HISTORY
Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) was the 16th U.S. president, leading the nation through the Civil War, preserving the Union, abolishing slavery, expanding federal power, and modernizing the economy before his assassination in 1865. His father Thomas Lincoln, farmer and carpenter. His mother Nancy Hanks Lincoln, died in 1818. His step mother Sarah Bush Johnston, encouraged reading and provided books. worked on farm, clearing fields with an axe. Family moved to Indiana when he was 7 and to Illinois as a young adult.
His education Mostly self-educated, read extensively, including biographies of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and his Step mother supported his reading and study.
His Worked as a farm hand and store clerk. Co-owned a general store before selling his stake. Served as a militia captain in the Black Hawk War (1832).
EARLY LIFE
Abraham Lincoln was born in poverty in Kentucky in 1809 and was largely self-educated while growing up in Indiana and Illinois.
- Born in a log cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky.
- Family were poor pioneers struggling to make a living.
- Father: Tom Lincoln, worked in Kentucky’s dense forests.
- Mother: Nancy Hanks Lincoln, died of milk-sick fever (1818).
- Sister: Sarah Lincoln, died in childbirth (1828).
- Largely self-educated, read extensively when not farming.
- Helped his father clear fields with an axe
- Co-owned a general store before joining politics.
- Militia captain in the Black Hawk War (1832).
- Became a lawyer in 1836, practicing in Springfield, Illinois.
- Served in the Illinois State Legislature (1834-1842).
- Elected to Congress in 1846 as a Whig Party member.
INTERESTING FACTS
- Name: Abraham Lincoln
- Nicknames: Honest Abe, the Great Emancipator
- Died: April 15, 1865, Washington, D.C.
- Time in Office: March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865
- Vice Presidents: Hannibal Hamlin (1st term), Andrew Johnson (2nd term)
- Political Party: Republican (formerly Whig)
He became a lawyer, Whig leader, Illinois state legislator, and U.S. representative. In 1849, he returned to his law practice in Springfield, Illinois.
- The Lincoln family dined at the White House with their cat.
- Lincoln stored important documents under his tall black hat.
- At 6’4″, Lincoln was the tallest U.S. president.
ACHIEVEMENTS
- Led the U.S. Through the Civil war (1861-1865): Preserved the Union and prevented the country from splitting.
- Issued the Emancipation Proclamation (1863): Declared enslaved people in Confederate states free, paving the way for abolition.
- Delivered the Gettysburg Address (1863): A powerful speech redefining democracy and national purpose.
- Passed the Homestead Act(1862): Provided free land to settlers, encouraging westward expansion.
- Established the National Banking System (1863): Created a stable currency and modernized the economy.
- Signed the Pacific Railway Act (1862): Laid the foundation for the Transcontinental Railroad.
- Passed the Morrill Act (1862): Funded land-grant universities, expanding education opportunities.
- Led the 13th Amendment’s Passage (1865): Abolished slavery in the United States.
- Expanded Presidential Powers: Used wartime executive authority to preserve the Union.
- Assassinated as a Martyr for Unity (1865): His leadership shaped the future of the U.S. and inspired generations.