Lincoln grew up in a poorer family, struggled to get an education, moved around often, and his mother died when he was young. He pushed through his difficult life and worked his way up to becoming president. Throughout his lifetime, he experienced many varied conflicts, to the point where as president Lincoln was able to relate to all different types of people around the nation. For example, Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, this act allowed poor people that lived in the East to obtain cheap land in the West. Jefferson Davis, however, grew up in a rather large family and was sent to Catholic school. Later he went to college, until he began fighting in the Mexican War and the Black Hawk War. Davis may not have had the most luxurious life, but he did not have quite the experience with the lower class like Lincoln. Thus, another reason why Lincoln was a better president than Jefferson Davis ever could have