Thoughts on Schooling

Abraham Lincoln was born on the frontier in 1809 to Nancy and Thomas Lincoln. His formal education amounted to less than a single year. Lincoln was encouraged to read by his mother. But when he was nine years old, Nancy died of milk sickness, a disease caused by drinking milk from cows that have eaten poisonous white snakeroot. A year later Thomas brought home a new wife to be stepmother to Abe and his sister, Sarah. To Abe's delight she arrived with books! As he grew into a young adult he saw how powerful words were and he spent hours writing speeches, debates and practicing his presentations.

1842 - married Mary Todd, they had four boys, Robert, Eddie, Willie, and Tad. Eddie and Willie died in childhood, leaving the Lincolns bereft.

1847 - Abe began his two-year term in Congress. Then he left politics and focused on his law career. But the states were deeply divided; the slavery issue was simmering. Lincoln could not keep silent. He ran for Senate. He lost twice, but he didn't give up. His words were quoted, his ideas debated, he became nationally known.

1860 - he was elected the 16th president of the United States. He served this country during one of the most chaotic times in our history - the Civil War. During these dark days, he led the struggle to preserve the Union. On Jan. 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, *which declared that slaves in those areas of the Confederacy still in rebellion were free. Lincoln was re-elected in 1864, but on April 14, in 1865, he was shot in Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln died the next day.

Sec. of War Edwin Stanton said, "Now he belongs to the ages."

Today, Lincoln's face shines on our pennies, his figure meditates at the Lincoln Memorial, his words ring out on patriotic occasions. Because of Lincoln we have a United States, and no citizen is owned by another. Abraham Lincoln's love of books, the ideas they stirred, and his way with words kept our nation on the path to freedom.
*The Emancipation Proclamation is not a law in the usual sense of the word. It was not passsed by Congress. It was a presidential declaration in time of war.
*******Taken from: Abe Lincoln The boy who loved books by Kay Winters and Nancy Carpenter

I read this book to the kids recently. My daughter also did a book report (for me) on a more detailed book about Abe Lincoln. Inspiring in SO many ways!Abe's life was one of hardship. He lost his Mother! He had to work hard. Books were a luxury. He wasn't given every little thing he wanted or even needed. Today so many children are constantly entertained and catered to. I think - wonder anyway - if the public school system (or even just alot of our modern styles of parenting) are raising perpetual children instead of ADULTS. Reading about Abe was encouraging to me. My children have had a hard life. And then, of course, I went through a time of making it up to them with material things. Now we are finding a balance.
Suffering teaches us so much! Also - learning is about more than sitting in a classroom putting in your time. I hope that if I can leave my children with anything, it will be the constant desire and love of learning in their lives.