Presidents

ABRAHAM Lincoln

By Sarah Bowler

~ SPIRIT 01 AlnC rlt. j '"

ABRAHAM Lincoln

ABRAHAM Lincoln

OUR SIXTEENTH PRESIDENT

By Sarah Bowler

~ SP IRIT of Amerlca'M The Child's WorldD, Inc. Chanhassen, Minnesota ABRAHAM Lincoln

Pllblisbed ill tbe Ullited Stel les 0/ Americci by Tbe Cbild's \J(/orld", Inc. PO Box 326 • C han hasse n, MN 55 3 l 7-0326 • SOO-599-READ • www.c hi ldsworl d .com

Acknowledgmell fs The Creae ive Spa rk: Mary Francis- DeMarois, Peoject DirectOr; Eli zabeeh Siri ma rco Bu dd, Series EditOr; Robert CO Llf e, Des ig n and Art Direction; J anine G raham, Page Layout; J enn ife r Moye rs, Production T he Ch il d's Worl d", Inc.: Mary Berendes, Publishing DirectO r; Red Line EditOria l, Fact Research; Cin dy Klingel, Cucri culum Advisor; Robert N oyed, HistO rica l Advisor

PbOlos Cover: W hiee H ouse Collection, co urtesy W h ie e H ouse H istO rica l Associati on; © Be((man n/CORB IS: 35; Chicago H isto ri ca l Society: 34 (P&S- l 97 l.0l 77; Artist: Al onzo Chappel); © Corbis: 10; © Francis G. Maye r/CORBIS: 20; Ill inois State H is tori ca l Library: 13, 19, 2 1,22,24,25; Kevi n Davidson: 26; Library of Cong ress: 6, 9, Il , 12, l4, 15, 16,27, 2S, 29, 32, 33, 34 (bortom left); Courtesy of the Lincoln Boy hood National Memori al: 7; Nati onal Archives: 3 l

Regis/ra tion The C hild 's World , Inc., Spirit of Am e r i ca ~ , and their associac ed logos are eh e sale property and registered trademarks or The Child 's \X!o rl d ", Inc. CopYfl g he © 2002 by The Child's World ' , Inc. All ri g h cs reserved . No part of this book rna )' be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any mea ns w ith out wri ([en permiss ion from th e publ isher.

Library 0/ C0 1lgress CCllcilogillg-in-P"blicalio ll Da ta Bowler, Sa rah, 1949- Abraham Lin co ln : ou r sixtee nth pres ident I by Sa rah Bowler. p. em . I nel udes bi bl iog raph ical referen ces and index. ISBN l -56766-S53-4 (lib. bdg. : alk . papee) I. Lin coln, Abraham, IS09- IS65-Juveni le lie eracure. 2. Pres idents-Un ited Seates- Bi ography­ Juve nile liee rature. [I . Li nco ln, Abraham , IS09- l S65. 2. Pres id encs. ) 1. Ti el e. E457905 B63200l 973.7·092- dc2 1

00-010570 Contents

Chapter ONE A Frontier Childhood 6

Chapter Two Law and Politics 12

Chapter THREE The Civil Ular 20

Chapter FOUR Victory and Freedom 28 Time Line 36 Glossary Terms 38 Our Presidents 42 Presidential Facts 46 For Further Information 47 Index 48 ONE

A Frontier Childhood

WHEN HE WAS SIX YEARS OLD, ABRAHAM Lincoln walked two miles to start school in a dark log cabin. Teachers were scarce and often moved, so Abraham didn't get to go to school very much. In fact, he later said that his formal education added up to less than a year altogether! But he never stopped learning. For every new challenge, Abraham Lincoln taught himself what he needed to know, even when he became president. The boy who would one day lead the Many Americans believe nation spent his childhood on the frontier of Abraham Lincoln was the country's finest president. the United States. He was born on February H e is credited with saving 12, 1809, near Hodgenville, Kentucky. His the Union and help ing to free the slaves. home was a rough cabin with a dirt floor. A couple of years later, the Lincoln family moved to Knob Creek, Kentucky. Abraham helped

6 his father farm the land. He carried water and Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home is located collected firewood for his mother. at the Lincoln Boyhood When Abraham was seven years old, the National Memorial, near Little Pigeon family decided to go north to Indiana, which Creek, Indiana. was about to become the 19th state. They packed all their belongings on two horses, crossed the Ohio River on a ferry, and traveled nearly 100 miles through the wilderness to the land where they would build a new home. The forest was so dense that they had to use a wagon with runners on it, like a sleigh, to cross the thick underbrush. Then they spent

