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Top 10 Interesting Facts About Abraham Lincoln

Top 10 Interesting Facts About Abraham Lincoln

Top 10 Interesting Facts About Abraham Lincoln

The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in a log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. Lincoln moved to Illinois in 1830 and settled near New Salem where he became friends with another aspiring politician, Joshua Fry Speed. Ford served as postal worker and after moving to Springfield opened a store with his wife. Lincoln joined him as a clerk before becoming partner in 1851. His political career began with election to the Illinois legislature that same year before being elected US Representative from Illinois’s 7th District in 1846.

In March of 1861 he was sworn into office as Commander-in-Chief during the U.S. Civil War. The Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 freed slaves in Southern states still in rebellion. Lincoln requested troops from states loyal to the Union and was re-elected for a second term on November 8, 1864. He was assassinated at Ford’s Theater in Washington DC during the closing night of Shakespeare’s play, “Our American Cousin”, on April 14, 1865. His death made him a martyr and icon of freedom for future generations.

Abraham Lincoln’s legacy is as one of the greatest leaders and innovators in American history. He is remembered for preserving our Union through the bloodiest war in our history. He is also revered for abolishing slavery, which was a catalyst towards the civil rights movement in America. More importantly, his legacy stands to show us all that with determination, hard work, and sacrifice success can be achieved. It will not come without disappointment and set backs but if you remain determined there will be a day of reckoning when you reap your rewards for your dedication and perseverance.

Lincoln & Wrestling – Abraham Lincoln Interesting Facts 1

In the early days of America, professional wrestling was popular and bouts were held all over the country in city centers and on fairgrounds. Lincoln became a fan of wrestling and is known to have attended many matches with his wife Mary Todd Lincoln. He also became friends with one successful wrestler named Dan Rice who first met the politician when he attended his match at Hennepin County Fair in Minnesota in 1857, which resulted in Lincoln being delighted by what he saw, instigating him to want to meet Rice. Rice was invited to meet Lincoln at the White House, and also to other matches in Washington. Rice became a good friend of Lincolns.

But it wasn’t until Rice’s successful match with William Muldoon in 1860 that a wrestling match between the two friends took place. Although, as Lincoln was over 30 lbs lighter than his wrestler friend, he could not put on any moves himself. So instead, he agreed to allow Rice to apply a “collar and elbow” hold on him in front of a watching crowd at the White House.

And the two great friends were pleased with their performance. A year later, following Lincoln’s election as president, Rice made another visit to the White House and showed his skill by applying a half nelson lock on Lincoln to which the president replied by saying: “If I should want three hundred and fifty thousand men to hold Richmond I’d put you at their head.

Grave robbers – Abraham Lincoln Interesting Facts 2

Grave robbers attempted to steal Lincoln’s corpse. The thieves set off a device that gave them an electric shock at which point they were apprehended by the police.

The Washington Compost is reporting that this happened in Fort Washington, Maryland. The men’s names have not been released, but are in custody and due for charges of burglary and conspiracy to commit robbery.

This is not the first time grave robbers attempted to steal Lincoln’s corpse as it has been attempted a few times in the past. Lincoln was buried with all of his personal items including his hat, gloves and cane which means he’s still clothed and could be identifiable if information about when he died can be found for reference.

The Civil War – Abraham Lincoln Interesting Facts 3

The Civil War began in 1861 between the Confederate States of America (the South) and the Union States of America (the North). It ended on April 9, 1865 with Lincoln’s assassination in Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer and stage actor from Maryland.

Lincoln faced all sorts of opposition during the war, including from his own cabinet. One of his cabinet members, Montgomery Blair, resigned in protest over the president’s lenient treatment of reconstructed rebels and their right to vote.

Lincoln took a strong stance on the issue which helped him get re-elected in 1864. He said he was against letting rebels vote until they had proved that they were loyal to the United States and its cause. Lincoln won the election with a sweeping majority–an unheard-of margin at that time–and then steadfastly stood by that position during the war’s final months.

The Civil War is the bloodiest conflict ever waged on American soil with the total death toll standing at 620,000 soldiers and civilians combined. The war was waged primarily over slavery with one side wanting to preserve it and the other side wanting to abolish it as they considered it an immoral institution that deprived people of their rights which had been granted them by God. The North’s victory over the South helped end slavery making this war not just a military struggle but also an ideological one that played out on American soil for four bloody years from 1861-1865.

Gettysburg Address – Abraham Lincoln Interesting Facts 4

Lincoln is often remembered for the Gettysburg Address. A crucial aspect of the speech was that it was delivered extemporaneously.

There are many different variations of the text, with four formal versions written down on paper by Lincoln himself and at least six by others who recorded or remembered his words verbatim. The New York Times published one, which they claimed to be authentic, but Lincoln is said to have disliked it and believed that others had changed his words in order to make him sound better. The New York Times claimed that, “The President had given out his own written copy for the use of the press, with some changes and additions (made by himself) which it is said were not improvements. It was a very able paper, but perhaps it would have been wiser to let it go as he gave it to the reporters.”

