美国前总统亚伯拉罕．林肯（Abraham Lincoln）
美国杂志——《大西洋月刊》（Atlantic Monthly）21 日公布对美国历史影响最大的100名美国人，结果显示，赢得南北战争、结束奴隶制的美国前总统亚伯拉罕．林肯（Abraham Lincoln）名列第一。这份名单是由10位著名历史学家票选而出。
《大西洋月刊》邀请10位著名历史学家列出他们心目中认为对美国历史影响最大的100名美国人。
进入前10名的还包括：美国前总统乔治．华盛顿、前总统托马斯．杰斐逊、前总统伍德罗．威尔逊、前总统富兰克林．D．罗斯福和黑人民权领袖马丁．路德．金。
此外，进榜的知名人物还包括，马克·吐温、惠特曼、美国乐坛巨星鲍勃·迪伦、高尔夫名将“老虎”伍兹、消费者权益宣传家拉尔夫·纳德尔等。
《大西洋月刊》的编辑在一份声明中表示，评选的目的是为了激励民众进行讨论：“谁影响了美国、如何影响”。
林肯生于1809年，是美国第16任总统。在其总统任内，美国爆发内战，史称南北战争。林肯废除了奴隶制度，击败了南方分离势力，维护了国家的统一。
1862年9月22日，林肯颁布《解放黑奴宣言》，在废除奴隶制度的道路上迈了一大步。他后来曾说：“在一生中，我确信，我未做过比签署此宣言更加正确的决定。”
美国历史学家称华盛顿为国父，林肯为国家的拯救者。
林肯的第二任总统就职演说
这篇演说的讲稿永久的刻在了林肯纪念堂里，英文原文是：
At this second appearing to take the oath of the presidential office，there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. Then a statement，somewhat in detail，of a course to be pursued，seemed fitting and proper. Now，at the expiration of four years，during which public declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs the attention，and engrosses the energies of the nation，little that is new could be presented. The progress of our arms，upon which all else chiefly depends，is as well known to the public as to myself; and it is，I trust，reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future，no prediction in regard to it is ventured.
On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago，all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it--all sought to avert it. While the inaugeral address was being delivered from this place，devoted altogether to saving the Union without war，insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war--seeking to dissole the Union，and divide effects，by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. And the war came.
One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves，not distributed generally over the Union，but localized in the Southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was，somehow，the cause of the war. To strengthen，perpetuate，and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union，even by war; while the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the war，the magnitude，or the duration，which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with，or even before，the conflict itself should cease.
Each looked for an easier triumph，and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible，and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has his own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offences！ for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh！" If we shall suppose that American Slavery is one of those offences which，in the providence of God，must needs come，but which，having continued through His appointed time，He now wills to remove，and that He gives to both North and South，this terrible war，as the woe due to those by whom the offence came，shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a Living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope--fervently do we pray--that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet，if God wills that it continue，until all the wealth piled by the bond-man's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk，and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash，shall be paid by another drawn with the sword，as was said three thousand years ago，so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord，are true and righteous altogether"
With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right，as God gives us to see the right，let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle，and for his widow，and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace，among ourselves，and with all nations.
最后两段译文：
(交战)每一方都在寻求一个快速的、不伤根本的胜利。双方都读同一本圣经，向同一位上帝祷告，求祂的帮助。看起来真是奇怪：一些人竟企求上帝让别人流汗而使自己可以得到面包；但是，不要让我们论断，如果我们自己不想被论断的话。双方的祷告不会同时被回答，任何一方的祷告也不会被完全应允。全能的神自有其旨意。“祸哉世界！因着必来之罪；祸哉此人，罪因其而来。”如果我们假设，美国奴隶制度乃是众罪之一，此罪到了期限，神便定意除去这个制度，引发这一场可怖的南北战争，因为灾降于那些罪因其而来的人身上，如同以往圣徒所描写的神的属性，神的作为难道会有任何偏差吗？我们热切地盼望--恒切地祷告--这场惩罚性的战争得以迅速地远离我们而去。然而，如果神定意让战争持续下去，直到我们从所有奴隶在两百五十年间没有报酬、困苦劳动之下所累积的财富毁去，及直到每一滴皮鞭上的血迹被报之以刀下每一条冤魂，就如同我们在三千年前所说，而今天仍要再说的那样：“主的审判信实，合乎公义。”
不以恶待人，而以仁爱相处。当神开启我们的眼，得见公义时，我们必须持守公义。让我们全力以赴，完成我们手中的工作，医治国家的创伤；并照料在战场上承受苦痛的人，和那些寡妇、孤儿，不忘记关怀他们 - 让我们竭尽全力，达成在我们中间，及众民族之间的永久的公义和和平。
简单统计：
讲演总字数：699
提到上帝次数：10(God: 6; The Almighty: 1; Lord: 1; He: 2)
提到祷告次数：3
提到圣经次数：1
引用圣经次数：2
所以只要读一下这篇讲演，就会知道林肯是怎样一位敬畏上帝，祈求上帝带领的人了！就如林肯传记《公民林肯》 (Lincoln the Citizen)的作者惠特尼(Henry Whitney)所总结的：“(这篇演讲是)一串向神连绵不断的祈求，求祂对我们这个如火如荼的国家伸出援手。”
这篇讲演发生在 1865年3月4号上午，当时在现场的记者Noah Brooks写到：“Just at that moment the sun，which had been obscured all day，burst forth in its unclouded meridian splendor，and flooded the spectacle with glory and with light……was already standing in the shadow of death.”(林肯登台的一瞬间，阳光冲出了已盘踞了一整天的云层，放射出惊人的景象，荣耀和光辉如洪水般涌来……而此时，林肯已经站在了死亡的阴影之中。) -- 仅仅40天后，即同年4月15号，林肯在剧院里被谋杀了。
其实早年的林肯是一个无神论者，作为政治家，认为财富和权力更为重要。然而，随着美国内战战局的发展，林肯越来越感受到上帝的主权和公义，越来越依靠神，承认自己和人的无能为力，开始把国家的命运交托在神的手里。
例如，在1862年9月，在一个本来看似乐观的形势下，北方军却经历了在Bull Run的第二次战役的彻底失败，林肯开始认真的反思这次战争，并且考虑解放黑奴的具体计划。这时，他写下了“Meditation on the Divine Will”(对神旨意的思想)的文章。英文原文是：“The will of God prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be，and one must be，wrong. God can not be for and against the same thing at the same time. In the present civil war it is quite possible that God's purpose is something different from the purpose of either party-and yet the human instrumentalities，working just as they do，are of the best adaptation to affect His purpose.”翻译是：“上帝的旨意必成就。在内战中，双方都认为自己所行的符合上帝的旨意，但至少有一方是错的，因为上帝不可能自相矛盾。上帝的旨意不同于我们的目标，但是上帝使用我们作为器皿成就祂的旨意。”
在林肯将被谋杀的最后时刻，据D. James Kennedy的《What if the Bible had never been written》一书，林肯坐在戏院里，对妻子玛丽说的最后的话是：“你知道我现在想做什么吗？我想带你到中东去旅行。” “我们要去祂(主耶稣)诞生的伯利恒。我们要拜访伯大尼，随着那条圣洁脚踪所行过的路途走。然后我们上耶路(耶路撒冷)……”
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