Abraham Lincoln - by Peyton L.

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in the Kentucky backwoods. By the time he was born, his sister was already two. He lived in a one-room log cabin until his family moved ten miles away to a place called Knob Creek.

In Knob Creek, Abe saw many slaves quickly traveling by his house almost every day. His family opposed slavery because they thought it was cruel. He also saw settlers, politicians, and preachers traveling through.

Abraham's mother gave birth to another baby but he was sickly and died after living only a few days. By the time Abe was six, he had many daily chores and responsibilities.

Abe's love of reading began in the cold of Winter when his mother read stories of the Bible for the family. He had a great memory and when he learned a letter or word, he never would forget it. One day a "blab school" opened in Knob Creek that he and his sister attended. A "blab school" is a school where children of every grade would sit in a cabin and "blab" there lessons out loud. Teachers required this because they thought that if the students shouted their lessons out, they couldn't goof off and would learn more effectively.

When Summer came, the blab school closed and the children went back to helping with house-hold duties. The following Winter someone claimed the Lincoln's land. Abraham's father then went to purchase land in Indiana because it was a slave-free state. There was one big problem for Abe in his new home. There were not any schools in the area, so his education was stalled.

Lincoln's cousin moved in with the family because he lost his parents to milk sickness. Abe's mother also got milk sickness and died. Before she died, she told her children, "Be good and kind to your father-to each other and to the world." She died on October 5, 1818. The Lincolns then reluctantly built her a coffin and buried her on a nearby hillside. Later in life, Abe said "all that I am and all that I hope to be, I owe it to my angel mother."

Life wasn't the same without a mother around in the Lincoln house. For example, everything started getting grittier and dirtier. Abe's father decided that if things were to improve, he would have to marry again. He then went off to find a new wife back in Kentucky.

Weeks passed and Abraham's father didn't return. His cousin that had moved in hunted for food;but Abe was usually hungry. Then, in December, his father finally came back with wagons full of supplies and a new wife! Their new mother also had three other children. The best part for Abe was that his new mother had many books for him to read.

Abraham left home to end childhood and begin manhood. He went to the border of Indiana and became a boat rower near the Ohio river. He took many lawyers across the river and started watching their cases. Shortly thereafter, he started studying and took the lawyer's exam. He passed the exam and he quickly became a popular lawyer. Then, he moved to Springfield, Illinois.

Abraham then met a women named Mary Todd. She came from a rich and clean family who had lived in a fine house, unlike Abe. However, they knew they were meant to be together and married. He then started to get interested in politics. He ran for state legislature but lost the election to Stephan E. Douglas, a great debater. Next, he tried running for United States House of Representatives. He easily won the nomination and the election.

Many people told Lincoln that he should run for president because he was such a good speaker and leader. He ran and his main opponent was his old rival, Stephan E. Douglas. This rival's nickname was the "Little Giant" because even though he was very popular and bold, people couldn't help but notice the size difference between the five-foot eight Douglas and the six-foot four Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln eventually won the election and was the sixteenth president. Unfortunately, the slavery crisis was upon the United States at the time. Some states were threatening to secede, or leave, the Union if slaves were outlawed.

going to and attacked a place called Fort Sumter. Lincoln had to make a hard decision. He didn't know whether to send food and weapons to his troops. Eventually, he decided to and ordered his men to fight back. The Civil War had begun.

Most people, including Lincoln, believed that the war would end in a few months. However, it actually raged on for about five years. During the war, Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. An emancipation is something to set free and a proclamation is an important document. This proclamation stated that all slaves were free in the Union, but it said nothing about the Confederacy.

Soon enough, the war ended and the Union had won. Slavery was officially outlawed! In his relief, he went to a comedy in Ford's Theater. That proved to be a vital mistake. A man named John Wilkes Booth was one of the actors and he believed Lincoln had ruined the United States by ending slavery. He crept up behind Abraham and fired his revolver. Lincoln went unconscious and never woke up. He died on April 15, 1865. He died at only fifty-six years.

Abraham Lincoln is remembered in many different ways. For example, his picture is on the five-dollar bill and on the penny. There is also the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. There are many statues of him around the United States. In addition, Illinois is known as the "land of Lincoln". He is remembered as a great lawyer, tremendous Representative, and legendary president.

Some interesting facts about Abraham Lincoln are that he disliked the name "Abe", he was a great wrestler, he is the tallest president, his famous speech, the Gettysburg Address, lasted for less than three minutes. This address was given after one of the bloodiest battles of the civil war that the Union won. A cemetery was dedicated to the fallen soldiers. He said that all men were created equal and that the soldiers should be sacredly honored.

Lincoln's face is carved on to Mount Rushmore. He was also the first Republican president. In conclusion, some historians state he is the greatest president of all time.

Weinberg, Larry. (1997). The Story of Abraham Lincoln: President for the People. Milwaukee, WI:Gareth Stevens Publishing.

Fontes, Ron,. & Fontes, Kristine. (2001). Abraham Lincoln: Lawyer,Leader, Legend. New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc.