Hello Everyone!
February is a special month for many reasons including the celebrations of Valentine’s Day, Black History Month, and Presidents’ Day. This blog is in memory of Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, for the occasion of his birthday on February 12th, and Presidents Day.
Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12th, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky. He was the second child of Thomas and Nancy Lincoln. At the age of nine, his mother passed away due to milk poisoning. The Lincoln family grieved very much until Thomas Lincoln married Sara Bush Johnston Lincoln. She was very kind towards Abraham and treated him as her own son, even teaching him to read. She used to joke around with him talking about how tall he was and encouraged him to read books. He never attended college, but Lincoln retained a lifelong interest in learning. At nineteen, he lost his sister Sarah, who died giving birth to her first child. Lincoln’s first romantic interest was Ann Rutledge, whom he met when he moved to New Salem. By 1835, they were in a relationship but not formally engaged. She died on August 25, 1835, most likely of typhoid fever. In the early 1830s, he met Mary Owens from Kentucky. But, that didn’t work out either. In 1839, Lincoln met Mary Todd in Springfield, Illinois, and the following year they became engaged. They had two children named William and Edward.
Lincoln was a peaceful man. He spoke up on what was wrong and what was right as a politician supporting the Republican Party and ran for president in 1860. 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. Lincoln faced opposition for his efforts to ending slavery, but Lincoln moved forward because he knew what was right. Lincoln worked with Frederick Douglass to help end slavery and racial violence in America. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st, 1863, a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862, during the Civil War. The Emancipation Proclamation led the way to the total abolition of slavery in the United States. Lincoln’s speech, The Gettysburg Address, was very famous. The main theme of the speech was unity. Lincoln had a kind heart, and inspired many others but had some people who were not happy with him. On April 15th, 1865, Lincoln had gone to Ford’s theater to watch his cousin’s comedy performance and was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.
On the occasion of Presidents Day, I want to honor Abraham Lincoln’s life through this blog. Abraham Lincoln is my favorite president because he helped to end slavery in our country and despite all the challenges, he worked hard to make our country great.
Here I end my blog with a few fun facts about President Abraham Lincoln.
Fun Facts:
● Abraham Lincoln was the tallest president at 6 feet 4 inches in height.
● He set up a national banking system while he was president.
● He was known as a gifted storyteller and liked to tell jokes.
● On the day he was shot, Lincoln told his bodyguard that he had dreamt he would be assassinated.
● His favorite food was fruitcake
● His favorite color was blue.
● Lincoln was the first president to have a beard.
● It is said that he had a medical condition called “Marfan’s Syndrome”. It is a genetic condition in which people with this condition are very tall with flexible joints and have severe heart valve problems.
● He was born in a log cabin in Kentucky.
● Illinois is called “Land of Lincoln” because he started his career there and became a powerful symbol.
● The five-dollar bill and penny have Lincoln’s face on them, to honor the sacrifices he made for the country.
● The Lincoln Memorial is a US national memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is on the western end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., across from the Washington Monument, and is in the form of a neoclassical temple. The memorial’s architect was Henry Bacon.
● Presidents’ Day, officially Washington’s Birthday, is a holiday in the United States. The third Monday in February is popularly recognized as honoring George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
My favorite quotes by Abraham Lincoln.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand”
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
Credit: Wikipedia, Google