Abraham Lincoln: A Biography It goes without saying that Abraham Lincoln was one of the nation's finest presidents. Not just any president could lead the nation through civil war. He was a kind man, who loved to read and write. This love came from his mother, who taught him at a young age that education was an important part of life. Even though the Lincoln family lived nine miles away from the nearest school, about a 2.5-3 hour walk in either direction, Abe and his sister Sally both went to school. During his childhood, Abe was a child who loved to learn. His family couldn't afford to get him books, so he read the little books he had. Abe desperately wanted to go to school, and his mother wanted too, but for quite a while there wasn't a school around. Until finally a school opened nine miles away. This was just close enough for Abe's father, Tom, to allow him and his sister to go to school. The school would take Abe and his sister 2.5-3 hours to get there each way. That's why Tom didn't want his kids to go at first. Abe's mother was a very religious woman and taught Abe and Sally the importance of the Bible. We can give Abe's mom some of the credit for the great things she did. Unfortunately, Abe's mother died when he was nine years old. He died of a disease called “milk sickness”. Today we know that this happens when a cow eats a plant called white snakeroot. If eaten, cow's milk can cause illness and in most cases death. After this, Abe's father would be known for hitting Abe quite often. After the loss of his mother, the school he attended closed and he was left without an education. Even after this, the importance of education remained etched in his mind. Shortly thereafter, Tom left his two children... middle of paper......despite being rushed to the hospital while still alive, the doctors and surgeons were unable to save him. It took a total of 12 hours for him to die. That's about 11 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds too long. The good man should have died a short and painless death. If not even peaceful in sleep, after living a long and happy life. Instead his life was full of hardships that should not have shaped such a great man. Throughout his life, Abe continued to be a just and sincere man. Even when most of the world told him that slavery was a good thing, he remained true to what his parents taught him. That another man should not be forced to the will of another man, and especially not to mistreat a man or a woman. To sum up, he was a great man who died too soon. If he had survived to finish his second term, who knows what would have happened.