 ABRAHAM LINCOLN WAS BORN February 12, 1809. He became the
16th president of the United States, and one of the most famous men in our history. Each
year we honor the birthday of this great man.
In the woods of Kentucky where Abraham Lincoln was born, the people
were very poor. The men were farmers or tradesmen who worked long and hard each day to
earn enough to support their families. The Lincoln family was no different. Abraham was
born in a small log cabin. His parents could not read or write. There were no schools
nearby. Abraham Lincoln spent at most only one year in school, but he learned to read and
write.
The Lincoln family moved to Indiana, and later to Illinois. As a young
man, Abraham left home to live in New Salem, Illinois. He worked at various odd jobs, and
studied in his spare time. Finally, he entered politics and was elected to the Illinois
state assembly. He continued to study. In time he became a lawyer.
He was elected to the United States Congress, but served only one
two-year term. He later tried for the Senate. His opponent was Senator Stephen Douglas.
Lincoln lost that election, but two years later, in 1860, he ran again against Douglas.
This time the two men were running for the presidency of the United States. This time
Lincoln won the election.
Shortly after his election, the Civil War broke out. Abraham Lincoln
found himself as president in the most difficult years our nation has ever faced.
In 1863, Lincoln bravely met the problem of slavery. He issued the
Emancipation Proclamation which freed the slaves.
The Civil War still raged. Abraham Lincoln struggled to bring the
nation back together. After four bitter years of fighting, the war ended on April 9, 1865.
The United States was again united as one nation.
Five days later, April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln went with his
wife to Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C., to watch a play. There he was shot to death,
assassinated, by John Wilkes Booth.
Today we most often see Lincoln in the form of
larger-than-life statues, such as this one that sits in the Lincoln Memorial in
Washington, DC.
The world would not forget this great man. He is remembered each year on February 12th
for preserving the country in its most tragic hours.
Yet through most of his life Lincoln was just one
of many frontier boys, or militia members, or attorneys, or, as he was in 1809, just one
of many Americans entering the world on the frontier of a young nation.
He is honored for the strength and courage he displayed in defending the rights of all
men as equal. And he is admired for the wonderful example he left to us of rising through
hard work, determination, and skill to the highest office in the United States.
But Lincoln's most enduring legacy is best appreciated not in buildings, or memorials,
but in nations. In 1860 he became President of the only democracy in the world, what he
described as "the world's last best hope" and that hope was in danger of
disappearing. And yet, Lincoln and his nation, and the idea of democracy survived the
Civil War, so that today, there is not one democracy, but dozens throughout the world.
Because two of our most famous Presidents were born in February, we honor all our
President's on the third Monday of that month.
Abraham Lincoln School Activities: Record an audio tape of interviews with people who live in different parts of the
country and how they celebrate President's Day.
Pick one of our national holiday celebrations and write a short story about how a family
celebrate this holiday.
Find an record music related to one or more national celebrations.
Perform a medley which encompasses music from all four branches of the armed forces.
Make a mural depicting scenes of typical celebrations of American national holidays.
Decorate a box to represent a President other than Lincoln or Washington whom you would
like to remember on President's Day
Figure out a date, from a mathematical perspective, for a new American national holiday.
Explain your system.
Compare and contrast two national holidays. Use a Venn diagram to show similarities and
differences.
Act out a scene from the life of a President.
Make a recipe to represent one of the national holidays.
Write a letter to a government official telling them why a national holiday is important
to you.
Write a story about your favorite memory or personal experience related to a national
holiday.
Design a monument or statue or your favorite national hero.
Interview at least 3 recent immigrants to the United States.
PRESIDENTIAL GREETINGS
The White House Greetings Office handles
as many requests as possible, in accordance with a set of long-standing guidelines.
PLEASE
NOTE THAT ALL GREETING REQUESTS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING TO:
Please review these guidelines carefully before mailing your request to the White
House.
The White House
Attn: Greetings Office
Washington, D.C. 20502-0039
- U.S. CITIZENS ONLY. The White House will send greetings to United States citizens
only, for special occasions as outlined below.
- ADVANCE NOTICE REQUIRED. Your request must be received six (6) weeks in advance
of the event date. We make every effort to honor every request, but we cannot guarantee a
greeting if this guideline is not met. (Greetings are generally not sent after the event
date, except for wedding congratulations and newborn acknowledgments.)
- ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS. Anniversary greetings are extended only to those couples
who are celebrating their 50th (and subsequent) wedding anniversary.
- BIRTHDAY GREETINGS. Birthday greetings will be sent only to individuals 80 years
of age and above.
- OTHER GREETINGS. A limited number of special occasions other than birthdays and
anniversaries exist for which the Greetings Office will send appropriate recognition to
United States citizens. These occasions include important events such as:
- Wedding (send your request after the event)
- Baby's Birth (must be born during the Bush Administration; send request only after
baby's birth)
- Eagle Scout Award
- Girl Scout Gold Award
- Bar/Bat Mitzvah or equivalent occasion
- REQUIRED INFORMATION. Please include the following in your request:
- name and home address of honoree(s)
- form of address (Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., Miss, etc.)
- exact date of occasion (month, day, year)
- age (birthdays) or number of years of marriage
- your (the requestor's) name and daytime phone number
- any specific mailing instructions if other than to honoree's address
- Wedding (Include couple's married names and current or new address)
- Baby's Birth (Include baby's date of birth and full names and address of baby and
parents)
- WHEN TO EXPECT YOUR GREETING. In most cases, greetings will be mailed from the
White House approximately ten (10) days prior to the event.
Lincoln
Home Site
National Park Service
Biography of Abraham Lincoln
Sites for Teachers
Learn about the first President of the United
States: George Washington
|
