Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky on February 12, 1809, in a log cabin with one window and a dirt floor. His mother died when he was nine years old, and a year later his father married a widow who took the fatherless boy and his sister to her heart. When he was seventeen, he saw a city for the first time in his life. He left home at the age of 22 and moved to New Salem, Illinois, where he worked at a series of odd jobs. He ran for public office, and eventually won a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives. He studied on his own to become a lawyer, and took a job with a Springfield law office. He married Mary Todd, against her family�s wishes, and the couple had three sons.
After the passage of the Missouri Compromise, Lincoln became determined to oppose the spread of slavery. He ran against Stephen A. Douglas for president of the United States and won. The southern states seceded before he was even inaugurated, and the Civil War lasted for almost the entire duration of his presidency. He was assassinated in Ford�s Theater just five days after Lee surrendered at Appomattox. He is considered by many to be our nation�s greatest president.
The author, Russell Freedman, uses anecdotes to provide insights into Lincoln�s character. Frederick Douglass, a former slave who gained his freedom and met several times with President Lincoln, shared his impressions: �I was impressed with his entire freedom from popular prejudice against the colored race.� He said that Lincoln �in no single instance reminded me of the difference between himself and myself, of the difference of color . . .� (p. 104) He was known to be an indulgent father who felt his children could do no wrong. Their wild behavior in their father�s office infuriated Lincoln�s law partner, William Herndon. �I have felt many and many a time that I wanted to wring the necks of those little brats and pitch them out of the windows.� (p. 41)
Freedman shares little-known facts about Lincoln, that help the reader see his humanity more clearly. �He greeted diplomats while wearing carpet slippers, called his wife �mother� at receptions, and told bawdy jokes at cabinet meetings.� (p. 4) He was wounded by news articles that were critical of him and he liked to save those that were complimentary. Among the things found in his wallet when he died were eight newspaper clippings that praised him, which he had cut out and saved (p. 130).
The illustrations in the book are as important in telling the story as are the words. They include photographs, drawings, posters, letters, political cartoons, documents, and a page torn from his own copybook. Many occupy a full page, and most two-page spreads include illustrations with descriptions. The sources of all are carefully documented in the picture credits at the back of the book.
This photobiography is well researched and documented. The author traveled to sites that were significant in Lincoln�s life, and drew information and photographs from archive collections. Freedman has appendices at the back of the book which include: a sampler of quotations by Lincoln; a description of relevant memorials, monuments, and museums; books about Lincoln; acknowledgements and picture credits; and, an alphabetical index.
Lincoln: A Photobiography is an overview of Abraham Lincoln�s life, from his humble beginnings in Kentucky to his death. It was the 1988 recipient of the Newbery Medal, which is not often awarded to a work of nonfiction. The book can be enjoyed on a variety of levels. Much information is included in the photographs and captions, and individual chapters can be enjoyed on their own. The book is attractive, readable, and engaging, and will be a bonanza for young history buffs.
Related Websites:
Abraham Lincoln Online:
http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln.html
Abraham Lincoln Research Site:
http://members.aol.com/RVSNorton/Lincoln2.html