Abraham Lincoln’s first annual message to Congress, delivered before many major events of the American Civil War, is often overshadowed by his later addresses or remembered primarily for the following line:

“The struggle of today, is not altogether for today—it is for a vast future also. With a reliance on Providence, all the more firm and earnest, let us proceed in the great task which events have devolved upon us.”

Yet, during the American Civil War, Lincoln also emphasized his admiration for individuals who have risen from poverty through hard work and perseverance. He highlights the resilience and integrity developed through earning one’s position through hard work, portraying such individuals as inherently more trustworthy and valuing the journey of overcoming hardship over mere success or privilege.