Freedom of speech and of the press has a special place in american democracy because:

frederick william of brandenburg-prussia trained his son, frederick, to be a hardy soldier. but frederick disliked rifle shooting and horseback riding. unlike his father, he was interested in french literature. he enjoyed poetry and music and, like some others of the enlightenment, he scoffed at religion. his father thought him soft, frivolous and unmindful of his duties. and when frederick refused to put his signature on a right to succession, for a few moments his father strangled him.

besides the fact that abraham lincoln abolished slavery, and greatly benefit black people, he had a heavy impact of the definition of what democracy was, and should be.