Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States, from 1861 to 1865. Born in a log cabin in Kentucky in 1809, he mostly taught himself and became a lawyer in Illinois. As president he led the Union through the Civil War, issued the Emancipation Proclamation and was assassinated in April 1865.
Abraham Lincoln quick facts
- Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Kentucky on 12 February 1809.
- His schooling added up to less than one year.
- He was 1.93 m (6 feet 4 inches) tall.
- His Gettysburg Address was just 272 words long.
- He was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre in April 1865.
Who was Abraham Lincoln?
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. He led the country from 1861 to 1865, through the American Civil War.
Britannica says Lincoln kept the United States together as one country, and brought about the freeing of enslaved people. He is one of the most famous US presidents of all.
His life story is remarkable. He was born in a log cabin, went to school for less than a year, and taught himself almost everything he knew. Yet he rose to become president.
| Abraham Lincoln at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 February 1809, near Hodgenville, Kentucky |
| Parents | Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln |
| Wife | Mary Todd, married 1842 |
| Children | four sons: Robert, Edward, William and Thomas |
| Job before politics | lawyer in Springfield, Illinois |
| President | 1861 to 1865, the 16th president |
| Died | 15 April 1865, Washington, D.C. |
A log cabin childhood
Abraham Lincoln was born on Sunday, 12 February 1809. The National Park Service says he was born in a log cabin on his father’s farm in Kentucky.
Britannica says the cabin stood about 5 km (3 miles) south of the small town of Hodgenville. His parents were Thomas Lincoln, a farmer and pioneer, and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. He had an older sister, Sarah, and a younger brother, Thomas, who died as a baby.
When Abraham was two, the family moved to a farm nearby at Knob Creek. Britannica says his earliest memory was of a flash flood that washed away the corn and pumpkin seeds he had helped his father plant.
Growing up on the frontier
In 1816, when Abraham was seven, the family moved to southern Indiana. The National Park Service says they settled in Perry County, which later became part of Spencer County.
Life there was hard. Britannica says the family first lived in a rough shelter made of logs and branches, open on one side, with a fire blazing in front of it.
His mother, Nancy, died when he was young. His father married again, to Sarah Bush Johnston. Britannica says his stepmother loved Abraham and encouraged his love of learning.
Teaching himself
Abraham Lincoln had very little schooling. Britannica says he went to school “by littles”, a little now and a little then, and his school days added up to less than a year.
The National Park Service says he was mostly self-educated, because he grew up in remote places with few schools. He read the few books he could find, again and again, until he knew them well.
He also worked hard with his hands. Britannica says he helped his father clear and fence farmland as a rail-splitter, chopping logs into fence rails. He grew to be 1.93 m (6 feet 4 inches) tall, lanky but very strong.
As a young man, he made a trip on a flatboat down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, carrying goods to sell.
New Salem and many jobs
In 1830, the family moved again, to Illinois. The National Park Service says Abraham left home in the spring of 1831 to make his own way.
He settled in the village of New Salem, Illinois, and tried many jobs. He ran a shop, which failed, and served in the militia during the Black Hawk War. He also worked as a postmaster and as a land surveyor.
In 1832, he ran for the Illinois state legislature, the group of people who make laws for the state. He lost. But he tried again and won in 1834, and again in 1836.
Lincoln the lawyer
While he was in the legislature, Lincoln taught himself law from books. The National Park Service says he became a lawyer in 1837 and moved to Springfield, Illinois, to start work.
Britannica says he became one of the best-known lawyers in Illinois. He worked on cases for railroads, banks and businesses.
People admired him for his common sense, his fairness and his complete honesty. These qualities helped him win cases, and later helped him in politics.
Mary Todd and their sons
In 1842, Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd. The National Park Service says their first son, Robert, was born within a year.
In 1844, the Lincolns bought a house on the corner of Eighth and Jackson Streets in Springfield. It was their home for the next 17 years, and you can still visit it today.
They had three more sons: Edward, William, known as Willie, and Thomas, known as Tad. Sadly, Edward died when he was nearly four.
Britannica says only one of the four boys, Robert, lived to become an adult. Willie died while his father was president, and Tad died as a teenager a few years after his father.
Into national politics
Lincoln was elected to the US Congress in 1846. The National Park Service says he served one two-year term as a member of the Whig Party.
In 1856, he joined the new Republican Party, which opposed the spread of slavery into new parts of the country. Britannica says Lincoln was against slavery from early in his political life.
In 1858, he ran for the US Senate. He lost, but his famous debates in that race made him known across the whole country.
Becoming president
In 1860, the Republican Party chose Lincoln as its candidate for president, and he won the election. The National Park Service says he left Springfield for Washington, D.C., on 11 February 1861.
