Abraham Lincoln - Western President Part 1

Late in 1858 when Abraham Lincoln's friends urged him to run for President, Lincoln had a short answer, "Only events can make a President."  A chain of events propelled Lincoln to the Presidency and as he took the oath of office he became the President of a divided nation.

Born on February 22, 1809, young Lincoln grew up on many poor farms after the death of his mother at the age of 9.   The next year his father, Tom Lincoln, married Sarah Rush Johnston, a strong, good woman who encouraged Abe to read and write and demanded that his father not interfere with his studies.  Along with encouraging his studies, she gave him love and understanding.

The family moved again in 1830 to Illinois where 22 year old Lincoln went off alone and settled in New Salem (population 100).  He had a succession of occupations from store manager, mill manager, and captain of the volunteers in the Black Hawk War.  In 1832 Lincoln ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Illinois state legislature, then served as a postmaster and deputy surveyor. 

After reading law books in every spare minute, Lincoln won the first of four terms in the Illinois legislature in 1834.  He was admitted to the bar in 1837, and moved to Springfield as the law partner of John T. Stuart. 

In November of 1842, he married Mary Todd, from a wealthy Kentucky family.  Only one of their four sons lived to adulthood, Robert Lincoln.  In 1847 and 1849 Lincoln served one term as a representative in Congress where he followed the Whig line, denouncing the Mexican War as unnecessary and unconstitutional.  Lincoln became unpopular back in Illinois because of his views and did not seek re-election but returned to his law practice in Springfield, thinking his political career was over.

Lincoln spent much of his time riding the circuit in his buggy to 14 county seats.  He liked the company of judges, swapping stories and matching wits in the courtroom.  One such companion recorded that Lincoln was "harmless as a dove, and wise as a serpent."

Next time...The West calls Lincoln back into politics...
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Today in Pioneer History:  "On October 16, 1854, an obscure lawyer and Congressional hopeful from the state of Illinois named Abraham Lincoln delivers a speech regarding the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which Congress had passed five months earlier. In his speech, the future president denounced the act and outlined his views on slavery, which he called “immoral.”