Have you ever heard of a president who was also a great wrestler? Well, there was one, and he is even honored at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame! His face is on the penny and the five-dollar bill. Can you guess who he is? That’s right, it’s Abraham Lincoln!
Let’s hop into our imaginary time machine and travel back to the year 1809. Abraham Lincoln was born in a small log cabin in Kentucky on February 12, 1809. His parents couldn’t read or write, and he didn’t get to go to school much. But that didn’t stop him! He loved reading and borrowed books to teach himself new things. When he was nine, his mother passed away. Later, his father remarried, and the family moved to Illinois, where his dad worked as a carpenter and farmer.
Lincoln had many jobs, like being a storekeeper, surveyor, and postmaster. By the time he was 25, he was elected to the local government in Springfield, Illinois. While there, he studied law and became a lawyer. People called him “Honest Abe” because he was very trustworthy. He married Mary Todd, and they had four children together.
Lincoln served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives but didn’t win when he tried to become a senator. However, his strong belief against slavery helped him become a candidate for president. In 1860, there was a big race with four main candidates, and Lincoln won! He became the 16th president of the United States in 1861.
When Lincoln became president, the Civil War started. It was a tough time because the northern and southern states disagreed about slavery. Lincoln wanted to stop the war and keep the country together. In 1863, he gave a famous speech called the Gettysburg Address and signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all enslaved people were free. He also helped create the 13th Amendment, which made slavery illegal in the United States.
Lincoln was known as “the Great Emancipator” because he helped free many people. He was re-elected in 1864, and the Civil War ended in 1865. Sadly, just a week after the war ended, Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth and died the next day. He was the first U.S. president to be assassinated, and the whole country was very sad.
Did you know that Lincoln was the tallest president ever? He was six feet four inches tall! He also liked to wear tall black hats and sometimes kept important papers inside them. At the White House, the Lincoln family even had their pet cats join them for dinner!
Let’s see what you remember:
Great job! Abraham Lincoln did many amazing things during his time as president, and that’s why he is so respected today. The next time you see a penny or visit the Lincoln Memorial, remember all the cool things you learned about him. Maybe one day, you can stand up for what’s right, just like Honest Abe!
Hope you had fun learning with us!
Time Travel Journal: Imagine you are a young friend of Abraham Lincoln living in the 1800s. Write a short diary entry about a day spent with him. What activities would you do together? Would you help him with his chores or read a book with him? Share your diary entry with your class and discuss how life was different back then compared to today.
Build a Log Cabin: Use small sticks, twigs, or craft materials to build a miniature log cabin like the one Lincoln was born in. Think about how people lived in those times and what materials they used. Once your cabin is complete, imagine what it would be like to live there and share your thoughts with your classmates.
Lincoln’s Leadership Qualities: Discuss with your family or friends what qualities made Abraham Lincoln a great leader. Make a list of these qualities and think about how you can show them in your own life. For example, how can you be honest like “Honest Abe”? Share your ideas with your class and see if you can come up with a class pledge to practice these qualities every day.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Who is Abraham Lincoln? Can you guess which president of the United States was a great wrestler? He was so great, in fact, that he is honored at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Here is one more hint: his face is on the penny and the five-dollar bill. Any guesses? That is right, it is Abraham Lincoln!
Today we are going to learn more about the 16th president of the United States, President Abraham Lincoln. Let’s jump in our pretend time machine and go all the way back to the year 1809. Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Kentucky on February 12, 1809. Both of his parents could not read or write, and he was rarely able to go to school, so he learned things himself by reading books that he could borrow. When Lincoln was nine years old, his mother died. Later, his father remarried and moved the family to the state of Illinois, where he could work as a carpenter and farmer.
Lincoln worked as a storekeeper, surveyor, and postmaster. By the age of 25, he was elected to the local government in Springfield, Illinois. While there, Lincoln studied the law and began working as a lawyer. Here is an interesting fact: after Lincoln became a lawyer, he earned one of his famous nicknames, “Honest Abe,” because of the trustworthy way that he ran his law practice. He married Mary Todd, and they had four children together.
Lincoln served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives but failed to be elected to the Senate two different times. However, his opposition to the practice of slavery helped him win the presidential nomination two years after his second Senate loss.
Want to know something unique about the 1860 presidential race? It was actually a four-way race, meaning that there were four main candidates running for president. Lincoln got more votes than any of the others and took office as president of the United States in 1861. 1861 also marked the beginning of the Civil War, which Lincoln tried his best to prevent due to the tension between the northern states and the southern states over whether to continue the practice of slavery. Lincoln allowed it to continue legally in the South while outlawing it everywhere else, including in future states that may join the Union later on.
Southern leaders disagreed with this plan, and so 11 southern states seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. The war between the northern and southern states lasted for four years. In 1863, Lincoln gave one of his most famous speeches, the Gettysburg Address. He also signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which called for the end of slavery and declared all enslaved people to be free in the eyes of the law. Later, Lincoln crafted the 13th Amendment, which officially abolished slavery and made it illegal in the United States.
Abraham Lincoln had another famous nickname. Any guesses as to what it might be? It was “the Great Emancipator.” Emancipate means to free. Pretty cool, huh? President Lincoln was re-elected to a second presidential term in 1864, and the Civil War ended less than a year later on April 9, 1865. Just about a week after people celebrated the end of the Civil War, tragedy struck. President Lincoln was shot on April 14, 1865, by John Wilkes Booth, a man who was supportive of the Confederate cause. Lincoln died the morning of April 15, 1865, becoming the first U.S. president to be assassinated. The nation mourned the death of such a great man, but thankfully his legacy lives on even today.
Here are a couple more interesting facts about President Abraham Lincoln: he was taller than any other president, standing six feet four inches tall. Sometimes, Honest Abe would keep important papers under the tall black hats he liked to wear so he would not lose them. At the White House, the Lincoln family would eat dinner with their pet cats seated at the table.
Wow! We have traveled back in time and learned a lot of cool facts about the tallest president ever. Let’s see what you remember:
1. One of Lincoln’s most famous speeches is called the ________ Address. (Gettysburg)
2. Name one of President Lincoln’s famous nicknames. (Honest Abe or the Great Emancipator)
3. Which war happened while Lincoln was president? (The Civil War)
4. True or false: The 13th Amendment made slavery illegal in the United States. (True)
Nice work, historians! Abraham Lincoln accomplished many things during his short time as president of the United States, which is why he is so respected today. The things that he supported are still important today. The next time you pick up a penny or visit the Lincoln Memorial, you can remember all of the interesting things you have learned about the 16th president of the United States, and maybe someday you can stand up for what is right, just like Honest Abe.
Hope you had fun learning with us! Visit us at learnbrite.org for thousands of free resources and turnkey solutions for teachers and homeschoolers.
Thank you!
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