Abraham Lincoln Biography

Abraham Lincoln

It is often said that Abraham went from the "log cabin to White House". This is completely true, although Lincoln's life between the log cabin and White House was much more than that.

Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809, to a supportive, loving mother who would die in just eight years, and a distant, angry father. Abraham soon learned to hate his life of manual labor, and at a young age realized he wanted to better himself and gain an education. He wanted to go beyond manual labor, unlike his father. His father would often beat Abraham, but not enough to call him abusive. The boy was often treated more of a servant or slave by his father, and because of this, he gained a hatred of slavery. He could identify with the slaves he would fight so hard to free later in life. Lincoln taught himself to write by seven, and he barely went to school. In total, the sixteenth president who wrote his country some of the greatest speeches had less than a year of formal education. Needless to say, Abraham Lincoln was extremely motivated and perseverant. He did not want to become like his father, who could barely write his own name. His father was a negative role model, of sorts. Abraham had a passion for study because of this, and would not only absorb information, but also think how it could be useful to him, and how to use that idea.

When he was twenty-one, Lincoln moved to a more urban area and instantly became involved with law court and debating club. He learned how to tell stories and information, and make people listen. This would often cover up his insecurity. His first taste of leadership was when his fellow men chose him to be captain in an Indian attack. It was an ego boost for him. By age twenty-three, Abraham ran for state legislator. Politics interested him greatly. At first, he failed, but two years later, he was elected to the state assembly. This had little to do with his qualifications, and a lot to do with his skills with people. The man radiated a quality that people respected, whether they liked him or not. Even though Lincoln was only in his twenties, he was compared to a wise old man. Because of this quality, people trusted him. For three years, Lincoln taught himself law, and eventually got his lawyer license. In the state assembly, he took stand on slavery even then. Normally, issues brought up there were local, not a national one. Abraham was different, and definitely made the news making such a gutsy move.

In 1837, Abraham moved to Springfield to practice law. A man that had heard and admired one of Lincoln's speeches gave him a share of his room. Even then, Lincoln was influencing people, unbeknownst to him. Despite his clumsy, awkward stature at six feet, four inches, it was obvious to those around him that this man was going to make a name for himself. At thirty-three, he got married, and was making a reputation for himself as an honest lawyer.