Becoming Lincoln

In the commercial village of New Salem, Abraham Lincoln began gathering friends and allies who helped launch his political and professional career -- and later, mythologized him.

Sarah Lincoln Grigsby seems to have had all the talents of her brother -- wit, charm and an ability to put people at ease. But she never had Abraham's opportunities.

Rented out for manual labor he hated, Abraham Lincoln desperately sought ways to escape, whether down the river or through self-education.

The Lincolns tried to restart in Indiana. But a major tragedy would change the course of their lives. 

In his Kentucky childhood, Abraham Lincoln heard anti-slavery messages, and witnessed his father's fight to hold onto what was his. Both would shape his life. 

Abraham Lincoln came from a restless family that pushed ever further west to improve their fortunes. But his father struggled to survive, and his mother was chased by gossip throughout her life. 

Abraham Lincoln's apotheosis began from the moment of his death in 1865. The searches for the real man started soon after. Who was he, and why can so many people see so many different characteristics in a single life?