He was on the national stage only six years, but in that period this enigmatic man from the Heartland became the human fulcrum that kept the American nation from collapsing.......

The questions concerning the fact that Lincoln was overcome by anxiety and depression are numerous. Michael Burlingame remarks, in his book The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln, that the death of Lincolns mother was responsible for his life-long tendency to melancholy. It has also been stated that his depression stemmed from a series of childhood losses. These deficits may have included the death of his newborn younger brother (Lincoln was only three years old at the time); the death of his mother, aunt, and uncle when he was only nine years old; and the passing away of his sister in childbirth when he was eighteen years of age. According to psychologists, bereavement in childhood can be one of the most significant factors in the development of depressive illness in later life.

 In Search Of  The Real Abraham Lincoln
(1809-1865)

Childhood:
Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809. He was born to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. Abraham was not the average child he was a very tall person, he believed in higher education, he attended school as much as he could most of the time just for a couple of weeks at a time. The school that Abraham attended had no books and had benches made out of trees cut in half down the middle to make a rounded but smooth top bench. With no books the children would learn their lessons by saying them out loud. The children of this school could always be heard from a distance reciting the days lessons.

Taking a Life of His own:
The Lincolns didn’t stay in Indiana for long, in 1830, the family picked up and moved to Decatur, Illinois. Lincoln, who then took a job working as a cashier at a general store, always had a crowd. Lincoln was good at telling stories and people always liked to listen. He soon became a popular figure of the town and then took aim at running for office for the Illinois Legislature. So in March, of 1832, Lincoln announced his candidacy for Legislature.  While attempting to run for office the Black Hawk War broke out Lincoln enlisted and served as a Captain of his company. After returning he continued to campaign but was defeated. He was eighth of 13 in the field of candidates. After losing in his legislative attempts, Lincoln and a friend opened a store and Lincoln was Postmaster. The store led him into debt he dropped the store and worked as a surveyor to finish paying off the debts that the store had accumulated. In 1834 Lincoln run for Legislative office again and won. The same year he studied and passes the number 2 bar examination and began to practice law. He began a law partnership with fellow legislator John T. Stuart. For the next two and a half decades Lincoln practiced law in Lincoln. In Springfield, Lincoln met Mary Todd, who was the daughter of a prominent Kentucky family. They were married and bought a house in Springfield. They went on to have 4 children 3 of which died in the early years of their life.

President Bound:
In 1854 Lincoln stepped back into the political spotlight after leaving for 6 years after not being renominated for the Illinois Legislature. He was debating Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, a Democratic leader who was negotiating terms for the Kansas and Nebraska territories which was given the decision of deciding if they would be a slave or non-slave state. Douglas, who believed in “popular sovereignty”, or the popular decision of the public, said that it should be up to the people of the state. Lincoln said that you cannot let a half of nation be free and the other slavery. With the many public debates against Douglas, brought Lincoln fame in the public eye. On November the Sixth, 1860 he was nominated for President. Lincoln beat Douglas by a margin of the majority vote.

Civil War:
Shortly after the election of Lincoln for President. South Carolina was prompt to succeed from the Union in late 1860. After trying to compromise failed, six other southern states follow with succeeding from the Union. Concerns were focused on the federal troops in the  island base of Fort Sumpter, just off the coast of South Carolina. Lincoln ordered the sending of supplies but not troops to the base. It was all to late and on April 12, 1861, the “shot heard round the world” started the war with the attack of Fort Sumpter. Lincoln continued to make a strong stand against the south and the commitment to the Union. he said he would face war before letting the Union fall to pieces. The war raged on for four years. Lincoln issued his most famous speech of his career the Emancipation Proclamation. The turning point of the civil war was with the battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. After this battle the Union took over with controlling the Souths invasion. On April 9, 1965, General Lee, the commander of the Souths Army Surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia. In the midst of the victory celebration, just five nights after the surrendering of Lee. Lincoln attended a play with his wife at Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C., Lincoln was shot in the back of the head by John Wilkes Boothe. On April 15, 1865 Lincoln died from his wounds.

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