Abraham Lincoln.docx

Abraham Lincoln.docx

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AbrahamLincoln

AbrahamLincoln

PresidentAbrahamLincolnledtheUnitedStatesfrom1861-1865,throughthecrisisoftheCivilWar.ThoughmanyeveninhisownRepublicanPartyopposedhispolicies,LincolnkepttheU.S.publiclargelybehindthewareffort.

HefoughthardtodefeattheConfederateStatesofAmerica,butoncetheU.S.hadwonheworkedtoestablishafairpeacewhichwouldbringtheSouthernstatesbackintotheUnionasequalpartnerswiththeNorthernones.

AnotherofLincoln'sgreatachievementswastheEmancipationProclamation,whichendedslaveryintherebelliousstates.Thisactiongavehimthetitleofthe"GreatEmancipator,"andmadehimwelllovedamongAfrican-Americans.

Lincolnwascutdownearlyinhissecondterm,assassinatedbyConfederatesympathizerJohnWilkesBooth.Thepresidentdidnothaveachancetoestablishallhis"Reconstruction"policiesforthepost-warSouth,buthehadalreadydonewhathepromised-hehadpreservedtheUnion.Forthis,LincolnhasbeenrecognizedasoneoftheUnitedStates'greatestpresidents.

ChildhoodandYouth

AbrahamLincolnwasbornonFebruary12,1809,thesecondchildofThomasLincolnandNancyHanksLincoln.Hewasbornathisparents'farmontheSouthForkofNolinCreek,nearHodgenville,Kentucky.Hisoldersister,Sarah,wasbornonFebruary10,1807.Ayoungerbrother,Thomas,diedasababy,beforethefamilymovedmovetoIndiana.

Lincoln'sancestorshadcomecametoAmericafromEnglandintheearly17thcentury.SamuelLincoln,aweaver'sapprenticefromthetownofHingham,England,immigratedtoHingham,Massachusetts,in1637.Samuel'sdescendantseventuallymadetheirwaydowntheAtlanticcoast,toPennsylvaniaandVirginia.

WhenAbrahamwastwohisfamilymovedtoanotherfarm,onealongKnobCreek,about10milesnortheast.ThefarmlayneartheCumberlandtrailfromLouisville,KentuckytoNashville,Tennessee.Itmayhavebeenatthistimethathefirstsawslaves,astheyweredrivenalongtheroad.Hisparentswerebothstronglyagainstslavery,bothoneconomicandreligiousgrounds.TheSeparateBaptistChurch,towhichtheLincolnsbelonged,wasstronglyanti-slavery.Also,thesmallfarmersofKentuckydidnotwanttocompetewithslavelabor.

In1816,whenAbrahamwaseight,thefamilymovedIndiana,inordertoescapeproblemswithThomas'Kentuckylandtitles.ThetitlesinKentuckywereextremelycomplicated,becauseofthechaoticwayinwhichtheregionhadbeensettled.Thomas,lackingthemoneytohireanattorney,chosetomovetoIndianawherehecouldbuylanddirectlyfromthegovernment.TheysettlednearPigeonCreek,inwhatistodaySpencerCounty,Indiana.In1817,Thomasappliedfor160acresatthegovernmentlandofficeatVincennes,formerlythecapitaloftheIndianaTerritory.

ThomasandElizabethSparrow,therelativeswhohadraisedNancyHanksLincoln,soonjoinedthemfromKentucky,bringingwiththem19-year-oldDennisHanks.Dennis,theillegitimatesonofanotherofNancyLincoln'saunts,soonbecameaclosefriendofAbraham.

In1818thefamilywasstruckbythediseasebrucellosis,knownasmilksickness.ThomasandElizabethSparrowdied,soonfollowedbyNancyLincoln,whodiedonOctober5.ThomasLincolnfounditalmostimpossibletokeepthehouseholdrunningwithouthiswife,andsohesoughtoutSarahBushJohnston,awidowhehadknownbackinElizabethtown,Kentucky.SarahJohnston,whohadpreviouslybeenthewifeoftheHardinCountyjailer,broughtwithherthreesmallchildren.ThenewstepmotherwasalovingwomanwhobecameagoodmothertothebereavedSarahandAbraham.Herstepsonreturnedherlove,calledher"Mama,"andfortherestofhislifespokeofherintermsofdeepaffection.

Theboyhadlessaffectionforhisfather,whoapparentlydidnotfullyunderstandAbraham'sdesireforeducation.Abrahamalsoapparentlyviewedhisfatherasnotambitiousenough,andhadnodesiretofollowhimasafarmer.WhileAbrahamwasinhisteens,Thomasdidhiretheboyoutasalaborertoneighboringfarmers.Theyouthalsoclerkedinalocalgrocerystore,cutfirewoodforsale,rowedaferryboatontheOhioRiver,anddidotheroddjobs.

Likemanyonthefrontier,Lincolnwaslargelyself-educated.Heattendedafewcountryschools,butmostlyhislearningcamefromreading.HereadbookssuchastheBible,DanielDefoe's"RobinsonCrusoe,"WilliamGrimshaw's"HistoryoftheUnitedStates,"Aesop's"Fables,"and"Parson"MasonWeems'biographyofGeorgeWashington.Inthespringof1828,whenhewas19,LincolnmadehisfirsttriptoNewOrleans,asadeckhandonacargoboat,hisfirstvisittoabigcityandachancetoseeslaveryinfullforce.

ThoughAbrahamwantedtoleavehisfather'shouseandstrikeoutonhisown,hewaslegallyboundtoworkforThomasLincolnuntiltheageof21.In1830,hehelpedhisfatherandstepmothermov