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Lincoln Bust by Fairbanks © Abraham Lincoln Online Lincoln Early Life Timeline Like many Americans of his era, Abraham Lincoln's early life was characterized by steep obstacles and scant resources. Years later his life story still fascinates: the steady, slow rise from a setting of poverty, deprivation, and discouragement to a place of high national esteem. Joshua Speed, a long-time friend, recalled, "Now, for me to have lived to see such a man rise from point to point, and from place to place, filling all the places to which he was called with honor and distinction, until he reached the presidency, filling the presidential chair in the most trying time that any ruler ever had, seems to me more like fiction than fact. None but a genius like his could have accomplished so much; and none but a government like ours could produce such a man. It gave the young eagle scope for his wings; he tried it, and soared to the top!" Lincoln himself offers the best description of his early years in three short autobiographies written before the presidency. The timeline below offers highlights of his life from birth to the start of his law career. Timeline JUNE 12, 1806 Lincoln's parents, Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, marry in Washington County, Kentucky FEBRUARY 10, 1807 Lincoln's sister Sarah is born in Elizabethtown, Kentucky FEBRUARY 12, 1809 Lincoln is born on a farm in Hardin County (now LaRue County), Kentucky SPRING 1811 His family moves to a nearby farm on Knob Creek (Date unknown) 1812 His brother Thomas dies soon after birth at the Knob Creek place FALL 1815 With his sister attends school briefly taught by Zachariah Riney FALL 1816 With his sister attends school briefly taught by Caleb Hazel DECEMBER 1816 Moves with his family to Perry County (now Spencer County) in southern Indiana OCTOBER 5, 1818 His mother Nancy dies of illness in Indiana DECEMBER 2, 1819 His father marries Sarah (Sally) Bush Johnston, a widow, in Elizabethtown, Kentucky (Date unknown) 1820 His father returns to Indiana with his new wife and her children, Elizabeth, Matilda, and John JUNE 14, 1821 His stepsister Elizabeth Johnston marries Dennis Hanks, cousin of Nancy Lincoln (Date unknown) 1822 For a brief period attends school taught by James Swaney (Date unknown) 1824 For a brief period attends school taught by Azel W. Dorsey AUGUST 2, 1826 His sister Sarah marries Aaron Grigsby in southern Indiana JANUARY 20, 1828 His sister dies at age 20 during childbirth (Date unknown) 1828 Makes first flatboat trip to New Orleans with Allen and James Gentry MARCH 1830 Moves with his extended family to a home near Decatur, Illinois (Date unknown) 1831 His brother-in-law Aaron dies in Indiana and is buried beside Sarah APRIL 1831 Makes second flatboat trip to New Orleans for Denton Offutt JULY 1831 Settles in New Salem, Illinois and works various jobs MARCH 9, 1832 Makes first-known published political announcement APRIL - JULY 1832 Serves with state militia in Illinois and Wisconsin during the Black Hawk War AUGUST 6, 1832 Loses first race for the Illinois House of Representatives JANUARY 15, 1833 Buys a general store with William Berry in New Salem MAY 7, 1833 Becomes postmaster of New Salem as appointed by President Andrew Jackson FALL 1833 Teaches himself surveying and becomes assistant surveyor in part of Sangamon County JANUARY 6, 1834 Makes first-known land survey AUGUST 4, 1834 Wins election to his first term in the Illinois House of Representatives FALL 1834 Borrows law books from John Todd Stuart and studies on his own AUGUST 25, 1835 His sweetheart, Ann Rutledge, dies at age 22 in Sangamon County MARCH 24, 1836 Takes first step for obtaining law license in Sangamon County AUGUST 1, 1836 Wins election to a second term in the Illinois House of Representatives SEPTEMBER 9, 1836 Receives license to practice law in all Illinois state courts MARCH 1, 1837 Name entered on list of lawyers in the Illinois Supreme Court office APRIL 15, 1837 Moves to Springfield, Illinois, to practice law with John Todd Stuart Timeline Sources: The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, edited by Roy P. Basler and others; Lincoln Day by Day edited by Earl Miers

