Thursday, February 12, 2009

Happy Birthday, Preserver Of The Union...



"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."





- Abraham Lincoln



On this day in 1809...

In a small cabin on the outskirts of Hodgenville. In the woods of Kentucky was born perhaps the greatest president this nation ever had. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States of America and "Preserver of the Union" was the steward for this nation in its most trying time...

It is no wonder that Lincoln was a hero to Walt Disney. When the Maestro created the exhibit for the World's Fair he wanted to show the world just why he felt Mr. Lincoln was such a defining force in the building of America.

He died at the age of 56 just days after winning a war that was anything but civil. He was watching a production of "Our American Cousin" at the Ford Theater when John Wilkes Booth entered the Lincoln's balcony from behind and pointed a pistol at the back of the president's head. Booth thought he was killing a tyrant. He thought he would be famous. Unknowingly, he killed a giant and was forever after remembered infamously.

When Walt was born, Lincoln would have been dead less than forty years so the war to keep the nation together would have been more fresh in the minds of people growing up in Missouri or Illinois or any other state for that manner. Walt loved President Lincoln so much that he even dressed up as him once as a young boy. The world would know Walt Disney as the an unbridled champion of American ideals but without Abraham Lincoln the Walt we know today would probably not be the same person...

That is the cause and affect of great men...

Sometimes men of purpose are born great, others are made great from their actions and the events that surround them.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Shame Disneyland missed the opportunity to reopen Great Moments with Mr Lincoln in time for his 200th birthday. Hopefully he'll return before long

Capt. Tomorrow said...

The suits really missed a PR and merchandise event by not having a new Mr. Lincoln on Main Street for his 200th birthday. How odd since I thought just about everything these days at Disneyland revolves around a merchandise event.

Toole said...

Marry Todd Lincoln pissed away very dime.

Mr. Lincoln said...

A great man indeed!

You should read Jay Winik's "APRIL 1865." Great book about Lincoln and our nation in a truly pivotal month in history.

Anonymous said...

Who's making a film based on the life of Abraham Lincoln, and who just signed a distribution deal with Disney?

Say, they're not waiting until 2011 to reopen Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln just to tie in with a movie are they?