PRESIDENTS’ DAY

A day to honor our nation’s leaders

Image from [http://whitehouse.gov/images/whfront1.jpg] (March 17, 2001).

• Presidents’ Day is celebrated on the third Monday in February.

• Washington and Lincoln have birthdays near this day.

• George Washington’s birthday was a federal holiday first.

• Many states adopted President’s Day so that Lincoln and Washington (and other presidents) could be honored.

Did You Know?

Two Famous Presidents

George Washington Born:February 22,

1732 Died:December 14,

1799

Abraham Lincoln Born:February 12, 1809 Died:April 15, 1865

Stuart, Gilbert, artist. 1844. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/cph/3a10000/3a10200/3a10229r.jpg] [cph 3a10229] (March 15, 2001).

Gardner, Alexander, photographer. “Abraham Lincoln, Head-and-Shoulders Portrait, Facing Front.” November 8, 1863. M.P. Rice, copyright 1900. By Popular Demand: Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present, American Memory Collections, Library of Congress. [http://www.americaslibrary.gov/assets/jb/jb_0304_lincoln_1_m.jpg] (March 17, 2001).

Father of Our Country• George Washington is known as the Father

of Our Country.

• Washington became America’s first president in 1789 after leading the American Revolution and gaining independence from Britain.

Stuart, Gilbert, artist. “George Washington, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing slightly left.” 1929. Athenaeum portrait by Gilbert Stuart, now in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. [http://americas library.gov/assets/aa/aa_wash_subj_m.jpg] (March 17, 2001).

Washington as a Soldier Washington became a

Lieutenant Colonel in the French and Indian War (1754).

As a brigadier general, he helped the British defeat the French in 1758.

He was the commander in chief during the Revolutionary War against Britain.Regnier, imp. Lemercier, Paris. “Life of George Washington—The

Soldier.” 1854. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. [http://www.americaslibrary.gov/pages/aa_wash_soldier_1_e.html] (March 17, 2001).

Washington’s Family

Washington married a widow named Martha Dandridge Custis in 1759.

Martha’s first husband was a wealthy farmer. John and Patsy were their two children. Washington was a good stepfather.

George and Martha both enjoyed their estate at Mount Vernon.

Fabronius, Dominique C., lithographer. “Martha Washington, bust portrait, facing slightly right.” c1864. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. [http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/odmdhtml/preshome.html] [cph 3a07287] (March 17, 2001).

Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln became America’s 16th president on March 4, 1861.

He was married to Mary Todd.

Lincoln was the first president to be assassinated.

Shepherd, Nicolas H. (possibly). “Mary Todd Lincoln, three-quarter length portrait of woman, seated, facing front.” 1846 or 1847. Daguerreotype Collection, Library of Congress. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/cph/3g00000/3g06000/3g06100/3g06189t.gif] [cph 3g06189] (March 17, 2001).

Shepherd, Nicolas H. “Abraham Lincoln, three-quarter length portrait, seated, facing front.” 1846 or 1847. Deguerrotype Collection, Library of Congress. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/dag/3g/3g02000/3g02439t.gif] [dag 3g02439] (March 17, 2001).

Early Life Lincoln’s mother died

when he was eight. He learned to read

although he had only about a year of education.

Lincoln made his own “sum book” because there were no arithmetic books in the pioneer schools.

Lincoln, Abraham. “Page of Abraham Lincoln’s student sum book, ca.1824-26. (Herndon-Weik Collection of Lincolniana).” Words and Deeds in American History: Selected Documents Celebrating the Manuscript Division’s First 100 Years, Library of Congress. [http://www.americaslibrary.gov/pages/aa_lincoln_youth_1_e.html] (March 17, 2001).

Lincoln As a Young Man Some of Lincoln’s

jobs in Illinois included rail splitter, surveyor, postmaster and a volunteer in the Black Hawk War.

Lincoln later became a lawyer.

He served in Congress but lost to Stephen Douglas when he ran for U.S. Senate.

Credit. “Lincoln the rail splitter.” c1909. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Cogress. [http://www.americaslibrary.gov/pages/aa_lincoln_youth_2html] (March 17, 2001).

Lincoln as President Lincoln ran against Douglas for President

and won. The Civil War began two weeks after

Lincoln became President. President Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation which helped to end slavery.

The Stobridge Lith. Co., Cincinnati. “Abraham Lincoln and his Emancipation Proclamation.” c1888. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. [http://americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/1860-1865] (March 17, 2001).

Tragedy Strikes Lincoln was reelected

in 1864, and the Union won the war in 1865.

While attending a play with his wife, Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theatre in Washington.

The nation mourned his death.

“Washington, D.C. President Lincoln”s Box at Ford’s Theater.” 1865. Selected Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865 from the Prints and Photogaphs Division, Library of Congress. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/cwp/4a39000/4a39800/4a39899t.gif] [cwp 4a39899] (March 17, 2001).

Memorials to both Washington and Lincoln are in Washington, D.C.

The Washington MonumentHorydczak, Theodor. ca.1950. “Washington Monument. Views of Washington Monument XIII.” Theodor Horydczak Collection, Library of Congress. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/thc/5a51000/5a51000/5a51032r.jpg.] [thc 5a51032] (March 17, 2001).

The Lincoln MemorialHorydczak, Theodor. “Lincoln Memorial. Lincoln statue from left side.” ca.1950. Theodor Horydczak Collection, Library of Congress. [http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/thc/5a35000/5a35700/5a35786t.gif] [thc 5a35786] (March 17, 2001).

Additional Sources

“Jump Back in Time: Civil War (1860-1865).” The Learning Page, Library of Congress. [http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/1860-1865] (March 18, 2001).

“Meet Amazing Americans: Abraham Lincoln.” The Learning Page, Library of Congress. [http://americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/lincoln] (March 18, 2001).

“Meet Amazing American: George Washington.” The Learning Page, Library of Congress. [http://americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/wash] (March 18, 2001).

Sahlman, Rachel. “Abraham Lincoln.” SPECTRUM Home & School Magazine. [http://www.incwell.com/Spectrum.html] (March 18, 2001).