Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

On Feb. 12, 1809 in a log cabin Abe was born. His mother died when Abe was nine years old and his dad remarried a kind woman. He went to school less than one year in his life, but since he learned to read, he could learn anything.

When Lincoln was 19, he was 6 feet 4 inches tall and stopped growing. In 1831 he got a job as a clerk in a general store in New Salem, Illinois. He lived in New Salem for six years and the town grew from 12 families to 100 people. He knew all of them. Later, he owned his own store with a friend. He was the postmaster in New Salem for three years and carried letters in his hat to deliver them.

When Abe was 28, he moved to Springfield, Illinois to be a lawyer. He lived there 24 years. When he was 33, he married Mary Todd and two years later they bought a house. They had four sons. One of them died as a child.

In 1832, Mr. Lincoln last an election for the Illinois Legislature, but won in 1834, 1836, 1838 and 1840. He ran for U.S. Senate in 1858, but lost to Stephen Douglas. Their debates helped him go on to win the presidency in 1860.

Before he was inaugurated, seven southern stated seceded from the Union. The Civil War began soon after. After the terrible battle at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 1863, President Lincoln gave his most famous speech. He also signed the Emancipation Proclamation which helped to end the war and free the slaves.

On April 14, 1865, President Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth while he watched a comedy at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. He was a great man who should have lived longer.

-by Amanda

The 272 words of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address have been revered as a literary masterpiece. His two minute speech, which followed a two hour oration by Edward Everett during the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery, transformed the bloody battle into an inspiring symbol of the sacrifice of the soldiers. Because of Lincoln's belief in and commitment to keeping the United States together, the Civil War was the end of division in our country, and the beginning of freedom for millions of slaves. Instead of continued unrest and fighting, as in many other countries worldwide, Lincoln, and the troops who gave their lives, secured our freedom and peace.