Abraham Lincoln
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Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in a log cabin
in Kentucky to Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln, but he grew up in Indiana.
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Lincoln said he was influenced as a boy by Weems' book about
the struggles for the liberties of our country called "Life of Washington."
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A lot of people were impressed by Abraham's character, and
he got the nickname "Honest Abe."
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Abraham studied law in his spare time, and he became a lawyer
in 1836.
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Lincoln was elected to the Illinois state legislature in
1834 and to Congress in 1847 where his opposition to slavery became known.
He was not re-elected.
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In 1858, Lincoln ran against Stephen Douglas for the Senate.
Their many debates made Lincoln a national figure, but he lost the election.
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Lincoln was then nominated by the Republican party as their
presidential candidate. Lincoln was elected 16th president of the United
States on November 6, 1860 when he defeated Stephen A. Douglas, John
Breckenridge, and John Bell.
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As President, Lincoln preserved the American Union during
the Civil War and proved to the world that democracy can be a lasting form
of governement.
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His Gettysburg Address and many other speeches and writings
are classic statements of democratic beliefs and goals.
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On April 14, 1865, during a performance of "Our American
Cousin" at Ford's Theatre, Lincoln was shot and killed by John Wilkes
Booth. He was greatly mourned by his country.
Did you know...?
As Abraham grew up, he loved reading, but he had less
than a year of formal schooling as a boy.
Bibliography
Photo found: http://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln77.html
Information found:
http://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln77.html
World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: 1992