7 a bitterly cold winter in a three-sided shelter made of logs. They kept a fire burning at the Interesting Facts open end of the shelter to provide warmth and to keep wild animals away. When spring finally ~ Lincoln hated the nickname ''Abe .)) arrived, Abraham helped to build their new People who knew him cabin and clear the land for growing crops. well never called him About two years later, Abraham's mother by that name. died. His sister, who was just 11 years old, tried to take over the cooking, cleaning, mend­ ~ When Lincoln was a child, young boys on ing, and washing. But she was too young to the frontier wore only handle the work alone. Their father went back long, homespun shirts to Kentucky for a short time, hoping to find that came down below a new wife. There he met a widow named their knees. Their first pair of pan ts , often Sarah Bush Johnston. When they returned to worn when boys were Indiana, Sarah set to work at once, cleaning seven or eight years up the rundown cabin and ragged children. old, was usually made Abraham loved his stepmother. Along of buckskin. with a wagonload of good furniture, she

~ Although men and brought books that she encouraged him to boys on the frontier read. She sent the children off to a school hunted as a way of life, nine miles away. When one school closed, Lincoln was so upset she tried to find another. Most frontier after shooting a turkey that he never again people were too busy with the hard work of shot at a living thing. surviving to make time for education, but Abraham's stepmother knew that he was special. She helped him learn as much as

8 he could. One of his cousins later remem­ bered that from the time Abraham was 12 years old, he almost always had a book in his hand or pocket. When he was plowing a field, he read while the horse rested at the end of a row. At lunch, Abraham read while he ate. When he wasn't working, he might walk as far as 20 miles to borrow a book! By the time he was 16, Abraham was six feet tall, a good wrestler, and a fast runner. He was strong and lean, and his father often hired

Abraham o.ften studied by firelight after wo.rking o.n his family 's farm all day. Altho.ugh he co.uldn't always attend scho.o.l, he wo. rked hard to. learn as much as he co. uld. PRESIDENTS

President Birthplace Life Span Presidency PoLiticaL Party First Lady 1

Benjamin Ohio 1833-1901 1889-1893 Republican Caroline Scon Harrison Harrison

Grover New Jersey 1837-1908 1893- 1897 Democrat Frances Folsom Cleveland Cleveland

William Ohio 1843-1901 1897-1901 Republican Ida Saxron McKinley McKinley

Theodore New York 1858-1919 1901-1909 Republican Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt Roosevelt

William H. Ohio 1857- 1930 1909-1913 Republican Helen Herron Taft Taft

Woodrow Virginia 1856-1924 1913-1921 Democrat Ellen L. Axson Wilson Wilson Edith Bolling Galt Wilson

Warren G. Ohio 1865- 1923 1921-1923 Republi can Florence Kling Harding De Wolfe Harding

Calvin Vermont 1872-1933 1923- 1929 Republican Grace Goodhue Coolidge Coolidge

Herbert C. Iowa 1874-1964 1929-1933 Republican Hoover

Franklin D. New York 1882-1945 1933-1945 Democrat Anna Roosevelt Roosevelt

Harry S. Missouri 1884- 1972 1945- 1953 Democrat Elizabeth Wallace Truman Truman

44 PRESIDENTS

President Birthplace Life Span Presidency Political Party First Lady

Dwight D . Texas 1890- 1969 1953-196 1 Republican Mary "Mami e" E isenhower Doud Eise nhower

John F. MassachusettS 1917- 1963 196 1- 1963 Democrat Jacqueline Bouvier Kenned y Ke nnedy

Lyndo n B. Texas 1908-1973 1963-1969 Democrat Claudia Alta Taylor Jo hnson Johnso n

Richard M . Califo rnia 1913-1994 1969-1974 Republi can T hel ma Catherin e N ixon Rya n N ixo n

Geral d Nebraska 1913- 1974-1977 Republican Elizabeth "Betry" Fo rd Bl oomer Warren Fo rd

Jam es Georgia 1924- 1977-198 1 Democrat Rosalynn Smith Carter Carter

Ro nald Illinois 1911 - 1981-1989 Republican Nancy Davis Reagan Reagan

George M assachusettS 1924- 1989-1993 Republican Barbara Pierce Bush Bush

William Arkansas ]946- 1993-2001 Democrat Hillary Rodham C linto n Cl inton

G eorge W Connecticut 1946- 2001 - Republican Laura Welch Bush Bush

4 5 Presidential FACTS

Qualifications To run for president, a candidate must • be at least 35 years old • be a citizen who was born in the United States • have lived in the United States for 14 years

Term of Office A pres ident's term of office is four years. No pres ident can stay in office for more than two terms.

Election Date The presidential election takes place every four years on the first Tuesday of November.

Inauguration Date Presidents are inaugurated on January 20.

Oath of Office I do solemnly swear I will faithfully execute the office of the Pres ident of the United States and will to the bes t of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constiturion of the United States.

Write a Letter to the President One of the best things about being a U.S. citize n is that Americans get to participate in their government. T hey can speak out if they feel government leaders aren't doing their jobs. They can also praise leaders who are going the ex tra mile. Do yo u have something yo u'd like the president to do? Should the pres ident worry more about the environment and encourage people to recycle? Should the government spend more money on our schools? You can write a letter to the president to say how you feel!

