--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Washington was a typical American…" description: "\"Washington was a typical American. Napoleon was a typical Frenchman, but Lincoln was a humanitarian as broad as the world. He was bigger than his count..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/doris-kearns-goodwin-1951_bigger_washington-was-a-typical-american-napole_2237718.png" --- # Washington was a typical American. Napoleon was a typical… ![“Washington was a typical American. Napoleon was a typical Frenchman, but Lincoln was a humanitarian as broad as the world. He was bigger than his country - bigger than all the Presidents together.” quote by Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/doris-kearns-goodwin-1951_bigger_washington-was-a-typical-american-napole_2237718.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/doris-kearns-goodwin-1951_bigger_washington-was-a-typical-american-napole_2237718.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/doris-kearns-goodwin-1951_bigger_washington-was-a-typical-american-napole_2237718.png) > “Washington was a typical American. Napoleon was a typical Frenchman, but Lincoln was a humanitarian as broad as the world. He was bigger than his country - bigger than all the Presidents together.” [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author contrasts leaders, noting Lincoln’s extraordinary humanitarian scope that exceeded national boundaries. **In simple terms:** Lincoln was uniquely compassionate and impactful. Key Takeaway Recognize leaders who transcend narrow identities. Themes leadership humanitarianism historical comparison Mood admiring thoughtful Type historical inspirational When to use this quote - political speeches - historical analysis - leadership studies - public policy Key Concepts empathy nationalism legacy Questions to Reflect On - In what ways did Lincoln’s actions reflect global humanitarian values? - How do we measure a leader’s impact beyond their nation? A Different Perspective Lincoln’s breadth may be idealized; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American Napoleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-napoleon-5059815/) [Bigger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger/) [Bigger Presidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger-presidents-1817176/) [Broads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broads/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Frenchman Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frenchman-lincoln-5059816/) [Frenchmen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frenchmen/) [Humanitarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanitarian/) [Napoleon Typical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/napoleon-typical-5059814/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Typical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/typical/) [Typical American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/typical-american-413944/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Washington was a typical American. Napoleon was a typical Frenchman, but Lincoln was a humanitarian as broad as the world. He was bigger than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/washington-was-a-typical-american-napoleon-was-a-typical-frenchman-2/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [“Tolstoy went on to observe,"This little incident proves how largely the name of Lincoln is worshipped throughout the world and how legendary his personality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/tolstoy-went-on-to-observe-this-little-incident-proves-how-largely/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [The typical American citizen is the business man. The typical business man is a bad citizen; he is busy. 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My father worked for the government at the Pentagon and my mother was an educator,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-kinney/i-had-a-very-normal-very-typical-american-childhood-my-father-worked/) [Jeff Kinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-kinney/) > [“It was typical of the American to identify the one unfinished strand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-bunn/it-was-typical-of-the-american-to-identify-the-one-unfinished-strand/) [Davis Bunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davis-bunn/) > [New York is the meeting place of the peoples, the only city where you can hardly find a typical American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/new-york-is-the-meeting-place-of-the-peoples-the-only-city-where-you/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) ## More by Doris Kearns Goodwin > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [What I think I've learned is that you're never going to get it all right, and you can't obsess about having a fact wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/what-i-think-i-ve-learned-is-that-you-re-never-going-to-get-it-all/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [I wish we could go back to the time when the private lives of our public figures were relevant only if they directly affected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-wish-we-could-go-back-to-the-time-when-the-private-lives-of-our/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [People will love him (Theodore Roosevelt) for the enemies he has made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/people-will-love-him-theodore-roosevelt-for-the-enemies-he-has-made/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [“This extreme treatment was among the proliferating regimens developed in response to the stunning increase in nervous disorders diagnosed around the turn of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/this-extreme-treatment-was-among-the-proliferating-regimens-developed/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [“I could carve out of a banana a judge with more backbone than that,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-could-carve-out-of-a-banana-a-judge-with-more-backbone-than-that/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [“And Lincoln, as would be evidenced throughout his presidency, was a master of timing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/and-lincoln-as-would-be-evidenced-throughout-his-presidency-was-a/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [“Don’t hit till you have to; but, when you do hit, hit hard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/don-t-hit-till-you-have-to-but-when-you-do-hit-hit-hard/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [“After ministering each day to the hundreds of young men who had endured ghastly wounds, submitted to amputations without anesthesia, and often died without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/after-ministering-each-day-to-the-hundreds-of-young-men-who-had/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [The value that I found in interviewing was for an educational experience, just to know that history itself is subjective, that you can't say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/the-value-that-i-found-in-interviewing-was-for-an-educational/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [Excitement about things became a habit, a part of my personality, and the expectation that I should enjoy new experiences often engendered the enjoyment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/excitement-about-things-became-a-habit-a-part-of-my-personality-and/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [“All the cartoonists at heart liked him, and there was seldom or never anything bitter or really unfriendly in their portrayals of him; 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