Abraham Lincoln's Influences

In many writings, authors uses their life as a major influence. They use their own experiences and emotions in their work to bring relatable viewpoints. Authors including Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, and Mark Twain all had writings that were influenced by their life. Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer and politician during the time of the Civil War. In March of 1861, he was elected as the sixteenth President of the United States. On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln wrote and presented the Gettysburg Address at the Gettysburg battlefield cemetery. In this speech Lincoln spoke for about two minutes saying only 272 words. In this time he honors those buried for their service and states, “We can not dedicate-we can not consecrate-we can not hallow-this

Born into a family with strong ties to military tradition, Robert E. Lee continued to follow his family’s footsteps. Lee established a reputation during the Mexican War as one of the finest leaders in the United States Army and became an American general for the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. During this time, Robert E. Lee also frequently wrote many letters to close family members that are still known today. One of these letters included, “Letter to His Son.” In this letter Lee uses his life to influence the writing by explaining his views on secession and his strongest loyalty. By stating: As an American citizen, I take great pride in my country, her prosperity and her institutions, and would defend any State if her rights were invaded. But I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union. It would be an accumulation of all the evils