Documents Autobiographies of 1858-60* Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln (ALA) Family Record Written by Abraham Lincoln (CWAL) Lincoln Poetry* Classroom Aids Lincoln Birthplace Curriculum Materials (NPS) Lincoln Boyhood Classroom Resources (NPS) Lincoln Boyhood Stories (NPS) Lincoln's New Salem Student Resources (IHPA) Commentary Abraham Lincoln and the Two Peters (JALA) Abraham Lincoln's Cyphering Book and the Abbaco Tradition (JALA) Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made Man (JALA) Abraham Lincoln's Paternity (Steers) Indian Fighting and Politics in New Salem 1831-36 (NIU) Lincoln as Postmaster (Onstot) Lincoln the Postmaster (ALA) Lincoln Migration from Kentucky to Indiana (IMH) Lincoln's Early Years (NYT) Lincoln's Lincoln Grandmother (JISHS) Lincoln's New Salem 1830-1837 (NPS) Old New Salem (ALA) The Formative Years 1809-1830 (NPS) The Howard Family Legacy at the Knob Creek Farm (ALA) Three R's in Lincoln's Education: Rogers, Riggin and Rankin (JISHS) Young Man Lincoln (GC/YouTube) Lincolniana Lincolniana -- The Original of a February 12, 1809 Story (JISHS) Places Birthplace Indiana Boyhood Home Jones Home* Knob Creek Farm* Lincoln Homestead State Park Lincoln Trail Homestead* New Salem* Stillman's Run Memorial* Kentucky Lincoln Heritage Trail Lincoln Heritage House Lincoln Homestead State Park Lincoln Pioneer Village Sarah Johnston Lincoln Cabin Books -- General Angle, Paul M. Here I Have Lived: A History of Lincoln's Springfield, 1821-1865. Springfield: Abraham Lincoln Association, 1935. Baringer, William E. Lincoln's Vandalia. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1949. Bartelt, William E. There I Grew Up: Remembering Abraham Lincoln's Indiana Youth. Indiana Historical Society, 2008. Capps, Mike, and Ammeson, Jane. Indiana's Lincolnland. Arcadia Publishing, 2008. Davenport, Don. In Lincoln's Footsteps: A Historical Guide to the Lincoln Sites in Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. Revised edition, Trails Books, 2002. Gary, Ralph. Following in Lincoln's Footsteps: A Historical Reference to Hundreds of Sites Visited by Abraham Lincoln. Carroll & Graf, 2001. Harrison, Lowell Hayes. Lincoln of Kentucky. University of Kentucky Press, 2000. Mazrim, Robert. The Sangamo Frontier: History and Archaeology in the Shadow of Abraham Lincoln. University of Chicago Press, 2006. Tarbell, Ida M. In the Footsteps of the Lincolns. Harper and Bros., 1924. Tarbell, Ida M. The Early Life of Abraham Lincoln. Forgotten Books, 2012. Thomas, Benjamin. Lincoln's New Salem. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1988. Walsh, John E. The Shadows Rise: Abraham Lincoln and the Ann Rutledge Legend. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1993. Warren, Louis A. Lincoln's Parentage and Childhood. New York: The Century Company, 1926. Warren, Louis A. Lincoln's Youth: Indiana Years, 1816-1830. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society, 2002. Wilson, Douglas L. and Davis, Rodney O. Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements about Abraham Lincoln. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1998. Wilson, Douglas. Honor's Voice: The Transformation of Abraham Lincoln. Knopf, 1998. Books -- Genealogy Barton, William. The Paternity of Abraham Lincoln. New York: George H. Doren, 1920. Barton, William E. The Lineage of Lincoln. Indianapolis: Bobbs Merrill, 1929. Lea, James H. and J.R. Hutchinson. The Ancestry of Abraham Lincoln. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1909. Learned, Marion Dexter. Abraham Lincoln: An American Migration. Philadelphia: William J. Campbell, 1909. Lincoln, Waldo. History of the Lincoln Family. Worcester: Commonwealth Press, 1923. Tarbell, Ida M. Abraham Lincoln and His Ancestors. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1997. Warren, Louis A. The Lincoln Kinsman. Fort Wayne: Lincolniana Publishers, 1938-1942. (A periodical published from July, 1938 to December, 1942.) Other Timelines Lincoln and Gettysburg Timeline* Lincoln Family Timeline* Lincoln Legal Career Timeline* Lincoln Pre-Presidential Political Timeline* Lincoln Presidential Timeline* Lincoln Tomb Timeline* Mary Todd Lincoln Timeline* Robert Todd Lincoln Timeline* *Indicates pages created by Abraham Lincoln Online

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