10 Facts About Abraham Lincoln Siblings You Need To Know

Aashita Dhingra
Oct 04, 2023 By Aashita Dhingra
Originally Published on Dec 10, 2021
Learn about Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln siblings, and Abraham Lincoln history in this article.

Abraham Lincoln is a familiar figure in American history.

He is a famous figure in the history of America. A person who made remarkable contributions to the country.

Abraham was the 16th president of the United States. He was an American lawyer who led the union victory during the American civil war.

Apart from the civil war, he brought the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. The Gettysburg address he gave in Gettysburg during the civil war is still remarkable in American history. But here, we will look at the childhood of Abraham Lincoln, especially some information about Abraham Lincoln's siblings.

His family story was sad in many aspects as they had to undergo many challenging, life-changing moments together. A few days after Thomas Lincoln Jr., Abraham's younger brother was born, he died. This must have impacted the family life significantly, but it was just the start of catastrophic events that were a part of Abraham's life.

If you liked reading this article about Abraham Lincoln siblings, check out other pages like Abraham Lincoln biography fun facts and Abraham Lincoln's children on Kidadl. These will tell you more about the 16th president of the United States of America, like Abraham Lincoln's background, his struggles, and accomplishments.

Abraham Lincoln: Oldest Siblings

Abraham Lincoln's family history was a tragic affair in many senses. The Lincoln family had to go through some devastating experiences. But what you may not know is that Abraham Lincoln had two siblings. He was, in fact, the middle child of the family.

Abraham Lincoln's parents married in Washington County, Kentucky, in 1806. The first child of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Lincoln was Sarah Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's older sister, born in Kentucky. Then came the first son of the Lincoln family, Abraham Lincoln.

Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Lincoln also had a third child named Thomas Lincoln Jr., who was called Tommy. Thomas Jr., unfortunately, died when he was just three days of age after Nancy gave birth to him in Kentucky.

His death must have been a tragic incident for the whole family, but it was just the beginning of the sad events yet to unfold. Abraham's sister Sarah was born in 1807. Abraham was two years younger than his sister Sarah.

A few years after his younger brother's death, Abraham Lincoln's mother died of milk sickness in Indiana. The Lincoln family was devastated. Abraham's sister Sarah took care of him after that even though she was young in terms of age.

Sarah was known as a gentlewoman. In 1826, she married Aaron Grigsby but died during her pregnancy at the age of 21.

Abraham Lincoln was very fond of his older sister. Her death brought great grief to Lincoln's life and he was never the same again. Sarah never saw Abraham Lincoln advancing in his political career to the role of the U.S. president.

Abraham Lincoln: Childhood Siblings

Thomas and Sarah weren't the only siblings that Abraham Lincoln had. He also had step-siblings during his childhood.

After his wife died, Thomas Lincoln married a widow named Sarah Bush Johnston from Kentucky. Sarah had three children of her own before the marriage to Thomas.

Abraham, his sister Sarah and cousin Dennis Hanks were living together at the time. With his father marrying Sarah Johnston, all three step-siblings came to live in Lincoln's home. They were in Indiana at the time.

Later, they moved to Illinois. Although Abraham was very fond of his sister Sarah, the same cannot be said in the case of his step-siblings.

He had two stepsisters named Elizabeth Johnston and Matilda Johnston. He also had a stepbrother called John Johnston. Abraham's relationship with his step-siblings was not as loving as his relationship with his sister Sarah.

In 1851, he denied his stepbrother a loan and wrote a letter in a sarcastic tone taking a dig at his stepbrother's laziness. Abraham seemed to be someone who was not at all impressed with his step-siblings.

Abraham Lincoln: Family Siblings

There were siblings in the family of Abraham Lincoln too. Abraham Lincoln had children of his own, and each child had three siblings of their own, but tragedy remained even for these children.

Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd in 1842. Their marriage took place in Illinois, and Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd had four sons. His first son, Robert Todd Lincoln, was born in 1843.

He was born in Springfield, Illinois. Just like his father, Robert Todd was also a lawyer and pursued a political career. Robert Todd was married to Mary Eunice Harlan in 1865 in Washington D.C., and he had three children named Mary, Abraham, and Jessie. Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd had their second son in 1846 in Illinois.

He was named Edward Baker Lincoln. Unfortunately, Edward died in 1850 when he was just four years of age. It is believed that he died due to tuberculosis.

The third son of Abraham and Mary was William Wallace. He was born in Springfield, Illinois, in 1850. But William died when he was 11 years of age.

At that time, the Lincolns were living in the White House in Washington. The death of William was a huge tragedy to the Lincoln family. The body of William is buried alongside Abraham Lincoln's father, who died at the age of 73 in Illinois.

The youngest son of Abraham and Mary was called Thomas or Tad. He was born in Illinois in 1853. Even Tad didn't live a long life. Abraham Lincoln died in Washington D.C. at the age of 56.

An assassin shot him in the White House. After six years of his father's death in the white house, Thomas died too. Robert is the only son of Abraham, who got married and had kids.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Abraham Lincoln's siblings, then why not take a look at Abraham Lincoln's civil war or Abraham Lincoln's descendants?

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Written by Aashita Dhingra

Bachelors in Business Administration

Aashita Dhingra picture

Aashita DhingraBachelors in Business Administration

Based in Lucknow, India, Aashita is a skilled content creator with experience crafting study guides for high school-aged kids. Her education includes a degree in Business Administration from St. Mary's Convent Inter College, which she leverages to bring a unique perspective to her work. Aashita's passion for writing and education is evident in her ability to craft engaging content.

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