50 Fun Facts About Lincoln

In what state was Abraham Lincoln born?

Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin on the Sinking Spring farm, near Hodgenville in Hardin County, Kentucky, on February 12, 1809.

What was the name of Abraham Lincoln's wife?

Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd in 1842. She was the mother of his four children.

Before becoming president, Abraham Lincoln primarily worked in what profession?

Abraham Lincoln was largely self-educated and became a lawyer, practicing in Illinois for many years before his presidency.

Abraham Lincoln served as the 16th president of the United States during which major conflict?

Abraham Lincoln led the United States through the American Civil War, serving as president from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.

Who assassinated Abraham Lincoln?

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre on April 15, 1865.

What political party did Abraham Lincoln belong to when he was elected president in 1860?

Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election, becoming the first president from the newly formed Republican Party. He had previously been a Whig.

Which document, issued by Lincoln, declared enslaved people in Confederate states to be free?

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, declared all enslaved people in Confederate territory to be free.

What famous speech by Lincoln begins with 'Four score and seven years ago...'?

The Gettysburg Address, delivered by Lincoln in November 1863, is one of the most famous speeches in American history, beginning with the iconic phrase 'Four score and seven years ago'.

What was Abraham Lincoln's height?

Abraham Lincoln was the tallest U.S. president at 6 feet 4 inches (193 centimeters) tall.

In what year did Abraham Lincoln first win election to the Illinois State Legislature?

Lincoln lost his first run for the Illinois General Assembly in 1832, then won a seat in 1834 and went on to serve four consecutive terms in the state House.

What was the name of Abraham Lincoln's stepmother, who encouraged his education?

After his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, passed away, Abraham Lincoln's father married Sarah Bush Johnston, who became his supportive stepmother.

Lincoln briefly served as a captain in the Illinois Militia during which conflict?

Prior to his presidency, Lincoln's only military experience was a brief service as a captain in the Illinois militia during the Black Hawk War of 1832.

What legal principle, which Lincoln controversially suspended during the Civil War, protects against unlawful detention?

During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln controversially suspended the writ of habeas corpus, a legal procedure that protects against unlawful detention, to deal with dissenters and rebels.

In what city was Abraham Lincoln nominated as the Republican candidate for president in 1860?

Abraham Lincoln secured the Republican nomination for president on the third ballot at the 1860 Republican National Convention held in Chicago.

What was the total amount of formal schooling Abraham Lincoln received during his childhood?

Despite his keen intellect, Abraham Lincoln received minimal formal education, with his total schooling amounting to less than one year. He was largely self-taught.

Which of these was a primary occupation of Abraham Lincoln before he became a lawyer?

Before becoming a lawyer and entering politics, Lincoln held various jobs, including working as a store clerk in New Salem, Illinois.

Abraham Lincoln's famous debates in 1858 were against which politician?

In 1858, Abraham Lincoln engaged in a series of famous debates with Stephen A. Douglas for a U.S. Senate seat, which, though he lost, gained him national recognition.

Which of Lincoln's cabinet members, initially a rival for the Republican nomination, became his Secretary of State?

William H. Seward, a prominent figure and initial frontrunner for the Republican nomination, later served as Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of State.

What was the primary issue dominating the 1860 presidential election, which Lincoln won?

While other issues were discussed, the main issue dominating the 1860 presidential campaign, which Abraham Lincoln won, was slavery, particularly its expansion into new territories.

Where was Abraham Lincoln born?

Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin on Sinking Spring Farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky, in what is now LaRue County.

Before becoming a Republican, Abraham Lincoln was a member of which major political party?

Abraham Lincoln was a committed member of the Whig Party before it collapsed in the wake of the 1854 Kansas–Nebraska Act, after which he joined the newly formed Republican Party.

What well-known nickname was given to Abraham Lincoln, reflecting his reputation for integrity?

Abraham Lincoln earned the nickname "Honest Abe" due to his reputation for integrity and plain-spoken honesty, especially during his time as a lawyer and politician.

In what year did President Lincoln issue the Emancipation Proclamation?

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, declaring enslaved people in the Confederate states to be free.

The Gettysburg Address was delivered during the dedication of a national cemetery in which state?

Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Abraham Lincoln is known for being the tallest U.S. President. Approximately how tall was he?

Abraham Lincoln was 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) tall, making him the tallest U.S. president in history.

