ChildhoodAbraham Lincoln was born in Hardin County, Kentucky, to Nancy Hanks Lincoln and Thomas Lincoln. Abraham had two siblings, an older sister Sarah and a younger brother Thomas who died as a child. In 1817 the Lincoln family moved to Perry County, Indiana due to a land dispute. When Abraham was nine years old, his mother died of tremetol. A few months after the death of Abraham's mother, Nancy, his father remarried Sarah Bush Johnston, a widow with three children. Both of his parents were illiterate but Sarah encouraged Avraham to read. As he grew to adulthood he received a proper education and it took him eighteen months, a few days at a time. Abraham walked miles to borrow a book to read because there were very few in the wilderness. Abraham's legal careerAbraham moved away from his parents and went to New Salem, Illinois. While living here he held many jobs, including shopkeeper, postmaster and general store owner. Here his work with the public made him very popular in the village. In 1832, when the Black Hawk War broke out between the Native Americans and U.S. volunteers in the area, they elected Abraham as captain. During this period he saw no combat but made many important new political connections. Lincoln was elected to the Whig Party of the Illinois State Legislature in 1834 after the end of the Black Hawk War. The fact that Lincoln was in the Whig party led to his views on slavery. Around this time he became a lawyer and taught himself the law by reading William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England. Lincoln was admitted to the bar and moved to Springfield, Illinois in 1837 to practice law with the law firm of John T. Stuart. Shortly after moving and starting to practice law, he met Anne Rutledge and began to become romantic...... middle of paper ......llan, the former commander of the Army of the Potomac challenged him to the presidency but Lincoln defeated him by taking 55% of the popular vote and 212 of the 243 electoral votes. On April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee, commander of the Army of Virginia, surrendered his forces to Union General Ulysses S. Grant and the war ended. Lincoln's AssassinationReconstruction began during the war as early as 1863 in areas under Union military control. Abraham was in favor of a minimum wage and rapid reunification. He was confronted for his beliefs by a radical group of Republicans in the Senate and House who wanted complete loyalty and repentance from the Confederates. Before the political battle began, Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington DCWorks Cited http://www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540?page=4