The book Abraham Lincoln is part of a series called "In Their Own Words." The biography was written by George Sullivan. The book discusses Abraham Lincoln's early life in detail, including his growth, his start in politics, and his life with Mary Todd. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Lincoln's parents, Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, were both born in the state of Virginia and married in 1806. They built a cabin in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. In 1807 their first daughter Sarah was born. The family moved to a farm shortly after his birth. They built another cabin that contained one room. On February 12, 1809, the Lincolns gave birth to a boy, whom they named Abraham Lincoln. They lived there two years and decided to move again. They packed their bags and moved to Knob Creek, Kentucky. Tom had problems with legal rights to his property during the years he spent there. He decided to move again and head to Indiana. Abe never liked Little Pigeon Creek. He thought life there was harder than in Kentucky. Abe helped his father build a house and clear the land. Not long after moving there, relatives of Nancy, Thomas and Elizabeth Sparrow came to live with them along with 19-year-old Dennis Hanks. Dennis and Abe quickly became best friends. When a terrible disease known as milk sickness struck southern Indiana, Thomas and Elizabeth Sparrow died as did Lincoln's mother. The book states: “The result was when the cows ate a poisonous plant called white snakeroot.” Abraham helped build his mother's coffin and buried her near their cabin. Sarah took her mother's place. She kept up with the house and cooked for the family. The father returned to Elizabethtown for a break. Two months later, when he returned, he brought with him a new wife. Sarah Johnston had three children that she brought with her. Sarah was a loving woman who raised Abe and Sarah as her own. Thomas Lincoln taught Abe to be a farmer like him. This made going to school difficult. He attended school for no more than a year. He loved to read, especially about history and biography, but books were scarce on the frontier. Sometimes he and Dennis walked to Gentryville. Once there, they met with other kids from the farm and shared stories. This is where he honed his story-telling skills. Once Abe turned 17, his sister got married and moved out. Sarah died a year later during childbirth. Abe kept busy on the farm and broke rails for fences. He cut firewood, killed pigs and helped on the ferry. In his spare time, Abe built a rowboat. He and a friend named Allen Gentry took a trip to New Orleans to sell goods. They traveled along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The trip showed Lincoln a new world beyond his agricultural lifestyle. Lincoln and two others built an eighty-foot barge for Denton Offutt. They filled the boat with cargo and set sail for New Orleans. Once they returned, Offutt offered Lincoln a job, which he gladly accepted. Lincoln was the Offutt store manager for 6 years. In his free time he wrestled and ran races, and even spent hours discussing politics in the shop. “Politics has always interested Lincoln. As a clerk in the Offutt store, he had spent countless hours discussing political affairs. In 1832 Offutt closed the stores, leaving Abe without a job. He decided he would run for the Illinois legislature. His friends promised him all their support, but before there was a chance to do it.