Introduction
In this article, we will discuss two very famous and prestigious personalities of the USA. The two people we are differentiating between today are Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Both of these people served as the President of the United States Of America for two Terms. Their tenures were historical. Both achieved milestones during their tenures as Abraham Lincoln successfully abolished Slavery in The US while George Washington was the first person to become the President of the US. Even though they were both great leaders, the choices they made were very different. One was the 16th president, while the other was the 1st president of the country. Both of them gave great importance to the freedom and rights of individuals as George Washington spent his life to make the US a country of people who had equal rights and were free. On the other hand, Abraham Lincoln too had worked for equality among all as he had worked to change people’s perspective on Racism and abolished slavery.
The struggles and challenges that the two-faced and tackled were not similar. George Washington was involved in the drafting of the Constitution, whereas Abraham Lincoln worked on the flaws of the law and all the unjust practices that were prevalent in society. George Washington worked to form a basic structure to run the country. Lincoln worked to uphold that structure and improve with time.
Abraham Lincoln vs. George Washington
The main difference between Abraham Lincoln and George Washington is the way they began their journey to become the leaders of a country we talk about George Washington’s journey. It all goes back to the American Revolutionary War, which he joined to support the idea of a free nation, which later led to him becoming the Father of the Nation of the US. George Washington was from an economically sound family. Didn’t suffer any economic hardships and received easy recognition. On the other hand, Abraham Lincoln had a life of struggle. He used to work as a laborer; he had to find resources to educate himself. it was after he became a lawyer that he could partake in any political work; he had to contest the US Presidential Elections many times before he could finally succeed to the post of The President. Even the education received by the two was very different, as George Washington was given a proper formal education at home. Abraham Lincoln had very minimal schooling. He did not have the opportunity to attend school regularly due to the financial crunch he was going through.
Difference Between Abraham Lincoln and George Washington in Tabular Form
| Parameter | Abraham Lincoln | George Washington |
| Political Party | He was a member of the Republican Party | He was a member of the Republican Party. He did not belong to any particular party and was a sole player at times he did support the ideology and programs of the Federalist Party he never joined it officially, He was also the key face of the party soon after the American Revolutionary War. |
| Profession | Abraham Lincoln pursued Law, and it was only after he became a Lawyer, that he started to raise social concerns in the public and delved into politics. He also worked as an Illinois state legislator. | George Washington was from a rich family and had a great inheritance so at that time he had land which is the reason why he was a plantation owner and a tobacco farmer, The two things together fetched him a great monetary income. |
| Spouse | He was married to Mary Todd. | He was married to Martha Dandridge Curtis |
| Important Contributions | He was the president during the First Civil War and worked through the crisis, also he worked to abolish slavery and free the slaves. | He led the Revolutionary War and presided over the Drafting of the Constitution, The Philadelphia Convention in 1787, and the proclamation of neutrality. Further, he was the first President of the US. |
| Parents | His parents were Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Lincoln and his stepmother was Sarah Bush Johnston. | His parents were Augustine Washington and Mary Ball Washington |
| Legacy and Memorials | There is a memorial in his remembrance at Washington called the Lincoln Memorial. His face is on Mount Rushmore, and the state of Illinois is nicknamed after him. Also, he has his face on some currency. All these tributes reflect his successful tenure as the President. | He was honoured with the title of the Father of the nation, he is featured on the Confederate seal, and he appears on one-dollar bills, and the state of Washington and Washington state is named after him. His contribution is an inspiration to future leaders. |
| Cause of death | He died in an assassination by a shooter. He got shot in the head. | He died from Pneumonia. He had fallen sick from a cold. |
| Education | He was a self-taught person and received education through independent studying. | He received a quality education at home from his father and half-brother. He was further trained in surveying. |
| Years of service | 21 April 1832 - July 10, 1832. | 1752 - 1799 |
Who is Abraham Lincoln?
Abraham Lincoln is the famous 16 President of The US he was born in 1608, as the second child of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Lincoln. Though he had a family, his life was not easy. He worked as a labourer as a child and struggled for daily necessities, he was further deprived of education and had to resort to self-studying and understanding to make something out of his life. Further, his Biological mother passed away when he was nine, and his father remarried Sarah Brush Jhonston, who later formed a deep bond with him. When we talk about Abraham Lincoln’s political career, his innumerable failures are hard to miss as these are a clear reflection of his determination and dedication towards success and the cause. We have already discussed the hard work that helped him to become a lawyer after which he started to delve into the field of politics, even after that he continued to remain an individual player and joined the republican Political party. His track record is prominent that he upheld his ideology and executed decisions to fulfil the goals that worked in its favour like the Abolishment of Slavery despite all the opposition and the conditions of tension that were present in the country. It was a dynamic change that no one could deny. The fact that he convinced major political players of this change is commendable.
