Lincoln's Museum

Continuing our learning about President Lincoln and his life we spent some time at the Licoln museum in Springfield, Illinois a few weeks ago.   Currently the children are reading some books, looking at videos and getting a better understanding on who was this great man.

Here are just a few of the books on our bookshelf that we are looking at!

While at the museum we got to see a little about about each section of Lincoln's life

Lincoln was raised in a one room log cabin and rarely went to school.  

He tried to run a store but it was unsuccessful

Met and fell in Love with Mary Todd and despite the stories their marriage was not always rosy due to both having depressive tendencies.

Lincoln often took his boys to his office and it was known the boys were a bit wild and often cause hi jinx with the Lincoln's staff...Mr. Lincoln was a very lenient parent

Lincoln became famous for the debates he had with Steven Douglas while running for the Senate a race he lost!  But these debates helped him get the nominations for the republicans to run for President

Mary Todd was not well liked in the Washington circles and was often criticized for her extravagant spending during the war!

Walking through the hallway of the political cartoons from this era was eye opening...unfortunately not unlike the many things said today about our current President...my kids were shocked at the racist and down right cruel cartoons

The death of their son Tad while in the White House  traumatized both Mrs and Mr. Lincoln

Mrs Lincoln in mourning which some say she never got over

The war cabinet was often a contentious bunch.  While Lincoln is credited with freeing the slaves , the proclamation of emancipation actually freed not a single slave and was not issued until 2 years into the war.  Lincoln is known to have said if he could keep the union together without freeing a single slave he would do it.  Lincoln's view on the intelligence of the African American people was not high, believing they were unable to adequately take care of themselves.  

It was interesting to see the changes in Lincoln from the beginning of his first term of Presidency to the end of his term.  His face ages quite a bit

It has been reported Lincoln grow his beard after receiving a letter from a 11 year old girl telling him to grow his beard:)

For Lincolns second term he changed his Vice President to be Andrew Johnson as the Republicans felt that he was a Southern man who agreed with the Norths point of view and it would be help bring the two sides together.  Funnily enough Johnson was then impeach by congress because it was felt he was hard enough on the South after the war.

Attending the fatal performance just days after Lee's surrender.  Lincoln was not alive for the Formal end of the war.

Lincoln lying in state.  He was the first President to die in office by murder and it was a shock to the country.  It was reported that Mary Todd was unconsolable and had to be removed from his death bed.

After returning to Springfield Mary Todd had a difficult time.  It was said she spent incredible amounts of money and her oldest son finally tried to get her committed.  She never fully forgave her son of that injustice!