Abraham Lincoln
By Mona Hassan and Lainie Dickey
Early Years
Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12th, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky. He was informally taught and only attended school for less than a year. He read tons of books, and was rarely seen without some piece of text with him. He worked hard for his family and helped work on his father's farm when he wasn't teaching himself or reading. As a young man, Lincoln was heavily involved in politics, running for Congress on multiple occasions.
Lincoln as a young man.
Lincoln's home growing up.
Lincoln working hard for his family.
Contribution to the Civil War
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, from 1861-1865. He was very involved in the Civil War, and often sent direct commands to Union Generals fighting through telegraph. He was always seen by his telegraph, and rarely left his office during battles. He did all in his power to keep the Union together, and he was successful, even though he was unable to see the Union come back together in the end because of his untimely death.
Life After the Civil War
Sadly, Lincoln wasn't able to watch the country be reunited, as five days after the Civil War ended, he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth while watching a play at Ford's Theatre. He wasn't officially declared dead until the next morning on April 15, 1865. On Friday, April 21, Lincoln's body was transported around the country in a funeral train. He landed back in Springfield, Illinois, at the Oak Ridge Cemetery. The entire country mourned for the death of their leader, and were unsure of what to do since the war had only just ended. Lincoln is commemorated in Washington, D.C., at the Lincoln Memorial (refer to picture).
Interesting Facts
1. Lincoln's son, Robert Lincoln, was saved by John Wilkes Booth's brother, Edwin Booth from an untimely death.
2. Poisoned milk killed his mother when Lincoln was 9 years old.
3. Lincoln created the Secret Service hours before his assassination.
4. He was an established wrestler as a young man.
5. Lincoln supported women's suffrage in 1836 before it became a big movement.
Abraham's mother.
John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln's assassin.
Lincoln as an established wrestler.