Abraham Lincoln

Hello! My name is Abraham Lincoln, but you can call me Abe. My story starts a long, long time ago, on February 12, 1809. I was born in a tiny log cabin in a state called Kentucky. It was just one room, made of logs from the forest, but it was full of love from my parents, Thomas and Nancy. We didn't have many toys or fancy things, but we had each other. When I was a little boy, my family moved to Indiana. I had to work very hard on our farm, helping my father with chores from sunrise to sunset. But when the day was done, my favorite thing to do was read. I loved books more than anything! We didn't have many, but I would read any book I could find, over and over, huddled by the warm light of our fireplace.

As I grew taller and stronger, I tried many different jobs. I worked on a farm, splitting logs with my axe. I was a shopkeeper, selling goods to neighbors. I even worked as a postmaster, making sure everyone got their mail. But all along, I kept learning. I didn't go to school for very long, but I never stopped reading. I would borrow books and study them all by myself. I decided I wanted to help people solve their problems in a fair way, so I studied law books and became a lawyer. People started to notice that I always tried my best to be fair and tell the truth. They gave me a nickname: "Honest Abe." I liked that. It felt good to know that people trusted me. This path of helping others led me into politics, where I hoped I could help make our country a better place for everyone.

In the year 1860, something amazing happened. The people of the United States elected me to be their 16th president! I moved into a big white house in a city called Washington, D.C. with my wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. But this was a very sad and difficult time for our country. The United States was divided, like a family that couldn't agree. Some states in the South wanted to keep having slavery, which meant that some people were owned by others. I believed this was wrong. I said, "Everyone deserves to be free." I also believed our country should be one big family, not two separate ones. A terrible war began, called the Civil War, between the North and the South. It was my job to lead the country through this hard time and keep it together. During the war, I wrote a very important paper called the Emancipation Proclamation, which was a big step toward freeing all the enslaved people.

After four long years, the war finally ended. The country was together again, as one nation. We had to start the hard work of healing, like when you put a bandage on a scrape and help it get better. My life ended shortly after the war in 1865, but I never lost hope for our nation's future. I wanted everyone to be treated with kindness and respect. I hope when you think of me, you remember that even when people disagree, being honest and working together can fix big problems. It's important to be kind to everyone and to always stand up for what is right, so that we can all live together as one big, happy family.