At 7:22 a.m. on this day in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln died in a boardinghouse, across the street from Ford’s Theater, where he had been shot by John Wilkes Booth.
I was curious about what Lincoln had in his pockets the night he was shot, so I started researching. Here’s what I found out: http://www.history.com/videos/what-was-in-lincolns-pockets#what-was-in-lincolns-pockets.
What do you wonder about Abraham Lincoln?
Why did President Lincoln where a top hat? Was he hiding something?
Great question! From my research, President Lincoln wore a top hat to appear bigger than he was. This was really important during the Civil War when he was dealing with Generals, many of whom thought they were very important. Take a look at photos of him with General McClellan, who challenged the prez. Abe’s hat was also a place where he kept papers. Lots of room, you know?
hy i have a dad named robert and i dont know if he reads your books but he should write back jeremy
Jeremy,
I hope you talk with your dad about what he reads and what you like to read. That’s part of the fun of reading – sharing what you read!
well robert I was wondering why did you post the thing about lincoln
Lincoln is one of my favorite historical characters. I love reading about him and finding out new things about his life.
why did you write about A.C. gilbert why did you chose him
I wrote about A.C. Gilbert because he was an fascinating guy and I thought kids would be interested in knowing about him.
Hi Robert,
We just watched the Lincoln video. Very interesting. Have you ever written a book about A Lincoln? What made you wonder about the contents of Mr. Lincoln’s pocket?
We just read The Magic of A.C. Gilbert. Why did you choose this illustrator?
We like the pictures. How long did it take you to get all this information for the book?
Is everything in this book true….like, did Gillie ever jump off the roof? How did you find out all these interesting details?
Do you have a favorite book you have written? Oh, and we must know, what is your favorite thing to eat?
You are a good author and we are looking forward to meeting you on May 13th. It is Friday the 13th….
Wow! This must be the question class. I love questions, too. Guess I’ll answer a few here and save some for when I meet with you. I have not written a book about Lincoln, but I recently finished one about his youngest son, Tad. His real name wasn’t Tad, though. Do you know what it was? Hmm…I’ll let you discover that. His pockets…I was just curious. I’m curious about lots of things.
I’ll be sharing info about writing the AC book when I visit. I’ll tell you this, though: Everything in there actually happened. The book doesn’t say A.C jumped off the roof, but rather he was planning to. Thank goodness his father stopped him.
Check the questions/answers on my website about my favorite book. Favorite foods = grapes, pesto pizza, Cheerios, rice.
Thanks for the kind words. See you soon!
Hi Mr. Young,
We looked for Tad Lincoln’s real name and we found out it was Thomas.
Did you know that?
Thank you for answering our questions.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Sincerely, Room 5 PHES
Hi Robert Young,
We tried to watch the Lincoln video, but the computer wouldn’t cooperate. However, we just read The Magic Of A.C. Gilbert and we are wondering why you chose to write about him? How did you find out about him?
We heard you were going to visit us. We’ll be waiting!
Yes, computers aren’t always cooperative. That’s why I like to do a lot of my writing with paper and pencil!
Why A.C. Gilbert, you ask? I took my 4th grade class to the Gilbert Discovery Village in Salem some years back, learned about A.C., and realized I used to play with the toys he made. In fact, I still have an Erector Set!
Hi Robert,
I just watched the video on the content of Lincoln’s pockets. I was touched most by the spectacles where President Lincoln tied them together with a piece of twine. Not even elegant, fancy silk thread, but twine. Like I use in my garden for my peas to grow on.
I always enjoy information on President Lincoln. We share the same birthday. I have a rose named “Mr. Lincoln”. It is deep red and very beautiful.
I remember, as a child, wondering where President Lincoln was. We had the same birthday and I was here, so where was he? I would have enjoyed a good visit with him.
It sounds like you have a very personal connection with this great man. What would you have asked him had you the chance to meet?
I always wonder about the decisions presidents have to make. It seems like it would be hard because no matter what you decide, someone is probably going to be upset with you. So I guess I would have asked President Lincoln; What do you do to make a hard decision?