As President, he had led the country through the First Civil War and the hardships that came with it; his decisions helped tackle the situation more swiftly. He had also managed to act fast to defuse the Trent Affair, which could have ended up as a War with Britain. When we talk about ideologies, it’s also interesting to know that he was a Republican. On the other hand, George Washington was a Federalist, two ideologies which are very different from each other, but both leaders worked greatly for the country. The legacy of Abraham Lincoln can also be seen, as his face is on the 5$ bill and on the Mount Rushmore as well as the fact that Illinois is called the ‘Land of Lincoln’.
Discussing Lincoln’s family, he had a wife, Mary Todd, who belonged to a wealthy family that owned slaves. He also had four children, but only one grew up to adulthood, the other three passed away early. His military experience was not very extensive. He had only held one military position in his lifetime, that of Captain in The Black Hawk War.
Who is George Washington?
George Washington was born on 22 Feb in 1732. He was the child of Augustine Washington and Mary Ball Washington, and he had many siblings. Two of them were older, and the rest five were younger. His family was wealthy, so they did not have any financial issues. George Washington had a fairly easy and sheltered upbringing, even after his father had passed away. When he was nine, he was brought up by his Stepbrother. He received a quality education at home under the great care of his father and stepbrother. They even trained his surveying. By Profession, he was a landowner and a tobacco farmer by occupation. George Washington was always greatly involved in military-related affairs. He was Lieutenant Colonel, he was a part of the expedition to Fort Duquesne to push the French Canadians out. He also worked on the Monogahela expedition, where he worked as an aide to the British General Edward Braddock. He was elected as a major general in 1755 and was elected by Congress as the commander-in-chief.
Washington had sided with the Federalists. He had presided over the important Philadelphia Convention that drafted the Constitution for the USA in 1787. His unilateral proclamation of Neutrality was also a great relief as it helped avoid unnecessary conflicts and helped manage Foreign Affairs. He had also passed laws like the Fugitive Slave Law that made being of help to a runaway slave a felony. These laws were harsh, but a need of the era when eradicating Slavery would have been impossible, and to manage the working of the country, such laws were seen as acceptable even if people at present times may feel otherwise.
The legacy of George Washington is also unforgettable as he was given the title “The father of the nation” " His face gets printed on all 1$ bills, and many more tributes have been bestowed to him that reflect his greatness.
Main Difference Between Abraham Lincoln and George Washington
- Upbringing: there was a stark difference in the upbringing of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, as both of them were not only brought up in different periods but were also from very different sections of society. George Washington was born in 1732 into a wealthy family so naturally, he had a lavish and sheltered upbringing and was given a formal education at home, at a time when being educated was uncommon. Abraham Lincoln, on the other hand, was born in the 1800s and was a child from a low-income family; he did not receive a proper education; he mostly educated himself while working as his family struggled financially.
- Political Party: Abraham Lincoln was a part of the Republican party and was involved in politics from his days as a lawyer he contested Presidential elections a few times before he could manage a win. George Washington was not a part of any particular Political Party. He at the time did support the Federalists. He worked on the Philadelphia Convention and the writing of the Constitution.
- Cause of Death: Abraham Lincoln was shot dead, or we can say he was assassinated. He was the President and had a fair share of haters. George Washinton died of a cold or pneumonia as the medical sector at that time was not as advanced as today’s.
- Philosophy: Abraham Lincoln stood for unity and equality. He always believed and practiced the same. He believed that all Americans should work together united. They should stand undivided. This was the philosophy that drove him to abolish Slavery. George Washington’s beliefs surrounded the divine will or providence. He believed that what the divine believed should be followed. He was also against partisanship and sectionalism.
Conclusion
When we discuss the differences between two phenomenal Leaders, we find more similarities than differences: their passion for change and their willingness to work hard till the end without giving up. Both the leaders Abraham Lincoln and George Washington have shown us the inherent qualities that all leaders have, from the power to adapt to changes to helping people adapt to them. Their ability to convince people and push them in the right direction is also commendable. When we look at their individual life choices, there is a lot to learn. For example, when we learn about Abraham Lincoln, we realize how important it is to focus on growth and education and how important it is to fight for what you believe in. The manner of working and changing new rules from old is something one can learn from George Washington.
