Biography of Abraham Lincoln

At the time when America was going through and slavery was at its peak, Abraham Lincoln in his tenure as president took up the issues of abolishment of slavery. Known for using powerful words in his

Childhood
Abrahan Lincoln was born to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks in a small log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His parents were members of the Hardshell Baptist Church. Despite their staunch beliefs, Abraham Lincoln never expressed the desire to go to church. The result of their land acquisition through court action forced his family to start afresh in Perry County, Indiana. At the age of nine, his mother succumbed to milk sickness after which his father got married to Sarah Bush Johnston. Although Lincoln was extremely fond of his stepmother, his relationship with his father deteriorated drastically.

In 1830, after facing land related difficulties in Indiana, his family moved to Macon County, Illinois. Although he was barely educated for eighteen months, Lincoln was an avid reader and educated himself by reading a variety of books on different subjects. His skills with the axe were remarkable and he was also accomplished at the art of wrestling. Lincoln hated and never took part in hunting and killing of animals.

Early Years
At the age of 22, he started working for a businessman Denton Offutt. His job involved taking goods on a flatboat on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. In 1832 at the age of twenty three, as a member of the Whig Party he contested for the Illinois General Assembly, but was unsuccessful. His increasingly popular stature won him the election to the state legislature in 1834, and he served four consecutive terms as a representative for Sangamon County in the Illinois House of Representatives. In 1837, he started practicing law along with John T. Stuart and eventually became a successful lawyer spending time practicing with fellow Whig, William Herndon.

Popularity
Being a staunch believer of the Whig Party, Lincoln often credited Henry Clay as an inspirational figure in his political career. After practicing law for a few years, Lincoln returned to politics. Drawing influences from the Whig Party, Lincoln gave shape to the Republican Party. In 1858, the Lincoln-Douglas debates gained momentum, with Abraham Lincoln speaking in favor of abolishing slavery and Stephen Douglas emphasizing on supremacy of In 1860, Lincoln, chosen as the candidate to represent the Republican party was elected as the sixteenth president of the After becoming the president, Lincoln was faced with different testing situations during the Civil war, most of which he tactfully handled.

Marriage
Abraham Lincoln's first true love was Ann Rutledge, who was believed to have succumbed to typhoid fever. Later, he was in a relationship with Mary Owens, and although she didn't find his proposal too appealing, he didn't lose heart. Eventually Lincoln tied the knot with Mary Todd on November 4, 1842, and they had four sons from their marriage.

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, at Fords Theatre in , by John Wilkes Booth, a well known stage actor. Lincoln's contribution has been significant in and serves as a constant reminder that hard work and dedication are attributes to success.