate as the transition is so uncertain and the directions it is taking is difficult for us to judge.
Waleed Morshed is a consultant, institutional advisor, and entrepreneur.