Abraham Lincoln

Introduction:
From a small log cabin in Kentucky to the steps of the White House, Abraham
Lincoln rose from humble beginnings to the very height of prominence and prestige.
Leading America through the momentous events of the Civil War, the Emancipation
Proclamation, and the abolition of slavery, the story of “Honest Abe” is one of the most
interesting stories of United States.
The United States:
The famous voyage of Columbus to the New World in 1492, people in Europe left
their homes and set out on the hazardous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. They
made the voyage and began to build new homes along the eastern coast of North
America. People of these settlements often quarreled with one another. 200 years ago
all the colonies except Canada joined together and fought a war against Britain. They
won the war against Britain. George Washington was elected their first President.
Slavery:
The slave-traders set sail from Europe to the coast of Africa, where they bought
hundreds of Negros at a very cheap rate. When the slave-traders arrived in America
they sold their slaves like cattle in big slave-auction. Slaves were rarely set free. In
1833 slavery was abolished in all parts of the Empire, mainly due to the efforts of a
famous man called William Wilberforce.
Abraham Lincoln:
Abraham Lincoln lived in Kentucky until he was 8 years old, and then his father
decided to move the family from Kentucky out to the west. They crossed the great Ohio
River. They settled in one of the new States of America called Indiana. There were no
towns or village, only forest. The new house they built was not a grand house but a
wooden hut made of logs. It was 18 feet square. The family had to clear the ground of
trees and bushes and rocks, and they had to plant corn. They were very lonely.
Abraham worked very hard and had no time to feel lonely. His mother had taught
him to read. Abe enjoyed his schooling in spite of the long distance. When he was 11
years old his mother died. Abe’s favourite occupation was to read. The Bible, Aesop’s
Fables, The Pilgrim’s Progress, Life of George Washington were his favourite books.
His ambition:
He was particularly interested in nature study. He used to go for long walks through
the forests and hills. Another thing he liked very much was talking. He liked arguments
and debates. One day he heard that a famous lawyer was going to make a speech in a
town seventeen miles away. Abe walked all the way there in order to hear the lawyer
speak. The lawyer was defending a man who had been accused of murder, and he
made such a good speech that the prisoner was found not guilty. Abe was so delighted
with the lawyer’s skill in speaking that he made up his mind to be a famous lawyer.
He got the job of postmaster. He regularly attended public meetings. His reputation
quickly grew. He became a very competent lawyer. Abe continued to work in
Springfield, and he became so popular that he was elected to the State Legislative
Council of Illinois. After thirteen years, he won a seat in the House of Representatives of
the United States.
Abolition of Slavery:
After few years he was elected President of the United States. People liked him
very much, and he was called “Honest Abe”. Soon after his election events took place
which started the Civil War in America. Lincoln, as President, took many important
decisions. In 1862, he made a public statement declaring that all the slaves in America
were free.
“The government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish
from the earth”
He was elected President for the second time; he asked everyone to work hard to
make the country united and to repair the damage caused by war.
Death of Abe:
On 14th April, 1865 Lincoln took his wife to the theatre. When a man suddenly
appeared behind Lincoln and pulling a pistol from his pocket, shot him in the head.
Lincoln had won the hearts of American people. A famous poet of America, Walt
Whitman, thought of Lincoln as the captain of a ship through rough seas and come
safely home to harbor.