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D .C. 20500

You can even send an e-mail to: [email protected]

46 For Further I NFORMATION

Internet Sites Find more information on Lincoln, including photographs and an e-mail address to answer questions: members.aol.com/RVSNorton/Lincoln2.html Read quotes from Abraham Lincoln: www.cc.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/bartlett/422.html Find information about the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial: www.nps.gov/libo Learn more about : www.whitehouse.gov/WH/glimpse/firstladies/htmllmI16.html Find historical resources about the Civil War, including time lines, historic figures, and life stories: americancivilwar.com http://www.civilwarhome.com/ http:// mirkwood. ucs. indiana.edu/acwl Find a children's listing of other C ivil War sites: www.kidinfo.com/American_History/Civil_War.html

Books Freedman, Russell. Lincoln: A Photobiography. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1987. Graham, Martin F, Richard A. Sauers, and George Skoch. The Blue and the Gray. Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International, 1996. Lester, Julius. To Be a Slave. New York: Scholastic, 1968. Marrin, Albert. Commander in ChiefAbraham Lincoln and the Civil war. New York: Dutton Children's Books, 1997. Morris, Jeffrey. The Lincoln way (Great Presidential Decisions). Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications, 1996.

47 Index

aboli tion ists, 25, 26 as public speaker, 10, 12, 30, 34, 37 Appomattox Court House, 32, 37 second pres iden tial term , 31 , 37 Senate campaign, 17, 37 Battle of Antietam, 24 slavery, views on, 14, 17, 18- 19,28,34 Battle of Bull Run, 23, 37 as state legislator, 12, 13-14, 16, 36 Battl e of Gettysburg, 30, 37 as U.S. Congress man, 16, 36 "blab schoo ls," 11 Lincoln , Edward (so n), 16, 36 Booth, John Wilkes, 33, 34, 37 Linco ln , Ma ry Hanks (mother), 8, 36 border states, 16, 25-26, 29 Lincoln, Mary Todd (wife), 15, 16,27,30,32,33,36 Civi l Wa r, 21, 22-26, 28-32, 37 Lin co ln , Robert (so n), 15 , 36 Confederacy, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23-24, 25 , 26, 29-3 1 Lin co ln, Sarah (s ister) , 8, 36 Dav is, Jefferson, 20 Lincoln , Thomas (fath er), 8, 36 debating, 12 Lincoln, Thomas (so n), 16, 36 Douglas, Stephen A. , 17, 18- 19,37 Li ncoln, W illi am (so n), 16, 27, 33, 36 Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, 7 Emancipation Proclamati on, 28-30, 37 Lin coln-Douglas debates, 17, 18-19,37 Everett, Edward, 35 Ford's Theater, 33, 37 March to the Sea, 31, 37 McClell an, General George, 24 Fort Sumter, 21, 22, 37 Missouri Compromise, 16 Gettysburg Address, 30, 35, 37 Grant, General Ulysses S., 30, 31, 32, 37 National Soldi ers' Cemetery, 35 New O rl eans, 10, 12, 36 Illinois, 12, 18 New Salem, Illinois, 12,36 Illinois Supreme Court, 15 North. See Uni on Indiana, 7, 36 O hi o River, 7, 10,36 Jackso n, General Thomas "S tonewall ," 24 plantatio ns, 17 Johnston, Sarah Bush (s tepmother) , 8, 36 publ ic educa ti on, 11 Ka nsas-Nebraska Act, 17, 18,37 Republican Party, 17, 37 Lee, General Robert E., 24, 30, 32, 37 Ri chmond, Virginia, 24, 25, 30, 32 Lin coln , Abraham secession, 20, 37 "Abe," ni ckname of, 8 Sherman, General W illiam T , 30-3 1, 37 assass in ation of, 33, 37 slave ry, 6, 10, 14, 16- 17, 18- 19,20,25-26,28,37 birth of, 6, 36 So uth. See Confederacy death of, 34, 37 South Carolin a, 20, 37 dea th of so n William, 27, 37 Spri ngfi eld, Illinois, 15, 16, 17,33,36 education of, 6, 8, 11 , 36 elec tio n to pres idency, 17, 20, 37 Tenn essee, 30-3 1 Gettys burg Address, 30, 35, 37 13th Amendment, 30, 37 in augurati on of, 20, 2 1,23,37 Todd, Mary. See Linco ln , Mary Todd legal caree r of, 14- 15, 16, 17,36 Truth, Sojourner, 25 marriage of, 15, 16,36 Union, 6, 16, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24-25, 26, 28-3 1, 37 moth er's death , 8, 36 Washin gton, D.C., 20, 23, 27, 30, 33, 37 pres idential nomination, 17, 37

48

Presidents

pirit of America™i s a comprehensive book collection that focuses Sexclusively on the Ameri can experience-our history, culture, politics, and the dive rse people who have built our great nation. Our Presidents, the premier series of the Spirit of Ameri can. collection, is a 42-book set. Each title in this landmark seri es documents the life and times of a single pres ident, offering a notable addition to every American library.

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