Abraham Lincoln - Overcoming Obstacles

On February 12, some states will celebrate Abraham Lincoln birthday. Abraham Lincoln was the greatest president the United States ever had. Among his accomplishments, he kept the nation together during the Civil War, and he freed the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation. During his presidency, there was a lot of controversy about every decision he made and every speech he delivered. The constant criticism and barrage of attacks made it unlikely this president would be remembered fondly, let alone become one of our most beloved presidents. But he did.

Lincoln confronted obstacles, not only in his presidency, but throughout his entire life. In fact, when you look at his road to the White House, it’s incredible that he ever became president. But he overcame every obstacle presented to him.

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in a one-room log cabin, located on a farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky (a state that permitted slavery at the time). When he was only nine years old, his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, died. A year later, his father, Thomas Lincoln, remarried a woman named Sarah Bush, who had a tremendous influence on the young Abraham Lincoln.

To support his family, Abraham had to work at a neighboring farm. Working denied him the opportunity to go to school, so the total amount of formal education he received was less than one year. He read a variety of books and educated himself until he became a lawyer.

He started a law practice that failed in 1831. In 1832, he applied for law school but didn’t get in. Then he lost his job.

Lincoln wanted to make a difference, so he entered politics. He ran for Illinois House of Representatives in 1832 and lost miserably, eighth out of thirteen running. But Lincoln didn’t give up. He decided that to influence the government to change, he would have to become President of the United States. That became his lifelong goal.

In 1833, he started a business that failed. He went bankrupt and spent the next seventeen years paying back his debt.

Finally in 1834, Lincoln ran for and won a seat in the Illinois Legislature. He served a four-year term, and he soon developed a reputation as a capable and honest politician.

In 1835, Lincoln fell in love and was engaged to be married. His fiancé died leaving him with a broken heart. After all these setbacks, he had a nervous breakdown in 1836 and spent six months in bed. But even depression couldn’t defeat him.

In 1836, Lincoln won an election to Congress. It was during this time that he took an unpopular stand against President James K. Polk regarding the Mexican War. Abraham thought the war was unjust. Because Lincoln's viewpoints were so different from many other government officials, he became unpopular among them. In 1838, he ran for and lost the office of speaker of the Illinois Legislature and in 1840 lost an election for elector. In 1843, 1846, and 1848, he ran for and lost elections for Congress.

During this time, on November 4, 1842, he married Mary Todd Edwards, and they had four children over the next 12 years. Only one of them survived until adulthood.

In 1849, Lincoln took the next five years off from politics and focused on his law practice and ran for a Land Office position in his hometown which he lost. He encountered more business setbacks. But again, he persisted, and did not let failures discourage him.

In 1854, he returned to the political arena. One of the first things he did was to oppose the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which threatened to extend slavery to other states saying “A house divided against itself cannot stand. This nation cannot long endure being half slave and half free.”

In 1855, he ran for the Senate but was defeated. The next year he went after the Vice Presidency position, and was also defeated only receiving 100 votes. In 1858, he lost an election for the US Senate.

He Pressed On!

In 1860, Lincoln's years of persistence and hard work paid off when he was elected the 16th President of the United States.

The History of Groundhog Day

In the 1700’s, German settlers moved to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. They brought with them a tradition know as Candlemas Day. It came at the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Superstition held that if the weather was fair, the second half of Winter would be stormy and cold.
For the early Christians in Europe, it was the custom on Candlemas Day for clergy to bless candles and distribute them to the people in the dark of winter. A lighted candle was placed in each window of the home.

The day's weather continued to be important. If the sun came out February 2, halfway between Winter and Spring, it meant six more weeks of wintry weather.
The earliest American reference to Groundhog Day can be found at the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College:
February 4, 1841 - from Morgantown, Berks County (Pennsylvania) storekeeper James Morris' diary..."Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."
If the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, an animal would cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of winter. Germans watched a badger for the shadow. In Pennsylvania, the groundhog, upon waking from mid-Winter hibernation, was selected as the replacement.
Pennsylvania's official celebration of Groundhog Day began on February 2nd, 1886 with a proclamation in The Punxsutawney Spirit by the newspaper's editor, Clymer Freas: "Today is Groundhog Day and up to the time of going to press the beast has not seen its shadow."


The groundhog was given the name "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary''.

Punxsutawney Phil became famous throughout the United States when Bill Murray starred in the movie, "Groundhog Day" in 1993.

Official Site of the Groundhog Club
Old English Saying:


If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.
Scotland Saying:

If Candlemas Day is bright and clear,
There'll be two winters in the year.
German Saying:
For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day,
So far will the snow swirl until May.
For as the snow blows on Candlemas Day,
So far will the sun shine before May.
American Saying:
If the sun shines on Groundhog Day;
Half the fuel and half the hay.