Abraham Lincoln The Great Emancipator O n November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln spoke at the dedication of the national cemetery at Gettysburg (Pennsylvania). The Battle of Gettysburg had turned the tide of the Civil War in favor of the North. With 50,000 casualties Born: February 12, at that battle alone (dead and wounded), Lincoln’s heart was 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky heavy. He gave one of the most famous speeches of all time. His “Gettysburg Address” began: “Fourscore and seven years ago our Died: April 15, 1865, in Washington, D.C. (buried fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Springfield, Illinois) in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are Famous for: being the created equal.” After speaking for about two minutes, he ended, 16th President, freeing the saying: “. . . that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not slaves, and ending the have died in vain; . . . and that government of the people, by the Civil War people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.” The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., portrays a serious and contemplative (thinking) Lincoln. Born poor to frontier farmers, Abraham Lincoln was fiercely ambitious. Growing up, he was determined to educate himself, and as he worked in the fields, he propped a book up on his plow. At night he read by the glow of the fireplace. Very tall and very thin, Lincoln was known for his incredible strength and skill with an ax. Even though he was well liked, and had a quick sense of humor, he was highly critical of himself. He worked splitting timber, as a boatman on the Mississippi River, as a storekeeper, and as a postmaster. He wanted to be a lawyer, and passed the Illinois bar exam without ever going to law school. In 1858, Lincoln decided to run against Stephen A. Douglas for the U.S. Senate. The candidates agreed to a series of seven debates, mainly over the issue of slavery. Lincoln argued against extending slavery to any U.S. territory not yet a state. Brilliant and inspiring, Abraham Lincoln was soon famous (although he lost the election). Committed to preserving the Union at all costs, Lincoln was chosen as the first Republican candidate to run for President. In 1860 he won that election. Lincoln despaired when the South fired on Fort Sumter in April of 1861, which marked the start of our Civil War. As the war progressed, Lincoln became more determined to abolish slavery. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation (1863), which freed the slaves. The Thirteenth Amendment to our Constitution (1865) made it official. In his second inaugural address, Lincoln promised to bind up the nation’s wounds “with malice toward none; with charity for all.” It was not to be. Five days after the South’s General Robert E. Lee surrendered, ending the war (1865), Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd, celebrated at Ford’s Theater. A crazed actor, John Wilkes Booth, entered the President’s theater box and shot him. Abraham Lincoln died the next day, leaving a grieving and seriously wounded nation. 34 Comprehension-Boosting Crosswords: Famous Americans © Silvia Charlesworth, Scholastic Teaching Resources Comprehension-Boosting Crosswords Name Abraham Lincoln 2 1 3 4 5 6 8 7 10 9 11 E 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 DOWN ACROSS 1.Lincoln passed the Illinois bar and became a successful . 1.Robert E. surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Court House. 2.To 4.Lincoln was named for his grandfather, . means to set free, to liberate. 3.Lincoln had four children with his wife, Todd Lincoln. 9.Lincoln was born in the state of 5.Skilled with an , Lincoln cleared farmland and split timber. 10.Lincoln had a good sense of although he worried and brooded. 6.Lincoln’s tomb (as well as the only home Lincoln ever owned) is in , Illinois. 12.Lincoln worked as a boatman on the . , . 7.The U.S. War is also called the War Between the States. 13.There were almost 50,000 casualties (both sides) at , where Lincoln gave his famous address. 8.Stephen A. and Abraham Lincoln had seven famous debates. 15. means the desire to harm others; charity means love and good will. 11.Lincoln was determined to preserve the at all costs. 17.The Thirteenth outlaws slavery. 14.Lincoln and his wife attended the to celebrate the war’s end. 18.In Washington, the Lincoln Washington Monument. 16.John Wilkes in Ford’s Theater. 19.The Civil War began when the South fired on Fort . assassinated Lincoln to our Constitution Comprehension-Boosting Crosswords: Famous Americans © Silvia Charlesworth, Scholastic Teaching Resources faces the 35 Answer Key ABRAHAM LINCOLN (page 34) Down: 1. lawyer 2. emancipate 3. Mary 5. ax 6. Springfield 7. Civil 8. Douglas 11. Union 14. theater 16 . Booth Across: 1 . Lee 4 . Abraham 9 . Kentucky 10 . humor 12 . Mississippi 13 . Gettysburg 15 . malice 17 . Amendment 18 . Memorial 19 . Sumter 60 Comprehension-Boosting Crosswords: Famous Americans © Silvia Charlesworth, Scholastic Teaching Resources