Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was a man who was best known for bold standing against the

difficult problems of his day. Issues such as slavery, negro social and

political rights, and saving the Union in a nation based on the Declaration

of Independence. Lincoln had many strength as well as flaws. He considered

himself a common man and was not interested in his ancestry. Lincoln was a

self educated man, who had never had a full year of schooling in his life.

But, the 16th President of the United States became "a casualty of conflict".

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809. He was born to Thomas Lincoln

and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. In 1816, the Lincoln's moved from Kentucky to across

the Ohio River to Indiana. His father left Kentucky "partly on account of

slavery; but chiefly on account of the difficulty in land titles in Ky."

Early on in life Lincoln had religious reasons for disliking slavery. His

family was Separate Baptists who adhered to a strict code of morality that

condemned profanity, intoxication, gossip, horse racing, dancing, and

slavery. October 5, a little over a year after living in Indiana, Lincoln's

mother died of a devastating outbreak of what was called "milk sickness",

along with several other relatives. The hardest years of Lincoln's life were

yet to follow. After a short time it became apparent that Thomas Lincoln

could not cope with his family by himself. Thomas went back to Kentucky to

seek a wife. He married Sarah Bush Johnson. They made a businesslike

arrangement for her to move to Indiana to take care of his family and for him

to pay for her debts. Sarah Lincoln's arrival marked a turning point in

Abraham Lincoln's life. Sarah brought her three children of her own into the

Lincoln family. The Lincoln children felt that they had joined the world of

luxury when Sarah brought knives, forks, spoons, tables and chairs, and

comfortable bedding. But most of all she brought the love. Although Sarah was

illiterate, she felt that it was important for the children to be educated.

Lincoln became adept at writing and reading. And almost from the beginning he

a became a leader.

These years of Lincoln's childhood were short. He grew up in tough economic

times. Out of necessity Abraham was worked very hard on the family farm. He

was even hired out to work for other farmers and by law Thomas Linco...

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... Sherman's army to

storm through and end the war. He did this as the surest way to end the

killing and salvage the American dream. Lee surrendered his forces at

Appomatox Courthouse on April 10, 1865.

Four days later Lincoln was shot by an assassins bullet, while attending a

play at the Ford's Theater. John Wilkes Booth, the assassin, enter the

president's theater box, and at a distance of about two feet shot Lincoln in

the back of the head. Booth escaped by jumping down on to the stage and

escaped through the rear of the theater. Twenty-one men carried Lincoln out

of the theater to a boarding house down the street. Lincoln never regained

consciousness. At 7:22 p.m., April 15, 1865, President Lincoln was pronounced

dead. It was not until April 26 that Booth was tracked down to a farm in

Virginia, where he was shot.

American innocence died with Booth's shot at Ford's Theater. Lincoln would

not live to see the peace that he had strived 4 long years for. We will

always wonder what Lincoln would have done for this country if he had not

died. Instead, we will always ponder what was lost that night at the Ford's

Theater, what ended there and what began.