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Quick Facts
- NAME: Abraham Lincoln
- OCCUPATION: Civil Rights Activist, Lawyer, U.S. President, U.S. Representative
- BIRTH DATE: February 12, 1809
- DEATH DATE: April 15, 1865
- Did You Know?: Lincoln was an accomplished wrestler: He was defeated only once in about 300 matches, and is enshrined in the Wrestling Hall of Fame.
- Did You Know?: Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln, was saved from getting hit by a train by Edwin Booth, John Wilkes Booth's brother.
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Hodgenville, Kentucky
- PLACE OF DEATH: Washington, D.C.
- Full Name: Abraham Lincoln
- Nickname: Honest Abe
- Nickname: The Great Emancipator
Best Known For
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. He preserved the Union during the U.S. Civil War and brought about the emancipation of slaves.
Videos see all videos
Abraham Lincoln - Death Threats
Even before Lincoln's assassination, he received numerous death threats as soon as he entered the White House.
Abraham Lincoln - Presidential Humor
Abraham Lincoln was known for having a sense of humor which he used in both his personal life and for political gain.
Abraham Lincoln - A Clever Lawyer
Watch a short video about Abraham Lincoln and when he made the transition from a sharp Southern lawyer to president of the United States.
Abraham Lincoln - Mini Biography
Abraham Lincoln grew up in a log cabin in rural Kentucky and went on to become the 16th President of the United States. On January 1, 1963, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation abolishing slavery. He was assassinated on April 15, 1865.
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Play NowAbraham Lincoln. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 04:07, May 23, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540.
Abraham Lincoln. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540 [Accessed 23 May 2013].
"Abraham Lincoln." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 23 2013, 04:07 http://www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540.
"Abraham Lincoln," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540 [accessed May 23, 2013].
"Abraham Lincoln," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540 (accessed May 23, 2013).
Abraham Lincoln [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 23] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540.
Abraham Lincoln, http://www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540 (last visited May 23, 2013).
Abraham Lincoln. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540. Accessed May 23, 2013.
Synopsis
Abraham Lincoln is regarded as one of America's greatest heroes due to both his incredible impact on the nation and his unique appeal. His is a remarkable story of the rise from humble beginnings to achieve the highest office in the land; then,
Quotes
"I walk slowly, but I never walk backward."
"Nearly all men can handle adversity, if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
"I'm the big buck of this lick. If any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns."
"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns."
"Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?"
"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."
a sudden and tragic death at a time when his country needed him most to complete the great task remaining before the nation. Lincoln's distinctively human and humane personality and historical role as savior of the Union and emancipator of the slaves creates a legacy that endures. His eloquence of democracy and his insistence that the Union was worth saving embody the ideals of self-government that all nations strive to achieve.
Childhood
Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. Thomas was a strong and determined pioneer who found a moderate level of prosperity and was well respected in the community. The couple had two other children: Abraham’s older sister Sarah and younger brother Thomas, who died in infancy. Due to a land dispute, the Lincolns were forced to move from Kentucky to Perry County, Indiana in 1817, where the family “squatted” on public land to scrap out a living in a crude shelter, hunting game and farming a small plot. Thomas was eventually able to buy the land.
When young Abraham was 9 years old his mother died of tremetol (milk sickness) at age 34 and the event was devastating on him. The 9-year-old Abraham grew more alienated from his father and quietly resented the hard work placed on him at an early age. A few months after Nancy’s death, Thomas married Sarah Bush Johnston, a Kentucky widow with three children of her own. She was a strong and affectionate woman with whom Abraham quickly bonded. Though both his parents were most likely illiterate, Sarah encouraged Abraham to read. It was while growing into manhood that he received his formal education—an estimated total of 18 months—a few days or weeks at a time. Reading material was in short supply in the Indiana wilderness. Neighbors recalled how Abraham would walk for miles to borrow a book. He undoubtedly read the family Bible and probably other popular books at that time such as Robinson Crusoe, Pilgrims Progress and Aesop’s Fables.
Law Career
In March, 1830, the family again migrated, this time to Macon County, Illinois. When his father moved the family again to Coles County, 22-year-old Abraham Lincoln struck out on this own, making a living in manual labor. At six feet four inches tall, Lincoln was rawboned and lanky, but muscular and physically strong. He spoke with a backwoods twang and walked with a long-striding gait. He was known for his skill in wielding an ax and early on made a living splitting wood for fire and rail fencing. Young Lincoln eventually migrated to the small community of New Salem, Illinois where over a period of years he worked as a shopkeeper, postmaster, and eventually general store owner. It was here that Lincoln, working with the public, acquired social skills and honed story-telling talent that made him popular with the locals.
BOOKS
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Learn more about Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Get updates about new books, recommended reading and books by Doris Kearns Goodwin from Simon & Schuster.
Visit Doris Kearns Goodwin's official website.
U.S. Presidents Black History Videos
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Black History Videos
Watch full episodes of Black History icons, record-breakers and leaders. See how famous figures like Barack Obama, Abraham Lincoln and Jackie Robinson changed history. See all videos.
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View groupTruth is often more fascinating than fiction. Since the beginning of movies, actors have been portraying figures from history and bringing them to life on screen. Mastering the well-known mannerisms and characteristics of real world figures can be more challenging than portraying a fictional character. Enormous amounts of research and drastic physical transformations are not uncommon for actors wanting to properly inhabit their role on film. Whether playing a scheming Queen, a country singer, a temperamental boxer, or a pioneering writer, those performers who can accurately play the part often find Oscar gold as their reward. Here are the Academy Award-winning actors, and the larger-than-life people they portrayed.
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