Abraham Lincoln

abraham-lincoln-1This month marks the sesquicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s death: he died in April, 150 years ago.

The 16th President of the United States, was born in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky on February 12, 1809. [1] He is widely considered one of America’s most influential presidents, [2] being memorialized in stone on Mount Rushmore.
abraham-lincoln-2Lincoln learned to read from the Bible, [3] and used Bible phrases extensively in his speeches throughout his Presidency. Maintaining integrity and good character was his high objective, and “Honest Abe” became his nickname. [4] In fact, honesty was so important to him that he once advised aspiring attorneys:

[R]esolve to be honest at all events; and if in your own judgment you cannot be an honest lawyer, resolve to be honest without being a lawyer. [5]

abraham-lincoln-3In the WallBuilders library, we have many unique pieces related to Abraham Lincoln, including this remarkable printing of the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. It is a calligraphic portrait, consisting of bolder letters being used in strategic points throughout the text to form a portrait. You will marvel at the creativity and technology found in this amazing document.

Take this quiz to see how much you know about Abraham Lincoln! (Answers below)
1. True of False: Lincoln is the tallest of America’s 43 presidents.
2. True of False: Lincoln was the first president to have no college degree.
3. True of False: Lincoln was the only president to sign a ratified constitutional amendment.
4. True of False: Lincoln was the third president to have a full beard.
5. True of False: Lincoln was the last president to be born in a log cabin.
6. True or False: Lincoln is in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
7. How many daughters did Lincoln have? How many sons?
8. In what war did Lincoln hold the rank of a military captain?
9. Where was Lincoln, and what was he doing when he was assassinated?

1. True.
2. False. (Abraham Lincoln was the 8th president without a college degree. The first seven were: George Washington, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, and Millard Filmore. Since Lincoln, four other presidents had no college degree: Andrew Johnson, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, and Harry Truman.)
3. True.
4. False. (Lincoln was the 1st President to have a full beard.)
5. False. (James Garfield, the 20th President, was the last log cabin President.)
6. True.
7. Lincoln had no daughters and 4 sons, and only one of the sons lived to adulthood.
8. The Black Hawk War.
9. He was at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D. C. attending a play.

[1] The Miller Center, “Abraham Lincoln,” University of Virginia (accessed on January 27, 2015).
[2] See, for example, James Lindgren, “Ranking Our Presidents,” historyworld.org, November 16, 2000; Frank Newport, “Americans Say Reagan is the Greatest President,” Gallup, February 18, 2011; “Assessment, Evaluation and Ranking of the Presidents. Two different surveys,” The Presidents of the United States (accessed on April 8, 2015).
[3] P. A. Hanaford, Abraham Lincoln: His Life and Public Services (Boston: B. B. Russell and Company, 1865), p. 15.


[5] Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln Complete Works, John D. Nicolay and John Hay, editors (New York: The Century Co., 1894), Vol. 1, p. 164, “Fragment. Notes for Law Lecture,” July 1, 1850.