Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln (nickname: "Honest Abe") was born in a one-room log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky on February 12, 1809.  His parents were Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks.  He had an older sister, Sarah and a younger brother, Thomas, who died when he was a baby.  His parents were against slavery so as a young boy, he was exposed to this belief. 

Abraham Lincoln became a lawyer in 1936.  At the age of 33 he married Mary Todd on November 4, 1842 and they had four sons:  Robert Todd (1843-1926), Edward Baker (1846-50), William Wallace (1850-62), and Thomas "Tad" (1853-71).

Abraham Lincoln was a member of the Republican party and was elected as our 16th President on March 4, 1861.  He was elected for a second time in 1865 but died less than a month later on April 15, 1865.  On April 15, 1865 he was watching a play at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. when he was shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth.  He was 56 years old.

President Lincoln is considered to be the greatest president that has ever lived because he led our country in the Civil War to help free the slaves and held our divided country together.  He also delivered the greatest speech of all time--The Gettysburg Address.

President Lincoln played an important role in our American history because he ended slavery and paved the way for freedom and democracy which is a valued foundation of the American way of life.  In 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated as a monument to America’s greatness and a mark of Abraham Lincoln's contribution to it. 

President Lincoln likeness is on the penny, the five-dollar bill and Mount Rushmore.  Lincoln, Nebraska is named after him as well as Lincoln, Illinois.http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=99ABBEDF-F641-49FF-B625-3D36556B8A56&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US