The Weight of Leadership: 

One of my favorite questions to ask someone is, “What did you learn today?” If the answer is nothing, I usually toss out an American Civil War fact and follow up with, “Did you know that?” Most of the time, I'm met with a polite, “No.” I’m always amazed at how little people know about the conflict that tore our nation apart, so I thought I’d share something here. Whether anyone cares or not is beside the point—maybe you’ll learn something today.
 

While browsing through the 130 or so known photos of President Lincoln, I noticed a few details that I thought would be exciting to share.
 

Let’s start with the photo on the left, taken in the autumn of 1860. Here, we see Lincoln seated, arms crossed—beardless. At this moment, Lincoln was in the midst of his presidential campaign with little hope that, in just four months, he’d actually be president. He was still a successful prairie lawyer and, as I like to say, a “failed politician.” (Yes, I said failed.) He’s almost unrecognizable from the man in the image on the right. This Lincoln lived in a very different America than the one he would later lead.

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Now, look at the image on the right. Do you see the same man? The obvious answer is yes—but the deeper answer is no. This portrait was one of the last taken of Lincoln, about a month before his second inauguration and a little over two months before his life was cut short by an assassin’s bullet. This Lincoln had endured the unimaginable pressures of leading a nation through civil war. It’s often said that the presidency ages men—but I believe none aged faster than Abraham Lincoln. Can you believe he was only 56 years old here?

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So why did he age so quickly? Some speculate he may have had a blood disorder that contributed to his worn appearance. But more than anything, it was the emotional and physical toll of war, personal grief, and the sorrows of millions of Americans. Lincoln bore an overwhelming sense of responsibility for the soldiers who died during his presidency, and this burden is evident in his writings—like his famous letter to Mrs. Bixby, a mother who lost all five of her sons in the war. It reads:

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“…I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.

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I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom.

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Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
A. Lincoln.”

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It’s hard to imagine a president writing something like that today. But to Lincoln, this was his duty—his responsibility. And that responsibility wore him down.

What stands out most to me in these photos isn’t just the physical transformation, but the story of a man who gave everything—his energy, his heart, and ultimately, his life—to guide a divided nation through its darkest days. These images capture not just history, but the price of leadership and the weight of sacrifice.
 

So, what did you learn today?