Abraham Lincoln is perhaps one of the most interesting characters to ever grace the political arena and the American presidency. He is, of course, particularly notable for his role in saving the United States from its own destruction and in eradicating the South's ignoble tradition of slavery. However, upon closer examination, one discovers that Lincoln was much more than his political accomplishments. Throughout his years as a politician, there has been a noticeable change in terms of character and political personality. He seems to go from ambitious and loud to more solemn and reserved. Additionally, it is worth noting that some point out that Lincoln was, ironically enough, the most Democratic and autocratic American president to ever serve in office. However, it appears that while there is ample evidence of his democratic values, there is little evidence to suggest his autocratic intentions. While it was possible to find some lines revealing such intent, many of them are also directly refuted by powerful democratic rhetoric. All of this is found in Lincoln's four major speeches; “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” his inaugural addresses and the Gettysburg Address. Basically, in order to properly analyze Lincoln, it may be best to examine Lincoln's personal and political changes in terms of his antebellum and Civil War "personalities," as well as examine his democratic tendencies and autocratic; while scrutinizing Lincoln's major speeches. If one looks at Lincoln's speech, "A house divided against itself cannot stand," one would find Lincoln younger and more impetuous. To begin, he boldly declares: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” I believe this government cannot permanently support half slavery and...... middle of paper ... old. Furthermore, Lincoln shows a remarkable change in character from his ambitious antebellum years to his later years concomitant with the Civil War, which are imbued with solemnity and even a little religious zeal. It is interesting to watch his evolution as a politician, from what might be considered a firebrand insensitive to the issues at hand, to the reluctant and civil war-fearing new president, to the previously mentioned zealous patriarch . As we can see, his personal and political growth go hand in hand; being very difficult to separate. Ultimately, by examining Lincoln's major speeches, one can come to various conclusions, namely that one can trace the changes in Lincoln's character and political personality over the years and determine the extent to which Lincoln was a democratic autocrat; the answer to this last conclusion is hardly.