In which state did Abraham Lincoln primarily practice law for nearly 25 years before his presidency?

Abraham Lincoln practiced law for nearly 25 years in the courts of Illinois, initially in New Salem and later in Springfield.

At which theater was Abraham Lincoln assassinated?

President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865.

How many children did Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln have that survived to adulthood?

Of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln's four sons (Robert, Edward, William, and Thomas), only Robert Todd Lincoln lived to adulthood.

Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president to hold a patent. What was his invention for?

Patent 6,469, granted to 'Abraham Lincoln, of Springfield, Illinois' on May 22, 1849, covered inflatable rubber-cloth chambers that could be expanded to buoy a vessel over shallow water and folded away when not in use. It was never manufactured.

Which famous phrase, often attributed to Lincoln, begins his Gettysburg Address?

The Gettysburg Address famously begins with the words, "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation..."

Abraham Lincoln had three successive formal law partnerships. Which of these individuals was NOT one of his law partners?

Abraham Lincoln's three formal law partners were John Todd Stuart, Stephen T. Logan, and William H. Herndon. Stephen A. Douglas was a political rival.

The Emancipation Proclamation declared enslaved people free in which specific areas?

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued on January 1, 1863, declared enslaved people in the secessionist Confederate states in rebellion against the Union to be free. It did not apply to Union slave states or Confederate areas already under Union control.

Abraham Lincoln served as a captain in the militia during which conflict?

In 1832, Abraham Lincoln interrupted his campaign for the Illinois House of Representatives to serve as a captain in the Illinois Militia during the Black Hawk War.

Who was Abraham Lincoln's Vice President during his first term?

Hannibal Hamlin of Maine served as Abraham Lincoln's Vice President during his first term (1861-1865). Andrew Johnson became Vice President for his second term.

Abraham Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, died from what illness?

Abraham Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, died of milk sickness in 1818 when Abraham was nine years old.

Which of these famous quotes is attributed to Abraham Lincoln?

Abraham Lincoln famously stated, "A house divided against itself cannot stand" in his 1858 speech in Springfield, Illinois.

What was the name of the play Abraham Lincoln was watching when he was assassinated?

Abraham Lincoln was watching the comedy "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theatre when he was fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth.

Abraham Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was born in which state?

Mary Todd Lincoln was born in Lexington, Kentucky, to Robert Smith Todd and Elizabeth Parker.

What was Abraham Lincoln's primary occupation before he entered politics and became a lawyer?

Before his legal and political career, Lincoln worked as a store clerk, postmaster, and county deputy surveyor in New Salem, Illinois.

Which constitutional amendment, largely supported by Lincoln, abolished slavery in the United States?

The 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, was passed a few months before Lincoln's death, playing a crucial role in fulfilling the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation.

How many words are in Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address?

The Gettysburg Address is a brief but powerful speech, totaling just 272 words, yet it is considered one of the greatest speeches in American history.

Abraham Lincoln ran for president as the nominee of which party in 1860?

Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election, becoming the first president from the Republican Party.

Which of these figures was a prominent political rival of Abraham Lincoln in Illinois, known for their debates on slavery?

Stephen A. Douglas was a prominent Democratic senator from Illinois and a political rival of Lincoln, most notably during their 1858 Senate campaign debates.

Abraham Lincoln was born in what is now known as which county in Kentucky?

Abraham Lincoln was born in what is now LaRue County, Kentucky, on Sinking Spring Farm near Hodgenville.

The final Emancipation Proclamation was issued on what specific date?

While a preliminary proclamation was issued on September 22, 1862, the final Emancipation Proclamation was officially issued on January 1, 1863.

Who shot Abraham Lincoln?

President Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot by actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre.

Abraham Lincoln's famous "House Divided" speech warned against what potential outcome for the United States?

In his "House Divided" speech, Lincoln warned that "this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free," predicting a struggle that would make the nation "all one thing, or all the other."

Which of Lincoln's sons died in the White House during his presidency?

William Wallace "Willie" Lincoln died in the White House at the age of 11 in 1862, causing great grief to the Lincoln family.

Abraham Lincoln's father, Thomas Lincoln, primarily worked in what profession?

Abraham Lincoln's father, Thomas Lincoln, was a farmer who struggled with land titles and moved his family multiple times in search of better opportunities.

Lincoln was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in what year?

Abraham Lincoln was known for his successful wrestling career, with only one recorded loss, and was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1992.