Abraham Lincoln's Accomplishments

Abraham Lincoln In March, 1832 Lincoln began his political career with his first campaign for the Illinois General Assembly. He had attained local popularity and could draw crowds as a natural raconteur in New Salem, though he lacked an education, powerful friends, and money, which may be why he lost. Lincoln served as New Salem's postmaster and later as county surveyor, all the while reading voraciously. He then decided to become a lawyer and began teaching himself law by reading Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England and other law books. His second campaign in 1834 was successful. He won election to the state legislature; though he ran as a Whig, many Democrats favored him over a more powerful Whig opponent. In the 1835–1836
He took part in the aftermath of Battle of Kellogg's Grove and Battle of Stillman's Run. Lincoln was a volunteer of the Illinois state militia for about 50 days, beginning April 21, 1832 when he was 23. He served during the Black Hawk War, but did not fight in a battle. During this war, Abraham Lincoln served for three enlistments. At first he served as the elected company captain in the 4th Regiment of Mounted Volunteers. After his first enlistment was up, he became a private in Captain Elijah Ises' Company of the Twenty-Day Interim Regiment. In his third enlistment he was a private in Captain Jacob M. Early's "Spy Company." Lincoln joked that the only blood he gave to the service of his country was to
to its final resting place in Lincoln's hometown of Springfield, Illinois, by funeral train, accompanied by dignitaries and Lincoln's eldest son Robert Todd. Several stops were made along the way, in which Lincoln's body lay in state. The train retraced the route Lincoln had traveled to Washington as the president-elect on his way to his first inauguration, and millions of Americans viewed the train along the route. Lincoln's wife Mary Todd Lincoln remained at the White House because she was too distraught to make the trip; she returned to Illinois about one month later. Lincoln was interred at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield. The site of the Lincoln Tomb, now owned and managed as a state historic site, is marked by a 117-foot - tall granite obelisk surmounted with several bronze statues of Lincoln, constructed by 1874. Mary Todd Lincoln and three of his four sons are also buried