The country was already splitting apart. The National Park Service says seven southern states left the Union, which means they broke away from the United States, before Lincoln even took office. They formed their own government, called the Confederacy.
The Civil War
In April 1861, Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter, a US fort in South Carolina. This was the start of the Civil War. Find out more in our American Civil War facts.
The National Park Service says Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to join the army. Four more states then joined the Confederacy.
Britannica says Lincoln’s main goal was to keep the United States together as one country. As the war went on, ending slavery became just as important to him.
The war was long and terrible. The Union suffered defeats, such as the Second Battle of Bull Run in 1862. But later that year, the Union won the Battle of Antietam, pushing the Confederate army back.
The Emancipation Proclamation
After the victory at Antietam, Lincoln announced a very important order. It was called the Emancipation Proclamation. Emancipation means setting people free.
The National Park Service says that on 1 January 1863, the proclamation officially declared that all enslaved people in the Confederate states were free.
The order could not free everyone at once, but it changed the purpose of the war. From then on, the Union was fighting to end slavery, as well as to reunite the country.
Lincoln also pushed for a change to the US Constitution to end slavery everywhere. Congress passed the 13th Amendment in January 1865, and it became law in December 1865, after Lincoln’s death.
The Gettysburg Address
One of the biggest battles of the war took place at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from 1 to 3 July 1863. Thousands of soldiers died there.
Britannica says that on 19 November 1863, Lincoln gave a speech at the opening of a national cemetery for the soldiers at Gettysburg. It became known as the Gettysburg Address.
The main speaker that day, Edward Everett, spoke for two hours. Lincoln’s speech was just 272 words long and took about two minutes.
Yet it became one of the most famous speeches in history. Everett later wrote to Lincoln that Lincoln had come closer to the heart of the occasion in two minutes than he had in two hours.
The end of the war
In 1864, Lincoln put General Ulysses S. Grant in charge of all the Union armies. Lincoln was elected for a second term, which began in March 1865.
The National Park Service says the Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered on 9 April 1865. The war was almost over, and the Union had been saved.
Lincoln’s death
Just days after Lee’s surrender, Lincoln went to see a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. There, he was shot by an actor named John Wilkes Booth.
The National Park Service says Lincoln died on 15 April 1865. He was the first US president to be assassinated. Britannica notes that he was shot on Good Friday.
His body was taken back by train to Springfield, Illinois. He was buried there at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
How Lincoln is remembered
Abraham Lincoln is remembered as one of the greatest American presidents. Britannica says people admire his rise from a humble start, his kindness, and his skill with words.
The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., was built in his honour. Britannica says it was dedicated on 30 May 1922. Inside is a giant statue of Lincoln, seated in a chair.
His face also appears on the US five-dollar bill and the one-cent coin, the penny.
Three things people get wrong
Lincoln did not grow up rich or well educated. He was born in a log cabin and mostly taught himself.
Lincoln did not win every election. He lost several races, including the 1858 Senate race.
The Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery everywhere at once. The 13th Amendment ended it in 1865.
Did you know? Lincoln’s earliest memory was of a flood washing away the corn and pumpkin seeds he had helped his father plant.
Try it
The Gettysburg Address was only 272 words long. Try writing a speech about something important to you in under 272 words.
Knowledge check
What was the Emancipation Proclamation?
Show answer
Lincoln’s 1863 order declaring enslaved people in the Confederate states free.
What job did Lincoln do before politics?
Show answer
He was a lawyer in Springfield, Illinois.
Frequently asked questions
When was Abraham Lincoln born?
Abraham Lincoln was born on 12 February 1809, in a log cabin on his father’s farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky.
What number president was Abraham Lincoln?
Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. He served from 1861 until his death in April 1865.
What did Abraham Lincoln do?
He led the Union through the Civil War, kept the country together and issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared enslaved people in the Confederate states free.
How did Abraham Lincoln die?
John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Lincoln died the next morning, 15 April 1865.
Did Abraham Lincoln go to school?
Very little. His schooling added up to less than a year. He taught himself by reading, and later taught himself law.
Who was Abraham Lincoln’s wife?
Lincoln married Mary Todd in 1842. They had four sons, Robert, Edward, Willie and Tad, but only Robert lived to adulthood.
Sources
- National Park Service, Lincoln Home: Abraham Lincoln — birth, family moves, New Salem jobs, elections, law career, marriage, sons and Springfield home
- National Park Service: Abraham Lincoln — education, Congress, the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, the end of the war and his death
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Abraham Lincoln — childhood, schooling, height, rail-splitting, law practice, goals in the war, legacy and the Lincoln Memorial
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Gettysburg Address — the date, the battle, Edward Everett’s speech and the length of Lincoln’s speech
