Lincoln was born February 12, 1809, in Kentucky, and spent the first seven years of his life there. His father, Thomas Lincoln, tried to make a living as a carpenter and farmer.

In 1816 the Lincoln family moved to Indiana, when the United States was still young. Their father found land there and built a log cabin.

In 1839 Lincoln met his future wife, Mary Todd. Mary was born in Kentucky and had moved to Illinios.

Abe was elected President of the United States in 1847. During the time he was the president he led the nation through a Civil War and ended Slavery. In 1858 he gave a speech in which he stated:
“A house divided against itself cannot stand……This government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free……I do not expect the Union to be dissolved. I do not expect the house to fall, but I do expect it will cease to be divided.”

What Abraham Lincoln meant by this speech was that the United States could not continue having some people enslaved and others free. He did not expect the country to fall apart over it and no longer exist, but he did expect that the division would end.

Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed on April 14, 1865, by John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor. He was 56 years old. President Lincoln was the first President to be assassinated. Abraham Lincoln lived to be 56 years old.

For more information click on the following links:

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/leaders/lincoln

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/al16.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/lincolns/