Table of Contents
LINCOLN LINCOLN
Before They Were President
ABRAHAM ABRAHAM
WAS PRESIDENT
ISBN: 9781538210581
Levels: GR: L; DRA: 24
Before They Were President
BEFORE
BEFORE ABRAHAM LINCOLN WAS PRESIDENT BEFORE ABRAHAM LINCOLN WAS PRESIDENT
Before They Were President
Morlock
Theresa Morlock
LINCOLN LINCOLN
ABRAHAM ABRAHAM
WAS PRESIDENT
BEFORE
By Theresa Morlock
Before They Were President
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Morlock, Theresa, author.
Title: Before Abraham Lincoln was president / Theresa Morlock.
Description: New York : Gareth Stevens, [2018] | Series: Before they were
president | Includes index.
Identiers: LCCN 2017017688| ISBN 9781538210567 (pbk. book) | ISBN
9781538210574 (6 pack) | ISBN 9781538210581 (library bound book)
Subjects: LCSH: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865--Childhood and youth--Juvenile
literature. | Presidents--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature.
Classication: LCC E457.32 .M67 2018 | DDC 973.7092 [B] --dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017017688
First Edition
Published in 2018 by
Gareth Stevens Publishing
111 East 14th Street, Suite 349
New York, NY 10003
Copyright 2018 Gareth Stevens Publishing
Designer: Laura Bowen
Editor: Ryan Nagelhout
Photo credits: Cover, p. 1 (Abraham Lincoln) Fine Art/Corbis Historical/Getty Images; cover, p. 1 (cabin) Bob Thomas/
Popperfoto/Getty Images; cover, pp. 121 (frame) Samran wonglakorn/Shutterstock.com; p. 5 S. Borisov/
Shutterstock.com; pp. 7 (both), 15 (main), 21 (both) Everett Historical/Shutterstock.com; p. 9 J.L.G. Ferris/
Library of Congress; p. 11 Kean Collection/Archive Photos/Getty Images; p. 13 Shrader, T./Library of Congress; p. 15
(inset) Kelly & Sons, New York/Library of Congress; p. 17 N. Currier/Library of Congress; p. 19 Bettmann/Getty Images.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher,
except by a reviewer.
Printed in the United States of America
CPSIA compliance information: Batch #CW18GS: For further information contact Gareth Stevens, New York, New York at 1-800-542-2595.
CONTENTS CONTENTS
Words in the glossary appear in bold type the rst time they are used in the text.
Honest Abe .................................. 4
The Lincoln Family .............................
Abes Education ............................... 8
A Man of Many Talents ........................
A Prairie Lawyer ..............................
Personal Life. ................................
Lincolns Whig Politics ..........................
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates ....................
President Lincoln .............................
Glossary ....................................
For More Information ..........................
Index ......................................
Abraham Lincoln is one of the most highly respected
Americans in history. As president, his strong leadership carried
the United States through the Civil War. His commitment to
freedom and fairness helped lead to the end of slavery.
Lincolns contributions still aect the United States today.
And his successes are even more impressive because he
came from a humble background. Lincolns journey to become
Americas 16th president in 1861 was long. He grew up
very poor, but he was able to do
great things by telling
the truth and
working hard.
One of Abraham Lincolns
nicknames was Honest Abe. He had
a reputation for being fair and truthful.
4
HONEST ABE HONEST ABE
Presidential Preview
T
he
L incoLn
M
eMoriaL
was
creaTed
To
honor
a brahaM
L
incoLn
s
conTribuTions
To
The
u
niTed
s TaTes
. i
T
sTands
across
froM
The w
ashingTon
M onuMenT
on
The n aTionaL
M
aLL
in
w
ashingTon
, dc.
5
T
he
L incoLn M
eMoriaL
was
creaTed
To
honor
a brahaM
L
incoLn
s
conTribuTions
To
The
u
niTed s TaTes
. i
T
sTands
across
froM
The
w
ashingTon
M onuMenT
on
The n
aTionaL M
aLL
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ashingTon
, dc.
Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky on February 12,
1809. His family lived in a one-room log cabin with a dirt oor.
His father, Thomas Lincoln, was a farmer who couldnt read or
write. Abrahams mother was named Nancy, and his older sister
was named Sarah.
When Abraham was 8, the family moved to Indiana. His
mother died just a year later. Thomas soon remarried, and
Abraham became very close to his new
stepmother, Sarah.
Sarah encouraged
Abraham to
read often.
As a boy, Lincoln was
expected to help run the
familys farm. He worked very hard
clearing elds and caring for crops.
6
THE LINCOLN FAMILY THE LINCOLN FAMILY
Presidential Preview
7
T
he
L incoLn
faMiLy
owned
onLy
one
book
The
b ibLe .
LINCOLN CABIN, KENTUCKY
Abrahams family couldnt aord to send him to school
very often. Instead, he taught himself by reading. Abraham
walked for miles to borrow books from his neighbors, including
Robinson Crusoe, Pilgrims Progress, and Aesops Fables .
Young Abe was only allowed to read when his farmwork
was done. His father also hired him out to neighbors to
earn money for the family. Young Abe was known for being
hardworking and good with an ax.
In 1830, the Lincoln
family moved
from Indiana
to Illinois.
By the time he
was 21, Abraham Lincoln stood
6 feet 4 inches (1.9 m) tall! He towered
over most people and was very strong
from years of hard work.
8
ABES EDUCATION ABES EDUCATION
Presidential Preview
9
d
uring
his
poLiTicaL
career
, a
brahaM
L
incoLn
was
soMeTiMes
caLLed
The
raiL
- spLiTTer ThaT
s
soMeone
who
spLiTs
wood
To
Make
fences
. M
any
peopLe
