When European settlers arrived in America, they came seeking land and the promise of freedom. They wanted to build a nation by people and for people. Many colonists desired of freedom. Slavery in the South was getting out of control, putting these ideas under attack. Slavery was a considerable obstacle in the way of Americans in establishing a democratic society. Abraham Lincoln became a president at the time of slavery and inequalities among the white …showed first 75 words of 461 total…

…showed last 75 words of 461 total…with "A great shout upon the hills" and left "a lonesome place against the sky." Lincoln created a sense of nationhood based on equality and coupled it with an American national culture which enabled the United States to maintain its unity. Lincoln became extraordinary popular not only because he came from a "common background" but also because the unusual strength and clarity with which he felt and saw the troubles that were affeecting the nation.