16) Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

16th President

2 terms

1809-1865

Republican

Assassinated while in office

Believed that slavery was wrong, but did not originally intend to free the slaves

Inspired the North to fight for the freedom of the slaves during the Civil War

Wrote the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the southern slaves

Birthplace: Hodgenville, KY

The log cabin where Lincoln was born on February 12th, 1809 was likely demolished before the assassination in 1865. This replica is located in a memorial building. The cornerstone was laid by then-President Theodore Roosevelt, and the building was dedicated by President Taft. It has 56 steps, symbolic for the 56 years of his life. It is named "Sinking Spring Farm", but it is part of the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park.

Boyhood Home: Hodgenville, KY

This cabin, also a replica, was built in 1931 on the site of the original one, it was probably built using logs from Austin Gollaher's birthplace, Lincoln's playmate who rescued him from drowning in the creek. His brother Thomas Lincoln, Jr. was buried on the grounds of this cabin.

Boyhood Home: Lincoln City, IA

Lincoln lived here from 1816-1830. His mother, Nacy Lincoln, is buried here.

Home: New Salem, IL

Lincoln lived here from 1830-1844. It was here that he began to study law.

Home: Springfield, IL

Abraham and Mary Lincoln lived here from 1844-1861.

Summer White House: Washington, D.C

Presidents Lincoln, Arthur, Hayes, and Buchanan, (but most notably, Lincoln), used this as their "Summer White House. It is sometimes referred to as "Lincoln's Cottage".

Library and Museum: Springfield, IL

Opened in 2005, it is the most visited of all Presidential Museums.

Library and Museum

Located on campus of Lincoln Memorial University, this library contains about 30,000 books, and an extensive collection of artifacts, including the cane he carried at Ford's Theatre that night of the assassination.

Assassination Plot: Ford's Theatre National Historic Site and Suratt-Boarding House

On April 15th, 1865, (Good Friday), Abraham Lincoln was shot in the back of the head by John Wilkes Booth. He was carried from the theatre to the Petersen House accross the street, where he died the next day. This plot was formed in the Suratt-Boarding House a few blocks down.

Grave: Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, IL

Lincoln was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery upon his death.

Stealing Lincoln's Body

On Election Night, 1876, 2 counterfeiters from Chicago decided to steal the body of Abraham Lincoln and hold it for ransom. They failed, but it sparked concern, if these men can try and fail, what if someone tries and succedes? For this reason, the body was moved a total of 17 times.

1. Recieving Vault [May 4th, 1865- December 21st, 1865]
2. Temporary Vault [December 21st, 1865- September 19th, 1871]
3. Crypt in Unfinished Tomb (South Wall) [September 19th, 1871- October 9th, 1874]
4. White Marble Sarcophagus in Memorial Hall [October 9th, 1874- November 7th, 1876]
5. A few inches away from Sarcophagus (Robery attempt) [November 7th, 1876]
6. White Marble Sarcophagus in Memorial Hall (returned to sarcophagus) [November 8th, 1876-November 12th, 1876]
7. Secret Location (Eastside of Tomb) [November 13th, 1876- November 14th, 1876]
8. Wooden Case in Secret Location [November 14th, 1876- November 18th, 1878]
9. Secret Location (Northside of tomb) [November 18th, 1878- November 20th, 1878]
10. Buried in the Ground within the tomb in the same location [November 20th, 1878- April 14th, 1887]
11. Memorial Hall [April 14th, 1887]
12. Crypt beneath floor of Memorial Hall [April 14th, 1887-March 10th, 1900]
13. Secret Place a few yards northeast of tomb [March 10th, 1900- April 24th, 1901]
14. Polished Red Fossil Sarcophagus [April 24th, 1901-July 10th, 1901]
15. Crypt in Wall of Tomb [July 10th, 1901-September 26th, 1901]
16. Memorial Hall [September 26th, 1901]
17. Steel Cage 10 feet below and 30 inches behind Red Fossil Sarcophagus [September 26th, 1901-Date]

Memorial: Washington, D.C.

On Memorial Day of 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated, this dedication was witnessed by Robert Todd Lincoln, his only surviving son.

The statue of Lincoln inside the memorial.

Artifacts: Washington, D.C.

In the National Museum of Health and Medicine, Lincoln bone fragments, hair, a shirt cuff with Lincoln's blood stains, and the .44 Derringer pistol used by John Wilkes Booth to assassinate him.

Lincoln Exhibition: Amsterdam, NY

An exhibit at a mall that seemingly didn't exist in Amsterdam was going on through February and we decided to see it on our way to Fort Stanwix. It was exteremely hard to locate any information on this mall, but eventually we found it. It was a nice collection of memoribilia.