America's sixteenth president: Learning things about Abraham Lincoln.

By Harvey Chimelt

Abraham Lincoln was born to poor parents in Kentucky on February 12th 1809. His family moved from Kentucky to Illinois when he was a young man. Lincoln became involved in Illinois politics in his early twenties. He won and lost some local elections. He was a member of the Whig party before becoming a Republican. Tragically, he died at the age of fifty six on April 15th 1865.

Lincoln's birth mother died from milk sickness. The story is that she drank milk from a cow that had previously eaten poisonous mushrooms. The toxins were passed to her through the milk.

After Lincoln's original mother's death, his father was remarried. He married a widow. Books claim that his relationship with his step mother became a very close one.

Although he did attend a Baptist church as a young man, Lincoln never officially declared his membership to any specific church.

Mary Todd Lincoln, the first woman to agree to Lincoln's marriage proposal, came from a very wealthy family. Apparently her family did not agree with her decision to marry Lincoln because he did not grow up in a wealthy family.

He was the first elected Republican president. Actually, he was elected president in two successive elections but was assassinated before finishing his second term.

He was a very tall man for the mid 1800's. Lincoln measured a full six feet four inches tall.

Lincoln had two different vice presidents while in office. His first was Hannibal Hamlin. Hamlin served the first four years Abe was president. During Lincoln's second term in office, soon to be president Andrew Johnson served as Vice President.

Abraham Lincoln's presidency was preceded and succeeded by Democratic presidents. James Buchanan was president prior to Lincoln's election. Andrew Johnson served as president after Lincoln's term was terminated. During that time in American history, it was common for the vice president and president to have two completely different political agendas.

The United States adopted a standardized currency with the passing of the National Banking Act (in 1863|while Lincoln was running things.

No other American presidents before Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated while in office. He was the first one.

As great a president as history says he was, history also says that Abraham Lincoln had suffered with deep depression from time to time. Yet at times he was known to be like telling stories and jokes to friends and family.

Previous presidents were clean shaven or had sideburns. He was the first president to have a beard while running the United States.

Lincoln said he had a vision about his death. One week before his death, he had a dream of someone crying in the White House. In the dream, he asked a man in the room, who had died. The guy said it was the President. When Lincoln looked in the coffin he saw his own face.

Lots of the recent presidents have had dogs for White House pets. In addition to having a dog for a pet, Lincoln also had cats, a turkey and horses.

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