Abraham Lincoln :
Abraham Lincoln's full name doesn't include a middle name, his name was given to honour his paternal grandfather. Abraham Lincoln's life is a true rags-to-riches story with lots of perseverance and hard work he went on to become the President of the United States. He was the 16th president and to date considered one of the greatest political leaders. He was a lawyer, and when he took on the role of the presidency, his leadership and championing for liberty stood out. He was also good at crisis management and led the country amid the American Civil War. He was known to perform all his duties with integrity and he always displayed a strength of character. He was also successful in ending slavery which was still very prevalent during his rule. And due to all these brave steps, he was known as the Great Emancipator and Honest Abe, the Rail-Splitter.
Basic Information about Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln Date of Birth - 12th February 1809
Birthplace of Abraham Lincoln - Sinking Spring Farm, Kentucky, USA.
Profession - Lawyer and American Statesmen
Role in American History - 16th President of America
Years served as president - 4th March 1861-15th April 1865
Abraham Lincoln Death - 15th April 1865 in Washington DC, USA.
Age of Death - 56 years old.
Cause of Death - Assassination by gunshot in the head.
Childhood and Family Life:
Abraham Lincoln was born to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln, in a log cabin near Hodgenville, on Sinking Spring Farm, Kentucky in the year 1809 February 12th. Abraham Lincoln was named after his grandfather Captain Abraham Lincoln. He was the second born after his sister Sarah. Abraham Lincoln's younger brother Thomas died as an infant.
Abraham Lincoln's father Thomas Lincoln was only a child, 8 years of age when he witnessed his father Captain Abraham Lincoln death, after an Indian raid in 1786. Thomas started working shortly after doing odd jobs to support his family and hence was always a believer in physical work rather than academics. Before settling in Kentucky they migrated to various different states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
The family then moved to India in 1816 after losing their land over property title disputes. In India, they settled in Hurricane Township, Perry Country in an 'unbroken forest'. The main reason for this move was the more reliable land titles and surveys in India and the slaveholding.
Early Impression and Influences:
Abraham Lincoln lost his mother in 1818 when he was only 9 years old due to milk sickness. They left a void of an important figure in his life. His sister Sarah filled in as the caretaker of the family, and they formed a different closeness. Thomas Lincoln married a widow Sarah Bush Johnston the following year in 1819. Abraham was very close to his stepmother.
While others accused Abraham of being a lazy person due to his lack of interest and participation in helping the family in his family farming line. His stepmother truly saw him and acknowledged his love for reading, writing, and poetry writing which he was scribbling. His stepmother was the one who understood that Abraham was not a person who enjoyed physical labour, his interests were rather intellectual.
10 years later in the year 1828 on January 20th Abraham was left with a devastating mark and hollowness in his life when he lost his sister Sarah. Sarah lost her life during childbirth. The two most important people in his life were his sister and stepmother who valued him and saw his worth. They built confidence and self-belief.
Early Career :
He dabbled into different paths before he became a lawyer. When the economy was booming in 1832, he purchased a general store on credit and decided to run it with a partner Denton Offutt, in New Salem. The business suffered which led to Lincoln selling his shares.
In March of the same year, he ran for the Illinois General Assembly, his first encounter with politics. He was campaigning and drew the attention of the crowds with his oratory skills for navigational improvement on the Sangamon River.
He lost due to a lack of connection with the powerful group who influence and swing these elections.
During his campaign, he also considered serving as a Captain during the Black Hawk War led by Black Hawk when there arose a conflict between the U.S. and Native Americans.
After his unsuccessful initial foray into politics, he became a postmaster in New Salem and later also served as a Country Surveyor. His love for reading remained intact and he self-taught the law, with Blackstone's Commentaries, and became a lawyer.
Personal loss, the Aftermath and Death:
Abraham Lincoln suffered from melancholy after the loss of his 2 children Edward in 1846 and Willie died on February 20, 1862, from a fever in the White House at 12 years old. This suffering from melancholy is now termed Clinical Depression.
John Wilkes Booth a supporter of slavery believed Lincoln would overthrow the Constitution and destroy the South assassinated him in his box at Ford's Theater in Washington on April 14, 1865, shortly after 10p.m. The wound was on the head and the gunshot wound was fatal. He was the last and fourth President to be assassinated.
Robert Todd Lincoln, the eldest and only son who lived till maturity committed his Mother Mary for a time to an asylum in 1875 as she was grieving the loss of her beloved husband and sons.