The wordle above is compiled from:
Lincoln to George Latham - July 22, 1860
"if you will allow no feeling of discouragement to seize, and prey upon you - It is a certain truth, that you can enter, and graduate in, Harvard University; and having made the attempt, you must succeed in it. ``Must'' is the word - "
"you can not fail, if you resolutely determine, that you will not."
"The President of the institution, can scarcely be other than a kind man; and doubtless he would grant you an interview, and point out the readiest way to remove, or overcome, the obstacles which have thwarted you - "
"In your temporary failure there is no evidence that you may not yet be a better scholar, and a more successful man in the great struggle of life, than many others, who have entered college more easily - "
"I say let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed - "
Very truly your friend, A. LINCOLN.
Full text of the letter available at the Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln
The wordle above is compiled from:
Lincoln's Lyceum Address - January 27,1838
"What! think you these places would satisfy an Alexander, a Caesar, or a Napoleon? Never! Towering genius disdains a beaten path. It seeks regions hitherto unexplored. It sees no distinction in adding story to story, upon the monuments of fame, erected to the memory of others. It denies that it is glory enough to serve under any chief. It scorns to tread in the footsteps of any predecessor, however illustrious. It thirsts and burns for distinction; and, if possible, it will have it, whether at the expense of emancipating slaves, or enslaving freemen."
Full text of this address available at the House Divided Project at Dickenson College
Video Courtesy of the House Divided Project at Dickinson College
The wordle above is compiled from:
Theodore Roosevelt - October 5, 1898
"Greatness means strife for nation and man alike. A soft, easy life is not worth living, if it impairs the fibre of brain and heart and muscle. We must dare to be great; and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage... We are face to face with our destiny and we must meet it with a high and resolute courage. For us is the life of action, of strenuous performance of duty; let us live in the harness, striving mightily; let us rather run the risk of wearing out than rusting out."
Address at the opening of the gubernatorial campaign, New York City (October 5, 1898), "The Duties of a Great Nation"
Full text of this speech available at timemachine.nytimes.com
For further context, explore The Almanac of Theodore Roosevelt
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Lincoln vs. Roosevelt - on inspiring the people
Find below the words to two great American Presidents from different eras, both recommending hard work and determination as a pre-requisite for success. Does context make a difference or has hard work always been a mantra to achieving the American Dream?
The sources below can be applied to evaluate the essential question: What strategies did both Lincoln and Roosevelt use to inspire their constituents in light of the 19th Century struggles of the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the American reclamation of control in Central America?
