1. Abraham Lincoln

2. Born in a backwoods cabin 3 miles south of Hodgenville, Kentucky, Lincoln was two years old when he was taken to a farm in the neighboring valley of Knob Creek. His earliest memories were of this home and, in particular, of a flash flood that once washed away the corn and pumpkin seeds he had helped his father plant. His father, Thomas Lincoln, was the descendant of a weaver's apprentice who had migrated from England to Massachusetts in 1637. Though much less prosperous than some of his Lincoln forebears, Thomas was a sturdy pioneer. On June 12, 1806, he married Nancy Hanks. The Hanks genealogy is difficult to trace, but Nancy appears to have been of illegitimate birth. She has been described as “stoop-shouldered, thin-breasted, sad,” and fervently religious. Thomas and Nancy Lincoln had three children: Sarah, Abraham, and Thomas, who died in infancy.

3. On the evening of April 14, 1865, while attending a special performance of the comedy, "Our American Cousin," President Abraham Lincoln was shot. Accompanying him at Ford's Theater that night were his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, a twenty-eight year-old officer named Major Henry R. Rathbone, and Rathbone's fiance, Clara Harris. After the play was in progress, a figure with a drawn derringer pistol stepped into the presidential box, aimed, and fired. The president slumped forward.

4. In Springfield in 1839 Lincoln met Mary Todd. Three years later they were married and over the next 11 years had four children: Robert, Edward,William, and Thomas. Lincoln became a successful attorney, and the family bought a home at the corner of Eighth and Jackson in 1844. In 1846 Lincoln ran for the United States House of Representatives and won. While in Washington he became known for his opposition to the Mexican War and to slavery. He returned home after his term and resumed his law practice more seriously than ever. Early in 1851 Lincoln's father died. Lincoln's declining interest in politics was renewed by the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854. He made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate but received some support for the Republican vice-presidential nomination in 1856. Also, in 1856 Lincoln gave his Lost Speech. He opposed the Dred Scott decision in 1857 and gave his famous "House Divided" Speech on June 16, 1858. Additionally, he engaged in a series of debates with Stephen A. Douglas in 1858. Lincoln was against the spread of slavery into the territories but was not an abolitionist. Douglas won the Senatorial race, but Lincoln gained national recognition. In 1860 he furthered his national reputation with a successful speech at the Cooper Institute in New York.

5. Abraham Lincoln Quotes A friend is one who has the same enemies as you have. America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. Avoid popularity if you would have peace. Quotes, http://www.brainyquote.com/q uotes/authors/a/abraham_linc oln.html

6. Lincoln's wife Thus, Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd were married at the Edwards' home on Friday evening, November 4, 1842. About 30 relatives and friends, A week after the marriage, on November 11, 1842, Abraham wrote a letter to a friend, Samuel D. Marshall. Most of the letter dealt with legal matters, but Abraham closed the letter with the following sentence: "Nothing new here, except my marrying, which to me, is a matter of profound wonder." Mary Todd moved from Lexington, Kentucky, to Springfield, Illinois, in the fall of 1839. Not quite 21 years of age, Mary moved into the home of her older sister, Mrs. Ninian Edwards. http://home.att.net/ ~rjnorton/Lincoln4 9.html

7. Abraham’s children

8. Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, guided his country through the most devastating experience in its national history-the CIVIL WAR. He is considered by many historians to have been the greatest American president.

9. More details! Marriage: Nov. 4, 1842, to Mary Todd (1818-82) Children: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843-1926); Edward Baker Lincoln (1846-50); William Wallace Lincoln (1850- 62); Thomas "Tad" Lincoln (1853-71) Abraham Lincoln is remembered for his vital role as the leader in preserving the Union during the Civil War and beginning the process that led to the end of slavery in the United States. He is also remembered for his character, his speeches and letters, and as a man of humble origins whose determination and perseverance led him to the nation's highest office.

10. Want to read more? http://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln77.htm lhttp://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln77.htm l http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lin coln.htmlhttp://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lin coln.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Linco lnhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Linco ln