Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) Remembering the Life of A Great President

On February 12, 1809, in a log cabin in Kentucky, Thomas and Nancy Lincoln gave birth to a son, Abraham Lincoln. Little did they know that their son would grow up to lead a nation. At age seven, Abraham Lincoln's family moved to Indiana and at age nine, Abraham Lincoln faced the death of his mother. Shortly thereafter his father remarried Sarah Bush. To help support the family, Abraham Lincoln spent his youth working on a farm.

A man of great perseverance, Lincoln used every opportunity to further his education. With only one year of formal education, Lincoln educated himself and became a lawyer. His law partner once said of him: "His ambition was a little engine that knew no rest." In 1830 Lincoln moved to Illinois.

In 1832 Lincoln unsuccessfully ran for the Illinois Legislature, but ran again in 1834 and won. He served four terms and quickly gained a reputation as an honest and effective politician. He also became known for his opposition to slavery. In 1846, Lincoln was elected to U.S. House of Representatives and served one term. In 1858 Lincoln ran against Stephen Douglas for Senator. He lost the election, but in debating with Douglas he gained a national reputation that won him the Republican nomination for President.

Lincoln was elected president as tensions between the North and South reached their pinnacle. Upon his election South Carolina seceded, and within six weeks Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana followed. The Civil War began soon after. In 1864, Lincoln was re-elected for a second term as president, but on April 14, 1865 -- one year after the Civil War had ended -- Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theater in Washington.

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