Lawyer – Abraham Lincoln Interesting Facts 5

In 1849, Abraham Lincoln agreed to take on a case in front of the United States Supreme Court–and lost. It was not his first time in front of the nation’s highest court, nor his last. Over the span of his legal career, which would eventually lead to a seat in that very courtroom, he filed at least thirty cases there over sixteen years and argued ten cases himself. Lincoln’s most famous cases before the Supreme Court remain those presented against slavery and for the preservation of the union during the Civil War. But his first three cases before the Court focused on a more basic principle, that of jurisdiction–in other words, who decides? Just as he argued for a national court to decide the fate of slavery, Lincoln also argued for broader jurisdiction over domestic matters like contracts, bankruptcy, and even murder.

Lincoln’s Mother – Abraham Lincoln Interesting Facts 6

Abraham Lincoln lost his mother when he was nine years old, and the death of his mother was entirely by chance. The family milk cow got loose and wandered into a neighbor’s field with unripe green corn stalks in it. This particular type of corn caused a substance called “slobbering disease” in cows which then contaminated the milk with fatal consequences for young Nancy Hanks Lincoln. Historians have wondered if Abraham Lincoln could have become president without this great personal tragedy that shaped him profoundly but they remain uncertain.

Bedroom – Abraham Lincoln Interesting Facts 7

The Lincoln Bedroom is a historic room in the White House. It was originally known as the Queens’ Bedchamber.
Lincoln never slept in the Lincoln bedroom! Honest Abe was only a guest in this particular room, but not to worry, he did sleep throughout two other bedrooms on the second floor of the White House. In 1867, during reconstruction after President Ulysses S Grant’s tour of 1865, Mrs Julia Tyler had her daughter’s old room converted to a sitting-room for her and renamed it “The Lincoln Room.
The Lincoln Bedroom could easily be called the most popular room in the White House. Tourists clamber up the stairs, and crowds cram into this tiny space. It’s not something that’s new to Trump- he was a tourist himself, many times over.

Patent – Abraham Lincoln Interesting Facts 8

If you’ve ever thought that the president of the United States doesn’t have much to do besides work on pressing issues, we’re here to tell you that’s not true. In addition to managing a country and all of its citizens, many presidents hold positions such as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces or Governor of their home state. But in 1849, one president put aside his other duties to work on a patent for an improved way to make salt water fresh. That president was Abraham Lincoln and he is the only one in American history who has held a patent.

Lincoln’s patent, which ran for the next fourteen years, was for a device that could be used to float boats and other small crafts in shallow water. The invention came at a time when Lincoln was largely out of practice with law and politics; it did not pan out. However, by assiduously filing annual fees – even while he was president – Lincoln eventually received his full patent on 22 May 1849. It is unclear if this “boat-lift” ever saw any practical application. Lincoln did not include it in his patent file, and there is no evidence that he ever sought a manufacturer for it or attempted to license the invention. It may never have worked.

This swiveling boat lift was one of only a few inventions patented by Lincoln. During his lifetime, he applied for ten patents. Four were granted for devices ranging from stovepipes to a compass adjustable for variation caused by iron in the ship’s hull.

Lost Elections – Abraham Lincoln Interesting Facts 9

Lincoln lost five separate elections before being elected president. These losses were small but they shaped who Abraham Lincoln would become during his presidency years. He learned to be humble after these defeats, gaining empathy for those he didn’t agree with politically or philosophically while also gaining knowledge on how best to win an election from losing five times himself. Lincoln’s first defeat was in 1832 when he ran for the Illinois General Assembly, losing by a small margin. Lincoln ran again in 1834 for the Illinois House of Representatives but he lost by a much wider margin. Lincoln then considered himself to be finished with politics, however his political career was delayed only temporarily.
Lincoln’s third and final loss was in his first run for the US House of Representatives; he lost against William L. May by 17 votes. Lincoln wrote to Herndon saying that since “the people have decided against me, I have decided against myself.” This would be his final loss before gaining seats in electorates after revision of congressional districts and winning election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Lincoln would only serve one term in the House before seeking a Senate seat.
Lincoln’s fourth defeat was his first time running for the Senate, in 1846. He lost to incumbent Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas by a total of 6,400 votes, a close margin for the time. Lincoln was devastated when he lost this election and even more so when he received an invitation to Douglas’s inauguration party only to have it returned marked “Not at home”; however he did find some consolation in his loss when he received an invitation to former President John Quincy Adams’ 80th birthday party as well. Lincoln would run against Douglas again in 1858 and this time would win the seat in the Senate. However, Lincoln would lose his bid for re-election in 1858. Lincoln was devastated by these losses; however they would only make him stronger and better prepared for future elections.
Lincoln’s fifth defeat was the most devastating and it was one that affected him greatly. In 1860 Lincoln ran against Senator Stephen A. Douglas for President of the United States; however he lost to Douglas by a margin of 39 votes from New Jersey giving Stephen Douglas the win in that state’s electoral college voting, ending Lincoln’s chance for Presidency.

Slavery – Abraham Lincoln Interesting Facts 10

When the 13th Amendment was ratified on December 18, 1865, it marked a pivotal moment in American history. The amendment not only abolished slavery but also left slavery’s legacy of racism behind.

The first step towards ending slavery had been taken decades earlier with the issuing of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. In it, Lincoln proclaimed all persons held as slaves in states of the rebellion “forever free.” Now, with the 13th Amendment added to the U.S. Constitution, there was no question that slavery had been outlawed. The amendment stated in part: “…neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.”

 

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