Interesting Facts About President Abraham Lincoln, For Kids
Learn fascinating and inspirational facts about one of the most influential US presidents.
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In This Article
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, will always be remembered as one of the greatest leaders in the history of American politics. This post brings some inspirational and educational facts about Abraham Lincoln for kids. He was a successful and renowned lawyer and statesman. He led the country and worked tirelessly towards abolishing slavery, making the Federal government stronger, and updating the US economy through the civil war. Abraham Lincoln was nicknamed “Honest Abe” or the “Great emancipator.” He continues to live in the hearts and minds of people even today. His commitment to republican ideals, combined with his strong opinions and eloquence, makes him one of the most iconic presidents in American history. Read on.
Abraham Lincoln’s Early Life
Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin in Hodgenville, Kentucky, on February 12, 1809. His parents –Nancy and Thomas Lincoln, were uneducated farmers who could neither read nor write. His mother died when he was merely nine years old.
His father later remarried Sarah Johnston, a widow from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, who had three children of her own. Lincoln eventually grew close to his stepmother and is known to have had an affectionate relationship with her.
In the years that followed, Abraham Lincoln’s family moved farther west to Southern Indiana before settling down in Illinois.
What Was Abraham Lincoln Like As A Child?
Abraham Lincoln was an avid reader as a child. He helped his father on the farm, although he disliked the hard labor associated with it. His family termed him ’lazy’ and said that he was only interested in “reading, scribbling, writing, ciphering, and writing poetry.” Books kept Lincoln engrossed into the wee hours of the night. Those who knew Abraham Lincoln as a child would recall him as someone with a ’manic’ intellect (1).
What Did Abraham Lincoln Do In His Childhood?
Abraham Lincoln’s childhood, though full of hardships, is known to be his defining age. He was a bright kid who loved his books but did not attend school for more than one year.
As his law partner rightly said, “his ambition was a little engine that knew no rest (2).” This is what helped him achieve much success in his later years.
Abraham Lincoln’s Life Growing Up
As a young adult, Abraham Lincoln continued to learn and study by himself. As recalled by his family, friends, and colleagues, he frequently took to books and read the likes of the King James Bible, Aesop’s Fables, John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress, Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, and The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.
Lincoln educated himself and worked several odd jobs while growing up. He worked as a flatboat navigator, storekeeper, soldier, surveyor, and postmaster to make ends meet. At the age of 22, he left home and moved to New Salem, Illinois, where he worked at a general store.
Although he never went to law school, Abe Lincoln came to be known as the most reputed lawyer of his time. He joined the Independent Spy Corp. a few years later. Initially, he was a member of the Whig Party but soon became a Republican.
Abraham Lincoln’s Wife and Children
Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd on November 4, 1842. She was the daughter of Robert Smith Todd, a wealthy Lawyer and Businessman from Kentucky. Lincoln was an affectionate husband and is believed to have had a blissful married life with Mary.
Did Abraham Lincoln Have Any Kids?
Although Lincoln was a busy man, he was a devoted husband and father. He had four children with Mary Todd — Robert Todd Lincoln, Edward Baker Lincoln, ’Willie’ Lincoln, and Thomas Lincoln. Lincoln was very fond of his children and has suffered immensely after his children Edward and Willie died due to tuberculosis and fever (respectively) in their early years. Lincoln’s fourth child Thomas also died due to heart failure at a young age. Only his eldest son, Robert, is said to have survived.
Lincoln’s Political Career
In 1834, Abraham Lincoln won the first of four consecutive elections to the Illinois State Legislature and was elected to the local government at 25 years. Lincoln served a single term in the US House of Representatives in 1858 and ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate.
Although he remained unsuccessful at the Senate race, his debates against his political opponent Stephan Douglas won him great accolades. The Republican Party thereafter nominated him for the Presidential election of 1860.
Lincoln’s candidature for the 1860 elections can be accorded to several reasons. His views on slavery, which were less extreme than those of his opponents, were believed to a big force behind his election by the Republican Party.
Abraham Lincoln: Presidency
After Lincoln’s election, seven states, including South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Louisiana, formed the Confederate States of America. When the United States refused to give up Fort Sumter, the Confederates attacked it, leading to the American Civil War.
In his term as President, Lincoln rebuilt the Union with military force. He played a major role during the war and liaised closely with the War Department. Although Lincoln did not achieve much success, the war turned in favor of the union army during the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. In his famous Gettysburg Address, Lincoln displayed exemplary oratory skills and urged Northerners to fight with valor.
The Emancipation Proclamation
With the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, Lincoln showcased true leadership and ordered the freedom of slaves in the states in rebellion during the American Civil War. The proclamation, however, did not free the slaves in the states that had remained loyal to the Union.
Until the Thirteenth Amendment of the US Constitution in 1865, the states could end slavery only within their borders. Lincoln used the proclamation as a military strategy, and the thirteenth Amendment was passed eight months after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, making slavery illegal everywhere in the United States.
The Proclamation’s goal was not just to unite the states, but also to eradicate slavery in all the states. It also prevented the European nations from interfering in the war. Following that, France and Great Britain demanded an independent status for the Confederacy.
Lincoln’s Second Term and Assassination
Abraham Lincoln was re-elected as the president in 1864. Around the same time, the Union was going strong and was expected to win the war. The leading Confederate General Robert. E. Lee finally surrendered his armies on April 9, 1865, bringing an end to the civil war.
On April 14, 1865, five days after the confederate forces had surrendered and the American Civil War was drawn to a close, Lincoln attended a play with his wife at his cousin Ford’s theatre. As he watched the play, John Wilkes Booth, a well-known actor and a Confederate spy from Maryland, entered the presidential box and shot Lincoln dead.
Lincoln was the first United States President to be assassinated. His assassination is marked as one of the saddest days of American history.
President Lincoln lived a life of bravery and pride. There are several interesting facts about Abraham Lincoln’s childhood to inspire you. Through his life, you can learn that success always favors the ones who work hard. Abraham Lincoln’s grit towards his work and his love for the motherland are also worth cherishing.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is Abraham Lincoln considered a hero?
Abraham Lincoln is well-known for his virtues, intellect, and morals of justice and liberty. As a president, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 that freed the enslaved people who were engaged against the United States during that time (2). It is this prominent incident that made him a hero across the globe.
2. Why is Lincoln called Honest Abe?
Abraham Lincoln had a reputation as an honest lawyer and politician. People gave him the title of the Honest Abe, which he accepted with pride (3). According to some reports, he was given this nickname when working as a clerk in Salem.
We are familiar with Abraham Lincoln as one of the greatest presidents of the United States, known for his bravery and pride. However, introducing your child to some fascinating facts about Abraham Lincoln for kids can inspire them. For example, you can inform them that he became a highly reputed lawyer despite his lack of formal law education. In addition, his Gettysburg address is one of the many remarkable incidents in his life that will be etched in history books for all time. Share these astonishing facts about Lincoln with your kids and motivate them to lead a life of purpose.
Key Pointers
- Abraham Lincoln had intermittent schooling; he was mainly self-educated.
- He never went to a law school yet became the most reputed lawyer of the time.
- He was an avid reader, did several jobs, wrote poetry as a teenager, and went on to become the President of the United States.