Presidents' Day

Why do we honor these presidents' birthdays and not others? We honor Washington and Lincoln because they both led the United States through some very tough times. Let's talk more about these presidents and what they did for the United States.

George Washington was a very important man in United States history. He was its first president. Because he was the first president and fought for U.S. independence from Britain, he is sometimes called the "father of his country."

When Washington was born on February 22, 1732, the United States didn't even exist. There were thirteen colonies in America that belonged to Britain. Colonies are areas that are controlled by an outside country. Other areas were claimed by France and Spain or were unexplored.

As a young man, Washington fought for Britain in a war against the French. He was a good soldier. Britain won the war, but it had cost a lot of money. The British made the American colonists pay high taxes to cover the costs of the war.

The high taxes made the colonists angry and they declared war on Britain. Washington was the leader the colonist's army. With his leadership, the colonies won the Revolutionary War and their independence.

The new nation needed a good leader and George Washington was picked for the job. He became the first president of the United States in 1789. He was a good president.

Washington's life and achievements are still honored today in the United States. The United States' capital, an entire state, many schools and other things are named after him. Washington is also honored with a monument in the capital that bears his name. His courage and leadership will never be forgotten.

Abraham Lincoln was a very important man in United States history, too. He was the sixteenth president of the United States. Lincoln is sometimes called "Honest Abe" and the "Great Emancipator" for his honesty and belief in freedom.

When Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, no one knew he would grow up to become a great president. His family was very poor and he had to work very hard.

Lincoln liked to read books and study. He read books about the government and George Washington. He liked government so much that he decided that he wanted to be a part of it.

When Lincoln was elected to Congress, many people were arguing about slavery. Lincoln thought it was wrong and that everyone should be free.

Even though some people didn't like what Lincoln said about slavery, many people respected him and elected him president in 1860. The southern slave-owning states thought Lincoln would free the slaves, so they decided to separate from the United States.

The southern and northern states went to war against each other. This war is called the Civil War. With Lincoln's leadership, the northern states won and the United States stayed together as a country. Slavery ended in the United States after the war.

Many people consider Lincoln as one of the United States' best presidents because he helped free people who were slaves and kept the United States together as a nation. People still honor what Lincoln did for the United States by visiting the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.