The Myth of Abraham Lincoln, no myth in American history is more widespread or more enduring. Good old Honest Abe, the great emancipator, defender of the Union. We have come to a crossroads in this country. This is a time of great peril; freedom is at its hour of maximum danger. We must put an end to this myth which only serves to spread tyranny and undermine freedom. Abraham Lincoln was not a great man trying to free slaves; he was a racist, power-hungry tyrant who really waged the Civil War to keep the South from seceding. Before we decide to explain why Abraham Lincoln is a tyrant, I think we first need to define the word tyrant. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary gives the following definition: 1 a: an absolute ruler unrestricted by law or constitution b: a usurper of sovereignty 2 a: a ruler who exercises absolute power in an oppressive or brutal manner b: someone 'one who resembles an oppressive ruler in the brutal use of authority or power'. We can now start down this path and show that Abraham Lincoln meets all the criteria and then some. Let’s start with the first part of the definition “1a: an absolute ruler without restriction by law or the constitution”. During his tenure as president, and particularly during the Civil War, Lincoln continually demonstrated complete disregard for the Constitution of the United States. One of his many transgressions against the Constitution was launching an invasion without the consent of Congress. He unilaterally made the decision to invade the South without first obtaining approval from Congress. As almost every American citizen knows, the Constitution explicitly grants Congress, and Congress alone, the power to declare war. Who gives power to the Constitution? The ...... middle of paper ......d U.S. History Online Abraham Lincoln Tyrant Hypocrite or consummate statesman Comments. Np, and Web. May 2, 2014. .Bennett, Lerone. Forced to Glory: Abraham Lincoln's White Dream. Chicago: Johnson Pub. Co., 2000. Print.DiLorenzo, Thomas J.. The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War. Roseville, CA: Prima, 2002. Print.DiLorenzo, Thomas J. Lincoln Unmasked: What You're Not Supposed to Know About Dishonest Abe. New York: Crown Forum, 2006. “The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln” print. Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Np, and Web. April 17, 2014. Weber, Jennifer L. Copperheads: The Rise and Fall of Lincoln's Opponents in the North. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print.