Biography of Abraham Lincoln for Kids: Meet the American President for Kids - FreeSchool

The sixteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln rose from humble beginnings to serve his country at a crucial point in its development. When the Union threatened to rip apart, he helped hold the United States together, even at the cost of his own life.

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Music: Jaunty Gumption - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Other music in this video: Hail to the Chief and Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean

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Today we're going to learn about the American
President, Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of
the United States, was born February 12, 1809,

in Kentucky. His father was a farmer, and
his family was very poor, living in a small,

one-room log cabin.

While Lincoln was still very young, his family
moved to Indiana, and then again to Illinois.

He only went to school for one year, but he
loved books and learning, and taught himself

as much as he could.

When he was 22 years old, Abraham Lincoln
left home to work at a general store. It was

there that he got his nickname, "Honest Abe."
Once a customer accidentally over paid by

a few pennies, and that night when the store
closed, Abraham Lincoln walked for miles to

take the money back.

In 1832 Lincoln ran in an election to become
a member of the Illinois State Legislature,

but he lost. After that he served as a Captain
in the Army, and then he started working as

a lawyer, and got married. In 1846 he was
elected to the US House of Representatives.

In 1860, he ran for President.

It was a difficult time in the United States.
The North and the South disagreed on a lot

of things, and it was getting worse. One thing
they disagreed on was slavery. The Northern

states did not want any more slavery. The
Southern states wanted to keep their slaves.

Abraham Lincoln did not like slavery, either.
He was elected President because he had the

support of the Northern states. He had almost
no support from the Southern states.

As soon as he became President, southern states
began seceding from the Union. That means

they decided they didn't want to be a part
of the United States anymore. President Lincoln

was determined to keep the country together,
and in 1861 a war started.

It was the Civil War, a terrible, bloody war
that lasted four years. On January 1, 1863,

Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation,
an order that freed all the slaves in the

southern states. A few years later, he helped
to pass the 13th amendment to the Constitution,

which made slavery illegal everywhere in the
United States.

The Civil War finally ended on April 9, 1865.
President Lincoln wanted to put the country

back together, and help the South rebuild.
Unfortunately, he did not live to see that happen.

Less than a week after the end of the Civil
War, Lincoln and his wife were watching a

play at the Ford Theater in Washington DC
when he was shot in the head by a man named

John Wilkes Booth. Abraham Lincoln died the
next morning, on April 15, 1865. He was the

first American President to be assassinated.

Abraham Lincoln once said, "I want it said
of me by those who knew me best that I always

plucked a thistle and planted a flower where
I thought a flower would grow." He is widely

considered to be one of the greatest presidents
in American history. His leadership during

the Civil War and his defense of human liberty
make him an American hero. His face is on

pennies and five dollar bills, he was included
in Mount Rushmore, and a memorial for him

stands in Washington, DC.

I hope you enjoyed learning about Abraham
Lincoln. Goodbye till next time!