Comparing Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy
Abraham Lincoln and John Kennedy assassinations are two of the four most discussed killings in the United States. Political history and deaths of Lincoln and Kennedy have many similarities. Some of the assassination similarities of the two presidents include; they were assassinated the same day (on a Friday), their assassins were shot and killed in police custody before their trials, and both of them were shot at the back of their heads. These are just some of the similarities pertaining to their death. However, Lincoln and Kennedy also have some differences and the most significant difference between the two lays in their family backgrounds. Kennedy came from a wealthy family, and his father was a famous political figure. Lincoln was born in a low-income family; he had to work his way to the top of the political world. Although Lincoln and Kennedy had different struggles, they accomplished great things during the political governance they were in office. Both men got re-elected for a second term in office.
John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln started their political careers at an early age. At 23 years old Lincoln ran for Illinois legislature, but he was not successful. After two years Lincoln got elected at the Lower House for four terms. Between 1847 and 1849, Lincoln was a member of the United States House of Representatives, where he mainly opposed the Mexican War ( Clegg, 2019. Lincoln was firmly against slavery he viewed it as an immoral act. In 1854, a Kansas- Nebraska act with a proposal of opening paths to slavery that was previously closed, was presented to the congress. When the Act was passed, Lincoln started to lose his interest in politics. Later, Lincoln campaigned for senate and appeared with Douglas (his opposition) in seven debates, and that was considered has his first political fame. The national attention he earned during the debates led to the Republican party making Lincoln its presidential candidate of 1860 elections.
American history describes Abraham Lincoln has one of the greatest presidents in the United States due to his accomplishments. He led America through the civil war and still managed to preserve the union, modernize the economy, and give the federal government strength. Lincoln, during his presidency, he fought for the freedom of slaves by issuing the emaciation proclamation. In 1882, Chicago tribute asked 49 political scientists and historians to rate the American presidents using Jimmy Carter. The rating was based on five categories; character, political skills, risk management skills, leadership qualities and appointments. After the rating president, Lincoln was at the top of the lists. Historian judgment is proof that Lincoln was the most celebrated American president through all the required measures applied. Lincoln was able to manage the process of rescuing the nation’s unity and ending slavery. After which a perfect union was created in terms of economic equality and liberty. In his legacy, he left the United States has a nation that was both free and whole.
Lincoln as the most activist president in history, he changed the presidents’ role of chief executive and commander in chief into a new dominant position. The transformation of this role placed the president as supreme over the courts and congress. Through his activism, the president did the following things;
- Increased the number of navy and army individuals
- Without congressional permission, he spent 2 million in civil war process
- Ordered authorities to arrest and put suspected traitors in military detention
- Issued Emancipation Proclamation
- Formally isolated southern ports.
Through doing all these things, Lincoln overlooked one constitutional provision after another and broke several laws. He responded to the Supreme Court opposition by creating his own version of judicial assessment to make the president the final interpreter of constitutional requirements. Lincoln speeches pointed out that preserving the nation was more important than losing a constitution. Addressing opposers critics he stated that presidents’ duty was to oversee the work of the governmental departments and not be subordinate to Supreme Courts or Congress. Also, Lincoln demonstrated the special task of a president through consistently executing actions at times of crisis. During his period of presidency, Lincoln’s actions pointed out to the public that the president is elected and sworn to defend a nation, protect, and preserve it.
After the assassination of President Lincoln, his governance legacy of execution of actions did not last for long. The Supreme Courts and Congress overshadowed the White House, but still, his achievements and outstanding way of ruling remained an essential aspect in American history (Dirck,2015). The most significant accomplishments of Lincoln told by historians are his ability to invigorate and organize the nation. According to historians, Lincoln was the only president who achieved so much under pressure and through all challenges imposed on him.
