We know Abraham Lincoln saved the union of states, but at a
great cost to his mental health and eventual physical demise. Lincoln suffered
from clinical depression aggravated by the enormous cost of the war between the
states. He was murdered shortly after victory, and never got to know how
grateful most of us are to this day for keeping us “one nation, indivisible.”
We know about Lincoln’s childhood in a log cabin, and about
the tragic loss of his beloved son Willie to typhoid fever while living in the White House. (The Lincolns lost another son twelve years earlier to
tuberculosis.) These losses took their toll on Mary Todd Lincoln, and all in
all made for very hard presidential years for Abe.
Here’s what I didn’t know until just before I blogged about it six years ago here. Abraham Lincoln was a bonified
inventor. Almost on this date, May 22nd in the year 1849, future
U.S. president Abraham Lincoln was
granted a patent for
a boat-lifting device; he was the only U.S. president to have a patent.
We’ve heard that a rising tide lifts all boats. Now we know Lincoln did, both figuratively and
in practice.
Fascinating. I didn't know he was an inventor either. He was a great president! Thanks for this recap of his life. May he forever rest in peace!
ReplyDeleteHe was definitely an amazing person, a real hero in my eyes. Glad to claim him as Kentucky-born. Wish we had more leaders like him.
ReplyDeleteHe was a great president in many ways and kept the US together when it was most important. Thanks for telling us about his inventiveness.
ReplyDeleteHow cool! I didn't know he was an inventor, and I loved how you tied that in to how he impacted our country. I had a great grandfather who invented many things, but unfortunately, he never got patents.
ReplyDeleteHe didn't have it easy! So cool about his inventions!
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