317
The deaTh of LincoLn
on april 14, 1865, abraham Lincoln was watching a play at
ford’s Theatre in Washington, d.c. John Wilkes Booth, an
actor who supported the Southern states in the civil War,
crept quietly into the president’s box and shot him. The
president died from his wounds the next day.abolition
The move to abolish slavery
in the United States grew under
Lincoln. Led by white middle-
class northerners, many freed
slaves joined the abolition
movement. some, such as
andrew Scott (right), fought
in the Union army during
the civil War. Slaves fled
from South to north
(and freedom) via the
Underground Railroad—a
secret escape route.
harriet Tubman, a famous
pioneer of the railroad, helped
300 slaves escape in this way.one of The moST famoUS pReSidenTS
in US history is abraham Lincoln. But when he
was elected in 1860, less than half the country
supported him, and he remained very unpopular
with many people for the entire five years of his
presidency. Lincoln did not approve of slavery,
and many landowners in the Southern United
States still kept slaves. as a result of his election,
11 southern states left the Union and declared
themselves an independent confederacy, or
alliance. civil war then broke out between the
Union and the confederacy. Lincoln was a capable
war leader. he struggled to keep the remaining states united under his
leadership. many people in his own government opposed him. But in 1865,
he led the Union states to victory. afterward, Lincoln tried to repair the
damage done by the war and bring together the two opposing sides.moUnT RUShmoRe
The faces of four american
presidents—George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, Theodore
Roosevelt, and abraham Lincoln—
are carved out of rock on the
side of mount Rushmore in the
Black hills of South dakota.LincoLn’S BiRThpLace
This log cabin in Kentucky is a
replica of the birthplace of
abraham Lincoln. The poverty
of Lincoln’s childhood influenced
his political ideas.LincoLn
Lincoln, Abraham
GeTTySBURG addReSS
abraham Lincoln was famous
for his speeches. in 1863, he
attended the dedication of
a national cemetery on
the site of the civil War
battlefield in Gettysburg,
pennsylvania. he made
a speech known as the
Gettysburg address.
he hoped that “these
dead shall not have
died in vain.”1809 Born in Kentucky.
1831 moves to new Salem,
illinois, where he works
as a storekeeper, surveyor,
and postmaster while
studying law.
1834 elected to state
legislature.
1836 Qualifies as a lawyer.
1842 marries mary Todd.
1846 elected to congress.
1855, 1859 Runs un-
successfully for Senate.
1860 elected president.
1861 mobilizes 75,000
volunteers to put down the
southern rebellion.
1863 issues emancipation
proclamation.
1864 Re-elected president.
1865 assassinated.Find out more
abolitionist movement
civil war
Slavery
Tubman, harriet
United states, history ofUS_317_Lincoln_Abraham.indd 317 22/01/16 11:10 am