John F. Kennedy, unlike Abraham Lincoln, he lived an extravagant and comfortable life, and his limited congressional career seemed ordinary Evans, 2016). Many voters were worried that Kennedy lacked the required skills to lead the nation in such a critical period. Early mistakes in judgment, specifically in Bay of Pigs in Fiasco, proved the public fear of Kennedy’s incompetence to be true. In 1962 by summer the government was in chaos. Activists groups were repeatedly protesting for change, the congress opposition was growing, and the economic outlook was discouraging. The conditions gave a negative impression on Kennedy’s governance and the doubts of him being inappropriate for the presidential position increased.
Kennedy spent less than three years in the presidency, and he did not have time to implement all of his transformation plans. Even though his first year at the office is a total failure, Kennedy gets rated by American history as one of the presidents who achieved extraordinary accomplishments. The remarkable achievement of Kennedy was his skilful management of the Cuban Missiles Crisis. The military experts proposed bombing of the missile pads that were stationed in Cuba by the Soviet Union. Kennedy to stop a crisis from intensifying, he instead ordered a blockade of Soviet Ships. His action resulted in a peaceful agreement, and the relationship between Moscow and Washington started to soften. Kennedy also launched a motive of civil rights bills with hoping that it would put racial segregation to an end and uphold equality. He presented a proposal of voting rights bill and federal programs as well. The proposals requested providing of health care opportunities to both the elderly and the poor at an affordable price. Most of the bills he proposed were not passed during his presidency but still counted as his accomplishments.
Another attribute that shaped Kennedy’s legacy was his charm. He had so much charisma that he could change skeptics into believers. His physical attractiveness, the way he spoke and the way his speeches were structured made many people believe that he represented an ideal figure of a president. He used poetic and philosophical quotations during his public statements and made a good impression on the public. Kennedy had the idealism, the courage, good looks, and money, all characters that many Americans believed would get the government to move forward. He knew how to solve wars peacefully, negotiate calmly and put the less advantaged citizens on the front line of justices. His presidency reminds Americans it is possible to resolve the crisis without chaos and achieve through commitment and passion.
While many historians major on presenting the similarities between President Kennedy and Lincoln assassination events, both men presidency had a massive transformation in America. The personalities are different but the motives that the two pose during their governance aim at achieving a better world for all. For instance, both presidents were committed to giving freedom to each American citizen. Kennedy proposed a civil rights bill to ensure that Black Americans received equal rights as the rest of the citizens (Foley & Lennon 1996). Lincoln, on the other hand, issued an Emancipation Proclamation to end slavery and promote equality. Therefore, both presidents fought for the legalization of justice, which is a remarkable achievement. Another similarity in their governance is the love and hate the experience. The ordinary citizens loved the two presidents and disliked by the establishment. Lincoln had to fight in a way that made he opposes claim he was a dictator to ensure that the congress did not impose unfair or constitutional laws on the citizens. He degraded the Supreme courts and Congress powers for him to clear a way for his executive actions that would unite and protect America as a nation. Kennedy as well-received critics from the establishment that he lacked leadership skills and he only got elected due to his family background. He used many of his attributes that the government advisers did not approve of to save the nation from civil war and restored peace.
Another aspect that links the two famous presidents is that they struggled with their personal lives. President Kennedy struggle was due to his health issues that historians pointed out that it made him spent most of his childhood moments at the hospital. On the other hand, Lincoln was born from an economically struggling family, and as a result, he toiled to attain each of his accomplishments. Therefore, Abraham Lincoln and John Kennedy comparison range from their personal life, to the feats they achieved and to their assassinations. The two presidents have a remarkable history of governance, and their ruling left an outstanding legacy to the American world.
References
Clegg, L. (2019). John F. Kennedy and the Desire to Land an American on the Moon. The General: Brock University Undergraduate Journal of History, 4, 8-30.
Dirck, B. R. (2015). Abraham Lincoln and the Rise of White America. University Press of Kansas.
Evans, H. E. (2016). The Hidden Campaign: FDR’s Health and the 1944 Election: FDR’s Health and the 1944 Election. Routledge.
Foley, M., & Lennon, J. J. (1996). JFK and dark tourism: A fascination with assassination. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 2(4), 198-211.