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Birth
On February 12th of 1809, Abraham Lincoln was born in Hardin County, Kentucky. He was born to Nancy Hanks Lincoln and Thomas Loncoln, and they did not have a lot of money. Although he had an older sister and a younger brother all but him and his sister Sarah Grigsby were the only two to live to maturity. Abraham's mother passed away when he was 9 years old. His father remarried and his new mother encouraged Abraham to read. (biography.com) -
Venezuela Becomes Independent
The British had control of many different countries. Among these countries was Venezuela. After the American Revolution, other countries had the same idea of becoming independent. On this day, July 5, 1811, Venezuela was the first South African country to become independent (thehistoryprofessor.us) -
Erie Canal is Completed
The Erie Canal was a long time in the making. After it was built it was called by some, "The eigth wonder of the world". It allowed goods to be transported from the Great Lakes Region to New York. This was big bcause it was much cheaper, Lake Erie is probably something that we take for granted today. (eriecanal.org) -
Abraham Lincoln Becomes Illinois Representative
After moving to Illinois in 1830, Lincoln began to become very involved in the state of Illinois. In 1834, he was elected to be an Illinois Representative. He was reelected in 1836, 1838, and 1840 before he moved onto larger political endeavors. (history-timelines.com.uk) -
Mark Twain's Birth
Mark Twain was one of the greatest writers of American literature. He wrote novels based upon his childhood on the Mississippi River. He impacted America significantly, and people still read his works today (Bio.com). -
The Alamo
The Alamo was a famous battle which began on February 23, 1836. This was a battle in which the Texans were fighting for independence against the Spanish. It was a very important battle, and many people recognize this date as when Texas became independent. A famous saying which resulted from this battle is: "Remember the Alamo" (thehistoryprofessor,us). -
Married Mary Todd
While visiting her sister in Springfield Ill., Mary Todd met Abraham. Even though he was almost a decade older than her, they fell in love and married. They later had three boys together. Unfortunately, only two of them lived to maturity. (bio.com, ehistory.osu.edu) -
Irish Potato Famine Begins
In Ireland from 1845-1849, Potato crops failed for years. Late Blight, a disease that destoys leaves and roots was the cause of the failure. The Irish Potato Famine was, "the worst famine to occur in Europe in the 19th century" (britannica.com) (exact date unknown) -
Gold Rush
In 1849, gold is found in California sparking the Gold Rush. People started moving to the new land hoping to strike rich. About "$2 billion worth of precious metal was extracted from the area during the Gold Rush, which peaked in 1852" (history.com) -
Joins Republican Party
In 1851, Lincoln decides to join the Republican Party. He felt that slavery should be stopped and that this move, would be a step closer to that goal. This was his first move against slavery. (exact date unknown) (Wills, 72). -
Runs For Senate Against Steven A. Douglas
On June 16th, Lincoln was chosen as the Republican candidate to run for Senate against Steven A. Douglas. The topics dicussed within these debates were controversial, and critical to the campaign. Out of seven debates, they discussed slavery, states rights, and other debateable topics that were important to the times. In 1859, Lincoln was defeated, but gained a national reputation that led him closer to presidency. (history.com, history-timelines.org.uk) -
Became President
After gaining such a great reputation during the "Great Debates", Lincoln was selected to run for presidency for the Republican Party. He ran against Steven A. Douglas, John C. Breckingrisge,and John Bell. After winning a majority of the votes in the North, Lincoln sealed in his Presidency, and later gained some respect from the South. (history.com, Miers, 57). -
CIvil War Begins
While in office, a conflict erupted between the North and the South. This conflict later became known as the Civil War, once battles became violent. The main disagreement between the North and South was slavery. (whitehouse.gov) -
Emancipation Proclamation
In September on 1862, Lincoln declared that all rebellious states must reenter the Union by January 1st of 1863 or all of their slavs would be freed. When January 1st came around and the rebel states had not reentered the Union, then he made the Emancipation Proclamation. This stated that, “All persons held as slaves within any states, shall be then, thenceforth, and forever free.” (pbs.org) -
Gettysburg Address
On November 19th, 1863, Lincoln gave a two minute speech at the dedication of a cemetery for Union soldiers. In these two minutes, he presented what is now one of the most famous speeches in American history, the Gettysburg Address. This speech talked of a "birth of a new freedom" and connected the sacrifices of the Civil War to the importance of preserving the Union created by the founding fathers in 1776, and the idea of a self government that accompanied it (history.com) -
Abraham Lincoln Dies
On April 14th, 1865, Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd went to the Ford's Theatre to see "Our American Cousin." During the 3rd act at approximately 10PM, John WIlkes Booth shot Lincoln in the head. Lincoln died across the street the next morning. (history-timelines.com.uk)
