IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 139 
Commemorating the life and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln on the 
bicentennial of his birth. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 9, 2009 
Mr. HARE (for himself, Mr. SCHOCK, Mr. SHIMKUS, Ms. BEAN, Mrs. 
BIGGERT, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. 
FOSTER, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois, Mr. KIRK, 
Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. MANZULLO, Mr. ROSKAM, Mr. RUSH, Ms. 
SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. CHANDLER, Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky, Mr. GUTHRIE, 
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. BURTON 
of Indiana, Mr. HILL, Mr. ALTMIRE, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. 
BRALEY of Iowa, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Ms. CLARKE, Mrs. 
DAVIS of California, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. 
LOEBSACK, Mr. MASSA, Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. 
ORTIZ, Mr. PETERS, Mr. ROTHMAN of New Jersey, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, 
Mr. SIRES, and Ms. WOOLSEY) submitted the following resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
RESOLUTION 
Commemorating the life and legacy of President Abraham 
Lincoln on the bicentennial of his birth. 
Whereas Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, 
to modest means, in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky; 
Whereas Abraham Lincoln spent his childhood in Indiana, 
and, despite having less than a year of formal schooling, 
developed an avid love of reading and learning; 
Whereas Abraham Lincoln arrived in Illinois at the age of 21; 
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•HRES 139 IH 
Whereas, while living in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln met and 
married his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, built a successful 
legal practice, served in the State legislature of Illinois, 
was elected to Congress, and participated in the famous 
‘‘Lincoln-Douglas’’ debates; 
Whereas Abraham Lincoln left Illinois 4 months after being 
elected President of the United States in 1860; 
Whereas Abraham Lincoln was the first member of the Re-
publican party elected President of the United States and 
helped build the Republican party into a strong national 
organization; 
Whereas, after his election and the secession of the southern 
States, Abraham Lincoln steered the United States 
through the most profound moral and political crisis, and 
the bloodiest war, in the history of the Nation; 
Whereas, by helping to preserve the Union and by holding a 
national election, as scheduled, during a civil war, Abra-
ham Lincoln reaffirmed the commitment of the people of 
the United States to majority rule and democracy; 
Whereas the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham 
Lincoln declared that slaves within the Confederacy 
would be forever free and welcomed more than 200,000 
African-American soldiers and sailors into the Armed 
Forces of the Union; 
Whereas the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham 
Lincoln fundamentally transformed the Civil War from a 
battle for political unity to a moral fight for freedom; 
Whereas the faith Abraham Lincoln had in democracy was 
strong, even after the bloodiest battle of the war at Get-
tysburg; 
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