Abraham Lincoln
Known for his stand against slavery, Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. He led the country through the Civil War and his eloquence is evident in many speeches including his most famous one, the Gettysburg Address. His second inaugural address, which includes the phrase, “With malice toward none; with charity for all…” is inscribed on one wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in Hardin County, Kentucky. He was assassinated on April 15 ,1865, at Fords Theatre in Washington, D.C.
1) Abraham Lincolns Youth
“Abraham Lincoln
His hand and pen
He will be good but
[God] knows When”
These are the words Lincoln wrote in his schoolbook when he was a young boy. In his autobiography, Lincoln estimated that his time in school totaled one year. His teachers in the pioneer schools in Indiana didn’t have any arithmetic textbooks, so Lincoln found some paper, which was hard to come by, tied it together, add created his own “sum book”.
Ever though Lincoln had very little formal education, he loved to read, and neighbors remembered how he would walk for miles to borrow a book. Some of his favorite books included Life and Memorable Actions of George Washington, Robinson Crusoe, Pilgrim’s Progress, and Aesop’s Fables.
Lincoln’s childhood was rough. His mother died when he was nine and his family moved several times; from Kentucky, where he was born, to Indiana, and then on to Illinois in his early 20s. After he arrived in Illinois, he had no interest in being a farmer and instead splitting rails and clearing his father’s farm. Then he enlisted in the Black Hawk War (a fight to move the Indians westward) as a volunteer. He later admitted that this gave him more satisfaction than any election he had ever won. After the Black Hawk War, Lincoln did a number of different things.
Lincoln worked on a riverboat, ran a sore, and thought about becoming a blacksmith. Instead, he decided to study law and started his own successful law practice. He also served in both the Illinois and U.S. legislatures. Lincoln was not successful at everything he attempted. He lost several law cases, was passed over as the Republican Party’s vice presidential nominee, and when he ran for the U.S. Senate against Stephen Douglas, he lost. But he didn’t let these defeats stop him in 1860, Lincoln ran for president and won.
2), the other side of Lincoln
Lincoln is best known for his policies on abolishing slavery and belief in self-government; he took his job as president very seriously. About the night he knew he’d won the election he later said, “I went home, but not to get much sleep, for I then felt as I never had before, the responsibility that was upon me.”
Lincoln had another side to his personality; he had a good sense of humor and liked to make jokes. Here you can see Lincoln’s “business card”, a joke that the opposing Democratic party played on him during the 1864 presidential election. The card says that Lincoln will be returning to Springfield, Illinois, to his law practice, where he will be ready to “swap horse, dispense law, make jokes, split rains, and perform other matters.” As it turn out , Lincoln and the Republicans had the last laugh on this joke because he won reelection as president in1864.
Lincoln liked to tell tales about his experiences. After his time as a soldier in the Black Hawk war, Lincoln joked that he had seen no “live, fighting Indians” during the war but “had a good many bloody struggles with the mosquitoes.” He knew that laughing with visitor helped break the ice and that he could tell a funny story to avoid a reporter’s difficult question. His sense of humor was well-known. Here are the words to a song that was inspired by Lincoln, called “Hey! Uncle Abe, are you joking yet?” Keep in mind that it was written by members of the political party that opposed Lincoln’s reelection.
3), Lincoln’s Pockets
Do you carry money or a favorite photo in your pocket? How about eyeglasses? The things we carry often hold clues to who we are and what’s important to us. When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D. C. , he had all such things in his pockets.
On that night, Lincoln was carrying two pairs of eyeglasses, a lens polisher, a pocketknife, a linen handkerchief, a watch fob, a brown leather wallet with a $5 Confederate note, and nine newspaper clippings. You might carry some of the same things today—eyeglasses and a wallet are pretty common—but you probably don’t have a $5 Confederate note in your pocket.
After 11 southern states withdrew from the Union to form the Confederate States of America, the Confederacy printed its own money, which was different from the money used in the North. When the Civil War ended, the South had lost to the North, and its money was worth very little. The day he was killed Lincoln had a $5Confederate notes in his pocket, but no one is sure why.
If you guessed Abraham Lincoln, you’d be right on the money! And take a look at whose face is on the penny. Even during his day, Lincolns face was well-known. Pictures and stories of him appeared regularly in the newspapers. After he was assassinated, there was a huge search for the people who were responsible for plotting and carrying out the murder. Have you seen the wanted poster offering a reward for Lincoln’s assassin?
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发表于 2008-3-5 21:46:00
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