Download Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was born into a poor Kentucky family. He was born on
February 12, 1809. He was born in a log cabin. Lincoln's family moved to
Indiana in 1812. He was not able to attend school often. His family was too
poor, he had to work. He spent a large amount of time working to help his
family. Abraham Lincoln and his family moved to Illinois In 1830. He did not
even have a good place to study at home. He stopped going to school when
he was young. That did not stop him from becoming successful in life.
While in Illinois, Lincoln obtained a job on the Mississippi River with a local
freight company. He had to move materials and goods between Illinois in the
North and New Orleans in the South. He did not like the slavery he saw in the
South. Lincoln was a member of the Whig Party. The Whig party was against
the spread of slavery to other parts of the country.
President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1864)
Abraham Lincoln had taught himself law. He became a lawyer. He then
moved to the new state capital in Springfield, Illinois. For the next couple of
years, Lincoln worked as a lawyer. He was trusted by people. He was known
as ‘Honest Abe.' He was nice to people. He met and got married to Mary
Todd in 1842. Mary Todd was from Kentucky as well.
Lincoln wanted to become president. He promised people in North that he would keep slavery in the South. Southerners
did like the ideas of Abraham Lincoln. Southerners though Lincoln wanted to abolish slavery. He told Southerners that he
did not want to end slavery in the South. The South did not believe him. Abraham won the election and became the 16th
president of the United Sates in 1860. Southerners said that they did not want to be a part of America anymore. That
means that they seceded, or became their own country. That country was called the Confederate States of America.
South Carolina was the first state to leave the Union. Jefferson Davis was voted as president of the Confederate States of
America.
Abraham Lincoln said that he would not allow them to leave the Union. He told the Confederate states that they will
have to come back to the Union. Abraham Lincoln wanted to keep Fort Sumter. Fort Sumter is in South Carolina. Fort
Sumter was fired upon by the Confederate Army. This made Lincoln call for volunteers in the North. The South called for
volunteers as well. The civil war has begun.
Abraham Lincoln led the North through the war as president. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation
Proclamation. This proclamation ended slavery in the South. Lincoln gave a famous speech at Gettysburg in
Pennsylvania. This speech was given on November 19, 1863.
Gettysburg was the turning point of the Civil War. Many Union and Confederate Soldiers died there. The Union won the
battle at Gettysburg. He was re-elected president of the United States. The Union was winning the war. Lincoln was very
popular. The Union Army destroyed the South. The Union Army marched through the South. They burned many
buildings. Many train lines and factories were destroyed. The slave were now free. The South was now poor. The war
was over when Confederate General, Robert E. Lee stopped fighting. He turned himself in to Union General Ulysses S.
Grant on April 9, 1864. Ulysses grant allowed him to go home since he did not want to fight anymore.
Abraham Lincoln was killed on April 14, 1864. He was killed by Confederate spy John Wilkes Booth. He shot to death.
Abram Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, died on April 15, 1864. He was 54 years old when he died.
Name:________________________________________________ Date:__________________________________
Abraham Lincoln
1. Explain why Abraham Lincoln and his family ended up in Illinois?
2. Why did John Wilkes Booth kill Abraham Lincoln?
3. How did Abraham Lincoln become a lawyer?
4. Why was Lincoln given the name “Honest Abe?”
5. Differentiate between the roles of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis.
6. What was the Emancipation Proclamation?
7. How did the Civil War begin?
8. What were the Confederate States?
9. Why were Southerners against Abraham Lincoln?
10. By using Context Clues, since Mississippi was a slaveholding state, what do you think Lincoln may have
seen when he traveled there for work?
Name:________________________________________________ Date:__________________________________
Abraham Lincoln (Answers)
1. Explain why Abraham Lincoln and his family ended up in Illinois?
Lincoln and his family moved from Kentucky to live a better life. They were very poor where they live.
2. Why did John Wilkes Booth kill Abraham Lincoln?
He was sympathetic towards the South. He was mad that the North won the war.
3. How did Abraham Lincoln become a lawyer?
He taught himself the law.
4. Why was Lincoln given the name “Honest Abe?”
He was trusted by the people who went to him to get help.
5. Differentiate between the roles of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis.
Lincoln was the president of the Union while Jefferson Davis was the leader of the Confederate States.
6. What was the Emancipation Proclamation?
A declaration made by Abraham Lincoln that slaves in rebellious states are free.
7. How did the Civil War begin?
Southern states seceded. After they seceded, they seized federal properties in the South. The North tried to
hold Fort Sumter. However, the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter. Lincoln called for volunteers to fight.
8. What were the Confederate States?
Confederate states were the slaveholding states that seceded from the Union to create their own country.
They fought a bloody conflict against the North. This conflict is called the American Civil War.
9. Why were Southerners against Abraham Lincoln?
They thought that he was against slavery. They were of the opinion that he would try to limit or end
Slavery in the United States. The slaveholding states were of the view that it was their state right to keep
slavery.
10. By using Context Clues, since Mississippi was a slaveholding state, what do you think Lincoln may
have seen when he traveled there for work?
Lincoln may have seen slaves working in the fields or being sold in slave markets in the South.