1 Chapter 0 Who Was Abraham Lincoln

Who Was Abraham Lincoln?

Who Was Abraham Lincoln? April 11, 1865. After four terrible years, the American Civil War—the war between the North and the South—was almost over. Now it was clear that the North would win. President Abraham Lincoln had fought the war to prevent the rebel South from leaving the Union. He wanted the country to stay one country—the United States of America.

From the window of the White House, the president addressed the big crowd below. His twelve-year-old son, Tad, was at his feet, collecting the pages of the speech as the president dropped them to the floor. A man in the audience called out, "What shall we do with the rebels?"

Someone answered, "Hang them!" Before the president could answer, Tad piped up. "No, we must hang on to them." Sometimes Tad understood his father better than anyone else. President Lincoln wanted to hang on to the defeated Southern states. He wanted to make them feel that once again they were part of the Union. He wasn't interested in revenge. Lincoln was a remarkable president and a remarkable man. He hoped to turn his enemies back into his friends.