Black Sheep of the Month

Good Morning Ladies and Gents! Welcome back to another segment of Black Sheep of the Month! Today, we’re bringing you something different in light of the holiday. As you already know, month after month, we bring forth special individuals throughout history that lead the way in their ideals, social change, and spirit. These individuals go against the norm and against all adversity bring about good change to the world. These are our Black Sheep of History! They are our forefathers! Today, I am happy to announce our first two part Black Sheep of the Month.

In light of this special holiday, I wanted to give y’all something different and something to think about.

Let me be clear, I am not trying to take away the spotlight from Martin Luther King Jr. I am merely showing that these two individuals, who aimed for the same goals, brought about change in different points in time! Both gave their lives for their beliefs and left behind a legacy that not many have been able to live up to.

So, without further delay, for our Part 1 of our Black Sheep of the Month, we bring you our 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln!

Born in 1809, Abe would later lead the nation through the American Civil War, abolish slavery, strengthen the Federal Government, and modernize the US Economy. Don’t let him fool you though, there’s more to this man than meets the eye. But let’s start at the beginning. This Black Sheep, like many others came from humble beginnings. Born in a log cabin, Abe grew up on the prairies of Indiana where he was self-educated. Through many years of hard work and dedication, he became a lawyer. He soon joined the as a state legislator, congressman, and Whig Party Leader. Not long after, he removed himself from his government duties to return to his law practice. Not long after slaveries impose on the frontier lands, he quickly returned to the political realm in 1854.

It was not long before Abe’s leadership took hold of the Republican Party and succeeded in obtaining the presidency only five years later.

Regrettably, we know the South did not take kindly to Abe’s progressive ideas. Fortunately, this man knew well that it would take perfect strategy and political tactics to quell the many southern factions looking to end his reign. His misleading stunts and political maneuvers pitted many of these factions against each other thus gaining him the advantage and appeal of the American people. By 1863, with the iconic Gettysburg Address increasing his momentum, Abe issued the Emancipation Proclamation, ordering the Army to protect escaped slaves, encouraging border states to outlaw slavery, and pushing Congress to outlaw slavery with the Thirteenth Amendment.

At this point, with a large target on his back and very few people left to trust, Abe managed his ow re-election campaign. Unfortunately, it was not long before he died and remembered as the United States martyred hero.

Well, its not hard to see this man paved away for history to make its course to our other Black Sheep, Martin Luther King Jr. More on this great man, in part 2. As Black Sheep, we strive to live by our values and beliefs. Like our past Black Sheep, below his political history, Abe had a difficult life from the start. At a young age, he lost his mother, sister, and brother. Later on, losing his wife and his sons. Furthermore, much like Black Sheep, he often found himself isolated from his own environment. Unlike his father who was a skilled carpenter and farm hand, Abe found a calling towards scripture, reading, ciphering, and writing. He was often called lazy and shunned due to his indifference towards the norm of the frontier life.

Fortunately, like our forefather Teddy Roosevelt, he never ran away from a fight.

Young Abe was well known for his strength, height, and audacity to match. So much so, that he was able to best the strongest wrestler and leader of the local boys. This would later serve him well during his time as Captain in the Illinois militia and his strong disposition in the court rooms. Unlike, Presidents before him, he was the only one to hold a patent and rally against the glory of war. He knew full well that a man should adhere to a code so much so that he earned his nickname “Honest Abe.” To add to his test of character, during the conflicts with Native Americans, he lost much popularity from the American people because he refused to “hang men for votes.”

Over 300 Native Americans, were indicted in the deaths of innocent farmers, but Honest Abe made it a point to thoroughly investigate which resulted in 39 Native Americans found guilty.

Clearly, he was a man of honor and fair justice even though it hurt his public affection, he never swayed from his values.

It doesn’t take much to understand why this man is our Black Sheep of the Month. Clearly, he was selfless, intelligent, strong, and honorable to his very end. We can all learn something from our 16^th President, whether it be his tenacity or his unyielding will. These men and women of our history can teach us better than anyone what TRUE success and achievement really mean. Luckily, he was not the only one! Stay tuned for our part two coming later this week. I hope you enjoyed this first part. If you would like to learn more, click here. Feel free to comment or contact us for anything further. We always enjoy hearing from others.