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Our Pennsylvania Story
L E S S ON 2 4
AbrahamLincoln inPennsylvania
Get ToKnowMe
1. slaves 2. cotton
FineMeOn TheMap (On Page 4)
1. Reading 2. Pittsburgh 3. Gettysburg
Abraham Lincolnwas the 16th President of the United States. You have seen pictures
of Lincoln. You know that hewas born in a log cabin in the state of Kentucky.
Did you know that Lincoln’s great-great-grandfather was a Quaker? The home of
Mordecai Lincoln still stands. It is a stone house on Route 422. It is twomiles south of
Reading in Pennsylvania.
Lincolnwas elected President of the United States in 1860. Not all of the people
wanted Lincoln to be President. The people of the Southwere not happy. The South
wanted to keep
slaves
. The South said the slaves were needed to help pick
cotton
. The
North did not want slaves. Lincoln said that to have slaves was wrong.
President Lincoln’s homewas in Springfield in the state of Illinois. The President of
the United States always lives in theWhite House inWashington, DC. So Lincoln and his
family had to go by train toWashington.
Lincoln rode the train through Pennsylvania. He first
went to Pittsburgh. Many peoplemet himwith cheers.
Lincolnmade a speech.
After Lincoln became President, theWar Between the
States began. It is often called the Civil War. In the South,
11 states wanted a country of their own. Theywanted to
have slaves. Lincoln did not want a country cut in two.
Thereweremany battles. At times the Northwon. At
times the Southwon.
The great battle of thewar was in Pennsylvania at
Gettysburg. The battle lasted 3 days. The Northwon.
Many soldiers of the North and South had been killed or
hurt.
Somemonths after this battle, Lincolnmade a speech
at Gettysburg. It was November 19, 1863. Lincolnmade a
short but very good speech. This speech is called the
Gettysburg Address.
Abraham Lincoln
