Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was born Sunday, February 12, 1809, in a log cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky. His parents names were Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. They named him after his grandfather. Abraham's grandfather had been killed by Indians long before Abraham had been born. Both of his parents were born in Virginia. Abraham had an older sister and a younger brother. His younger brother was named Thomas but he died in infancy. Abraham's sisters name was Sarah. Abraham's father was a hard worker, he was a carpenter and a farmer.

Abraham's parents were members of a Baptist congregation which had separated from another church due to opposition to slavery. Abraham was seven when his parents decided to move to Indiana. One of the reasons they wanted to move there was because of slavery. Abraham had attended school for a little while in Kentucky and did so again in Indiana. In 1818, Abraham's mother died from milk sickness. It was a sickness that you got from drinking the milk from cows which had eaten poisonous white snakeroot. He took her death hard. His father remarried in a year. Abraham liked his new step mother. She brought along three of her own children to the household. Her name was Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln.

As Abraham grew up he realized that he preferred learning things than to be working in the fields. This caused a problem between Abraham and his father because his father was the complete opposite. Abraham would borrow books from his neighbors. In 1818, Abraham was kicked and almost killed by a horse. Sarah Abraham's sister died while in labor. She was buried with her baby that was born dead. In 1830 the Lincoln family moved west to Illinois. The next year Abraham moved to New Salem by himself. He lived there until 1837.

While he was in New Salem he worked several jobs including operating a store, surveying, and serving as postmaster. Everyone liked his character, especially when he wrestled the town bully. He then earned the nickname "Honest Abe". He was a big man that stood nearly six feet four inches and weighed around 180 pounds. Lincoln then joined the Illinois militia for the Black Hawk war. Nothing special happened to Lincoln. He was picked to be captain of the volunteers but he didn't get to go into battle during the three months he was there.

Then Abraham ran for the Illinois legislature in 1832 but lost. He was disappointed but it wasn't going to keep him down because he ran four more times and won them all. Lincoln was a member of the Whig Party. He was part of the Whig Party until 1856 when he became a Republican. In his spare time he studied law and became a lawyer in 1836. There were stories that Lincoln's first love was named Ann Rutledge but it was never proved. But she sadly past away in 1835. On September 9th Lincoln was licensed to practice law.

In 1839 Lincoln met Mary Ann Todd who moved into Springfield from Lexington, Kentucky. Three years after she moved they got married. Over the next eleven years they had four children. There names were Robert, Edward, William, and Thomas. Lincoln became a successful attorney and Thomas. Lincoln became a successful attorney and in 1844 the Lincoln family bought a home at the corner of Eighth and Jackson. In 1846 Lincoln ran for the United States House of Representatives and won. While he was in Washington he was known for being against slavery and the Mexican War. When he got home he resumed his law practice