Growing up Abraham Lincoln, called Abe, lived on a farm in Hardin County, Kentucky (Benge 14). Abe always loved to watch wagons go by as a child (Benge 13). Abraham’s dad, Tom, would talk to their neighbors about land ownership issues (Benge 14). Tom would also sing and tell stories to Abe (Benge 14). Tom owned three farms in Kentucky, but lawyers said he didn’t own any farms because if he owned a farm he must survey it (Benge 14). Abe’s dad couldn’t read or write, so they had to hire clerks to do the writing for them (Beneg 15). But, the clerks made mistakes a lot (Benge 15).
One of the families that claimed they had a Lincoln farm was the Middletons (Benge 15). The Middletons were rich and also claimed they owned 9 other farms, a total of 10,000 acres (Benge 15). Tom thought of heading north because they had no money to pay lawyers to defend them (Benge 16). Another reason Tom was thinking about leaving was because Kentucky was a slave state and Tom hated slavery (Benge 16).
Abe’s family was going to move to Perry County and build their own house there (Benge 17). The cabin the Lincoln family was building was supposed to take one week (Benge 35). His grandfather was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Kentucky (Benge 20). Abraham’s father was born 10 miles away from Knob Hill Farm (Benge 23).
Abe’s grandfather was named Abraham Lincoln (Benge 20). Abe was named after his grandfather (Benge 20). Abe had a brother named Thomas, but he died at the age of 3 (Benge 24). Abe loved to learn (Benge 25). Abe’s family was Christian, and the Bible was one of the only books they had (Benge 29).
The Lincoln’s planted corn (Benge 42). Abe’s father claimed 160 acres of land in October of 1817 (Benge 43). Abe’s mother, Nancy Lincoln, died on Oct. 5, 1818 (Benge 49). Abe’s father found a new wife who already had 3 children (Benge 52). Abe’s new mother was named Sarah Johnston (Benge 53). Elizabeth, Mathilda, and John were Abe’s three new sisters and brother.
Sarah had brought books called Webster’s Speller, Robinson Crusoe, Lessons in Elocution, and Arabian Nights (Benge 54). Sarah had sewn a new shirt and pants for Abe (Benge 55). Abe and his sister attended a school back in Kentucky, but Abe attended one that Abe’s new stepmother encouraged him to go to (Benge 55-56). Abe was a really good speller at this new school (Benge 56). He even helped a girl spell (Benge 56). Abe loved learning math, but he needed some help on ratios and long division (Benge 57).
Abe was almost six feet tall at the age of thirteen (Benge 57). Abe helped around on the farm (Benge 58). He split rails, plowed, and hoed fields (Benge 58). But, wherever Abraham went, he always had a book with him (Benge 58). Abe wanted to, one day, move out from a farm (Benge 58-59). Abe wanted to make some money by setting up a wooding station down by a river (Benge 61). Captains would buy the wood to fuel their ships (Benge 61). Abe was fast with an axe so his hopes were high to get some good money (Benge 61). Some people would, instead of paying with money, pay with goods (Benge 61). Abe heard a lot of cool stories from all of the captains he sold wood to (Benge 62).
Abe got a job working on a ferry from James Taylor (Benge 63). Abe would be paid six dollars a month and would live with the Taylors (Benge 63). Abe loved his job working on the ferry (Benge 63). Two man asked, one day, if Abe will take them to the General Pike by boat (Benge 64). Abe was paid by two half-dollar coins and thought he had earned a fortune (Benge 65). Then, one man said that Abe was breaking the law by ferrying people across the river (Benge 66). Abe had to pay five dollars for ferrying people across the Ohio River (Benge 66). Abe defended himself with saying he never ferried people over the Ohio River, but he has stopped midway and let them off (Benge 65-66).
On January 20, 1828, Abe’s sister, Sarah, died when she was pregnant with a baby (Benge 68). The baby was a stillborn (Benge 68). Abe was very sad about his sister’s death (Benge 68). He was also mad at Sarah’s husband, Aaron, for not getting a doctor in time for Sarah to have birth (Benge 68).
