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| | 1809 | Short Biography of Abraham Lincoln Date of Birth: Born on February 12 1809 Place of Birth : Kentucky. Parents: Father - Thomas Lincoln Mother: Nancy Hanks Background Facts, Information & Ancestry : Grandfather was Samuel Lincoln who originated from from Hingham, England to Massachusetts in 1637. | |
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| | 1809 | February 12: Abraham Lincoln is born in Nolin Creek in Kentucky. His humble home was a one room log cabin | |
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| | 1811 | The Lincoln family move to a 230 acre farm near Sinking Spring. | |
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| | 1816 | December: The Lincoln family move to Indiana. | |
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| | 1817 | February: Legend states that Abraham shot a wild turkey but hated the experience and never hunted again. | |
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| | 1818 | October 5: The death of his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln | |
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| | 1819 | December 2: Thomas Lincoln marries a widow, Sarah Bush Johnston who becomes stepmother to Abraham Lincoln | |
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| | 1830 | March: The Lincoln family move to Illinois First political speech of Abe in favor of improving navigation on the Sangamon River. | |
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| | 1831 | Abe settles in New Salem, Illinois working as a clerk in the village store | |
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| | 1832 | March: Abe becomes a candidate for Illinois General Assembly April: The Black Hawk War and Abe enlists August 6: Abe loses election Abe and William Berry become partners and purchase a village store in New Salem. | |
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| | 1833 | The store fails and leaves the partners in debt Abe is appointed Postmaster of New Salem October: Abe is appointed Deputy County Surveyor. | |
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| | 1834 | August 4: Lincoln is elected to the Illinois General Assembly Abe starts to study law Abe meets Ann Rutledge | |
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| | 1835 | January: The death of William Berry and Abe's debt increases to $1000 August 25: Ann Rutledge dies from fever Becomes leader of the Whig Party | |
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| | 1836 | August 1: Re-elected to the Illinois General Assembly September 9: Lincoln receives his law license Starts to court Mary Owens | |
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| | 1837 | April 15: Moves Springfield Establishes as a law partner of John T. Stuart His proposal to Mary Owens is declined | |
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| | 1838 | August 6: Re-elected to the Illinois General Assembly | |
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| | 1839 | Practises as a lawyer on the 8th Judicial Circuit in Illinois December 3: Admission to United States Circuit Court Meets Mary Todd at a Christmas dance. | |
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| | 1840 | June: Abe presents his first case before the Illinois Supreme Court August 3: Re-elected to the Illinois General Assembly Mary Todd accepts his proposal of marriage and the couple become engaged | |
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| | 1841 | January 1: Abe breaks off his engagement to Mary Todd Suffers from depression March 1: Establishes new law partnership with Stephen T. Logan | |
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| | 1842 | Abe resumes his courtship with Mary Todd September: Challenged to a sword duel by James Shields over the publication of letters which taunted the Democrat Shields September 22: Duel averted by an explanation of letters November 4: Abe marries Mary Todd in Springfield | |
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| | 1843 | Abe fails to get Whig nomination for U.S. Congress August 1: Robert Todd Lincoln is born to Abe and Mary | |
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| | 1844 | December: Abe sets up his own law practice and dissolves partnership with Logan | |
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| | 1846 | March 10: Edward Baker Lincoln is born May 1: Nominated as Whig candidate for U.S. Congress August 3: Abe is elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. | |
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| | 1847 | The Lincoln family moves to a boarding house in Washington, D.C. December 22: Presents resolutions to President Polk about U.S. hostilities with Mexico. | |
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| | 1848 | January 22: Gives a speech against war policy regarding Mexico | |
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| | 1849 | March 31: Abe leaves politics to practice law in Springfield | |
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| | 1850 | February 1: The death of Edward Baker Lincoln Lincoln resumes his role in the 8th Judicial Circuit gaining a reputation as an outstanding lawyer and earning the nickname of 'Honest Abe' December 21: William Wallace Lincoln (Willie) is born. | |
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| | 1853 | April 4: Thomas (Tad) Lincoln is born. | |
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| | 1854 | Abe is elected to Illinois legislature but declines the seat in an attempt to become a U.S. Senator. | |
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| | 1855 | Fails in his quest to become a U.S. Senator. | |
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| | 1856 | May 29: Assists in the formation of the new Republican party of Illinois Abe campaigns in Illinois for John C. Fremont the Republican presidential candidate | |
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| | 1857 | June 26: Speech against the Dred Scott decision which ruled that Dred Scott must remain a slave | |
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| | 1858 | June 16: Nominated as Republican senator from Illinois to oppose the Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. | |
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| | 1859 | Illinois legislature choose Democrat Stephen A. Douglas for the U.S. Senate defeating Lincoln | |
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| | 1860 | March 6: Speech on slavery in New Haven, Connecticut May 18: Nominated to be the Republican candidate for President of the United States November 6: Abraham Lincoln is elected as 16th U.S. president December 20: South Carolina secedes from the Union shortly followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. | |
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| | 1861 | February 11: Leaves Springfield for Washington March 4: President Lincoln delivers his First Inaugural Address April 12 Attack on Fort Sumter - Confederates under General Pierre Beauregard open fire marking the start of the Civil War For details of the career of President Lincoln and the progress of the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865 click Civil War Timeline | |
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| | 1865 | March 17: A kidnap plot by John Wilkes Booth fails when Lincoln fails to arrive as expected at the Soldiers Home April 9: General Robert E. Lee surrenders his Confederate Army to General Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia April 14: President Lincoln and his wife Mary go to Ford's Theater to see the play "Our American Cousin" . During the third act of the play John Wilkes Booth shoots the president in the head at approx 10:13 p.m. April 15: President Abraham Lincoln dies at 7:22 in the morning. Vice President Andrew Johnson assumes the presidency April 26: John Wilkes Booth is shot and killed in a tobacco barn in Virginia. May 4: Abraham Lincoln is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, outside Springfield, Illinois. | |
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