Overcoming obstacles, or breaking barriers, is in everyday life. We live in a world full of madness and setbacks. The African Americans delt with slavery, Women faced unfair life having been looked at as less than men, and even famous actors like Jim Carrey lived homeless and hadto make his way to the top. All of these groups/people had to overcome their barriers to finish life successfully and fulfill their dreams. This goes to show that no matter the barriers in life, no matter the hard times and the setbacks, if you work hard you can defeat all the hardships in life to overcome your fears and reach your goals.
The historical event I chose to write about is President Abraham Lincoln and his life. His whole life he faced barriers and setbacks, that he worked hard to overcome. Lincoln grew up in a poor family, and spent most of his life helping his family to stay afloat. Abe would give his parents every cent in his pocket, and sometimes instead of money, he asked for books to read to expand his education. He also faced the death of his mom in 1818 which set him back. He took her death hard, as they were close.
Even though he faced the death of his greatest supporter, he lived to move onto great things. It was because of growing up in a low class family, he decided to go to school for three years. Despite his poor childhood, in 1832 Abe became Captain of the Army in the Black Hawk war, then later moved onto becoming a successful lawyer. This led onto dreaming of being president, and continuing to change the world, baby steps at a time. He faced a problem though, he failed eight elections before actually winning, because no one liked the way he looked or talked. Lincoln saw chances to change the world, broke through the challenges, and managed to pursue his dreams.
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In 1861, Lincoln won the Presidential Election. Even though he had made his goal, there still posed some problems. Slavery states did not agree to his election, because Abe was against the slaving of African Americans. And on September 22, 1862, after the battle at Antietam, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed slaves as of January 1, 1863. So just 2 years into his presidential term, Abe yet again overcame the barrier he was facing. This guy is amazing!
In 1863, when slavery was abolished, that was a barrier Lincoln had overcome. Not many people agreed with this act, but Lincoln believed he could bring people together. Now in 2020 the world is completely different from those times! African Americans are all getting the same chance as any other race in the country. They have same opportunities for education, jobs, and the rights in the constitution. Lincoln broke a barrier for African Americans, when he signed that treaty to abolish all slavery. Yes, we still have a barrier of racism today, but that can be overcome by strong willed people.
The biggest barrier in Abraham Lincoln’s life was the silent killer. By silent killer, I mean depression. Lincoln lived with a depressive disorder, which as of today affects 7.1%, in adults alone, of the U.S population. Almost 75% of people with mental disorders remain untreated with 1 million taking their own lives each year. Abe on the other hand, didn’t want to be a statistic. He seeked help with his depression, through counselors. Yet again, overcoming a barrier that could have ended his life at a young age. Despite this disease, Lincoln helped fight wars, preserved the union during the Civil War, end human slavery, and give amazing inspiring speeches, while suffering inside. This is the bravest thing a human could ever possibly do. Some people think that due to Abe’s underlying mental disorder, it helped him win the presidential election.
In today’s time, depression takes over most of our population. Some believe this is due to the rise of new technology. We have found ourselves in a time where cell phones and computers have become a big way of communication. Kids are starting to get electronics at a younger age, each year. Instead of playing outside in the mud or exploring, kids are locked onto TV’s and computers for games and entertainment. This causes a barrier of depression. I believe to overcome this barrier we need to wait longer for our kids to have electronics and also cut back on screen time.
There is also the case where depression is genetic. Abraham Lincoln faced that barrier. When depression is genetic, no matter what you do, you are going to go through sad phases, sometimes for no reason at all. Abe had worked with doctors and psychiatrists to help him through his depressive disorder. This set an example that we should learn from. Lincoln is a warrior, and kids with depressive disorders should learn from his break through of this unfortunate barrier. Instead of trying to work through it ourselves, we need to learn to ask for help breaking that depression barrier.
To conclude my essay, I’d like to recap. Lincoln lived a life full of barriers. Which will continue to happen through anyone’s life. Lincoln was strong willed, and had a need to change the world. He fought through wars, conqured slavery, all while living under a dark cloud of depression. He broke those barriers by working hard, asking for help, and just being himself. Lincoln today should be a symbol of courage and bravery for anyone facing a barrier in their life, no matter how big or small. You just need to fight to break past that barrier, and become the person you want to be. If you want to be a motivational speaker, but you’re afraid of crowds, work with people and therapists to overcome that fear and break that barrier. Anything is possible once you defeat those barriers.
Works Cited
- https://myhero.com/lincoln_millms_ul
- https://www.learningliftoff.com/overcoming-obstacles-how-abraham-lincoln-defeated-depression/
- https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics?scrlybrkr=b3a63bd7