Abe and Allen Gentry built a boat (Benge 71). The two men rode on the Ohio River south (Benge 72). They would stop at the side of the river every night and sleep (Benge 72). But, one night Abe heard a noise on the boat (Benge 73). There were slaves on board, and they wanted Abe and Allen’s cargo (Benge 73). Allen and Abe defeated the seven slaves, but Abe had a nasty cut just above his eye (Benge 74).
Abe and Allen arrived at New Orleans a couple days after the slaves attacked them (Benge 74). New Orleans shared all sorts of different people (Benge 75). But one thing bad about New Orleans was that it had slaves (Benge 75). Abe attended a lot of court cases and the judge asked Abe to help him with some cases (Benge 85). Denton Offutt said that Abe could be one of the strongest men in the district (Benge 86). Jack Armstrong challenged Abe to a wrestling match (Benge 86). Abe beat Jack, but they soon became friends (Benge 88). Abe became a applicant for state legislature (Benge 89). Abe did not run for a specific party (Benge 89). Abe signed up for the military in 1832 (91-92). Abe was appointed captain of the militia and Jack Armstrong would be his sergeant (Benge 93).
Abe Lincoln took the job as postmaster when Samuel Hill resigned from the job in 1833 (Benge 101). Abe wanted to run again as state legislature, because elections weren’t far away (Benge 103). Abe believed he could win by asking all the people he knew to vote for him (Benge 103). Abraham favored the Whig party, which had Henry Clay (Benge 103). Abe came in second in the election and was a legislator (Benge 104). Abe was going to try and be a lawyer in Springfield (Benge 110-111). Abe joined a law firm with John Todd Stewart (Benge 112-113).Abraham lost his first case because there was almost nothing to be said for the person he was defending (Benge 113). In another case Abe won and people began to know Abe as a lawyer (Benge 114).
Abe meta woman in Springfield named Mary Todd (Benge 118). They had something in common, they were both from Kentucky (Benge 119). Mary liked music, drama, poetry, and knew French too (Benge 119). In 1840 Abe and Mary got engaged (Benge 120). Abe left Todd Stuart’s law company, and Abe got a new partner, Stephen Logan (Benge 121). Logan was a good lawyer but wore not so nice clothes (Benge 121). Abe didn’t care much about his clothes (Benge 121).
November 4, 1842 was Abe and Mary’s wedding day (Benge 121). Robert was the Abe and Mary’s first child (Benge 123). Abe and Mary got a house were Abe did all the outside chores, but Mary ran the house (Benge 123). 1846 Edward was born, Abe and Mary’s second child (Benge 125). But, Edward started getting sick (Benge 127). Eddie died on February 1, 1850 (Benge 136). In December of 1850 William was born (Benge 137).
Abe ran for Congress and on August 3, 1846 Abe won the election (Benge 125-127). Abe was going to run for senator (Benge 149). Abe defended a man, Duff, against murder in court with a farmers almanack (Benge 154). Duff wasn’t guilty and was released from jail (Benge 155). Abe had seven debates with Stephen Douglas (Benge 157).
Abe lost the election for senator, but people said he should run for President of the United States (Benge 159-160). On November 6, 1860 Abraham Lincoln became the sixteenth president of the United States of America (Benge 168). Abe was on his way to the White House (Benge 173). On February 20, 1862 Willie died at the age of twelve (Benge 194). Abe signed a document that set all of the slaves of the south free (Benge 197-198). Abe gave his famous Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863 (Benge 200). November 8, 1864 was the second election for president that Abe had won (Benge 203). The confederates had lost the Civil War because Robert E. Lee surrendered (Benge 208). Abe and Mary saw a play called Our American Cousin (Benge 211). At the Ford Theater, someone named John Wilkes Booth sneaked into Abe’s box while he was watching the play.
