Faces of Money: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Object shown: Abraham Lincoln, bronze plaque, 1965, United States
 Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
The stories really are true: Abe Lincoln grew up on the American
frontier, educated himself by reading borrowed books, and worked as a
general store clerk long before he became the 16th president of the
United States.
Although his claims to fame are too numerous to list, he is most
often remembered for leading the Union through the Civil War, freeing
the slaves via the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, delivering the
Gettysburg Address (the most famous oration in American history) and for
his tragic assassination by John Wilkes Booth.
After this shocking event, his body was taken by train from
Washington, D.C. to be buried in Springfield, IL, as the nation he had
reunited mourned their ‘Father Abraham’.
Being a master speaker and a natural at combining practical politics
with moral principles, Abraham Lincoln in just four years as president
established his reputation as one American who truly belongs to the
ages.
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