hat qualities did Abraham Lincoln possess that helped him become one of America's most beloved presidents? Despite being born in the forests of Kentucky and having less than 18 months of formal education, Lincoln was known for his strategic thinking, thoughtfulness, and fairness. These qualities helped him lead the country through its most challenging period, the Civil War, and earned him a place in American history as an exceptional leader.

Despite having only one year of formal schooling as a young person and not graduating from high school or attending college courses, how was Lincoln able to acquire so much knowledge and develop such profound wisdom?

What was Lincoln's schooling like

Due to his responsibilities on the family farm, Lincoln was only able to attend formal schooling during the winter months. He went to three or four "ABC schools" which were run in log cabins by teachers who were not much more educated than their students. Lincoln believed that he had not received more than one year of formal education in total. He never attended an academy or college.

Lincoln's family was always on the move, searching for better land and establishing farms on the frontier in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. When Lincoln's mother passed away, his father Thomas quickly remarried in search of a new mother figure for his children. Thomas' new wife brought her children and some books - which were the first books the family-owned - into the Lincoln home in Indiana. The family had to share a three-sided lean-to with other relatives until they could build another cabin.

Lincoln was self-educated

Although he never went to college, Lincoln was interested in learning and read constantly. His formal schooling was sporadic and he may have had less than 12 months of it. According to Lincoln's stepmother, he was a studious boy who listened intently to others and had a strong desire to learn.

Once Lincoln turned 21, he spent a year assisting his father and stepmother in Macon County, Illinois. After that, he relocated to New Salem, which was his first town residence. During his time there, he devoted his spare time to reading, learning geometry, and developing expertise in surveying. From the age of 22 to 28, he pursued law studies while he was serving as a member of the Illinois Legislature. A fellow attorney who was elected alongside him encouraged him to study law. He passed the Illinois bar exam and became a qualified lawyer soon after.

"I did not read with anyone. Get the books, and read and study them till you understand them in their principal features, and that is the main thing. It is no consequence to be in a large town while you are reading. I read at New Salem, which never had three hundred people living in it. The books, and your capacity for understanding them, are just the same in all places"-Lincoln

Lincoln was a reader

As an adult, Lincoln pursued self-improvement by reading extensively. During his early twenties, he studied English grammar, and after becoming a member of Congress, he mastered Euclid.

Lincoln's family, neighbors, and schoolmates remembered him as someone who loved to read. He read a variety of books, such as Aesop's Fables, The Bible, The Pilgrim's Progress, Robinson Crusoe, and Parson Weems's The Life of Washington. Additionally, he read newspapers, hymnals, songbooks, and math and spelling books, among others. Lincoln' Schooling

“While other boys were out…trifling away their time, he was studying books—would sit up late in the night—kindle up the fire—read by it— cipher by it” - Lincoln’s neighbor

Albert J. Beveridge, Lincoln's biographer, noted that Lincoln had an extraordinary memory for everything he read. Whenever he came across a passage that he particularly liked, he would write it down on boards if he had no paper, and later he would rewrite it and keep it to himself. Beveridge also mentioned that Lincoln had the amazing ability to repeat certain parts of what he had read word for word.

Lincoln's schooling

Abraham, a six-year-old boy, and his sister Sarah went to school in Kentucky. They attended a subscription school that was located about two miles north of their home on Knob Creek. However, the classes were only held for a few months every year.

When Lincoln was young, he attended schools called "blab schools" that were for younger students, and the teachers were paid by the student's parents. These schools had limited resources, so much of Lincoln's education happened informally outside of the classroom

quotes by Lincoln on Education

Lincoln was a great writer and orator

Lincoln was a talented writer who would often pen his important speeches and letters by hand. He would also read his draft speeches out loud to his cabinet members and others. Lincoln's attitude towards work.

At a young age, Mr. Lincoln started practicing public speaking by mimicking the preaching style and sermons of ministers for other children in Indiana. Lincoln had a talent for storytelling that allowed him to avoid misunderstandings and encouraged his audience to consider his intentions. From a young age, Lincoln practiced delivering speeches to his friends from a tree stump. When giving important speeches, he conducted thorough research and used logical arguments, which resulted in lengthy speeches that could last up to four hours.

Lincoln worked several Jobs

Lincoln had a varied work history that included roles as a farmer, postmaster, general store clerk, ferryboat crew member, lawyer, and politician. When he was 23, he ran for the Illinois House of Representatives but was unsuccessful. However, he persevered and continued to educate himself while pursuing his goals with determination. Lincoln was known for his strong work ethic and refusal to give up.

Lincoln was a lifelong learner

In 1860, Lincoln became the 16th president of the United States. Due to his extensive involvement in the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865, he had limited opportunities for reading books or newspapers. Nonetheless, Lincoln developed a habit of carrying a book containing Shakespeare's plays and used any available time to read it. He frequently recited his preferred sections of the plays to his acquaintances.

In his 1860 short autobiography, Lincoln described his informal approach to education as something he gained gradually over time, solely out of necessity.

Lincoln discussed politics with his law partner, Herndon, and improved his writing and speaking skills by joining a poetry society and becoming a charter member of the Young Men’s Lyceum. In the mid-1850s, he purchased a set of science books to correct errors that he made in his experiments and thoughts about the physical world. He hoped to learn from the successes and failures of scientists and take advantage of their knowledge.

9 Inspirational Abraham Lincoln Quotes On Education

“Education does not mean teaching people what they do not know. It means teaching them to behave as they do not behave.” – Abraham Lincoln

Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.-Abraham Lincoln

All I have learned, I learned from books.-Abraham Lincoln

“I will prepare and someday my chance will come.” – Abraham Lincoln

“Every head should be cultivated.” – Abraham Lincoln

“A capacity, and taste, for reading, gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others.” – Abraham Lincoln

“My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.” – Abraham Lincoln

“Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all.” – Abraham Lincoln

“I am slow to learn and slow to forget that which I have learned.” – Abraham Lincoln

“My mind is like a piece of steel, very hard to scratch anything on it and almost impossible after you get it there to rub it out.” – Abraham Lincoln

“I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” – Abraham Lincoln

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