Holiday Page: President's Day Holiday Page: President's Day

Happy President's Day!

Until 1971, both February 12 and February 22 were observed as federal public holidays to honor the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and George Washington (February 22). In 1971 President Richard Nixon proclaimed one single federal public holiday, the Presidents' Day, to be observed on the 3rd Monday of February, honoring all past presidents of the United States of America.

GEORGE WASHINGTON (February 22, 1732 - December 14, 1799). Early in his life George Washington became an experienced surveyor. Following these years, he fought in the French and Indian War. After the war he returned to Mount Vernon in 1758, married Martha Dandridge in 1759, and became a planter. That same year he became involved in politics when he was elected representative to the Virginia House of Burgesses. He was a representative until 1774 when he became a delegate to the Continental Congress. In May of 1775 George Washington was appointed Commander of the American army during the Revolution. He was the first President, (1789 1797) governing the 13 states.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN (February 12, 1809 - April 15, 1865). Abe Lincoln was born into a poor family and had little formal schooling. He basically taught himself to read and write and walked long distances to borrow books. He failed in early business and political ventures, yet became President in 1861 and guided the Union through the Civil War. He shaped his own character and education as was evident in the simple language he used in his speeches. His famous Gettysburg Address was delivered in 1863. LincGln was assassinated on April 15, 1865 during a performance at Ford's Theatre in Washington just a few days after General Robert E. Lee and his army surrendered.

George Washington
History of the Man	The White House
The Making of a President	The American Revolution
The Opening Campaigns of the War	Victory
More About George Washington	Early Life and Career
French and Indian War	Virginia Politician
American Revolution	The Presidency
Retirement and Assessment	Ode [For General Washington's Birthday]

Abraham Lincoln
The History of the Man	Early Life
Illinois Legislator	Lawyer and U.S. Representative
The Slavery Issue and the Lincoln-Douglas Debates	Election to the Presidency
The Civil War	The Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln's Statue

Links of Interest
Historic Mount Vernon: The Home of Our First President, George Washington. Visit the Educational Resources to read the fast facts about Washington (for example, did he really chop down that cherry tree?) or to read his biography. There are also photos available of Mount Vernon, though the quality is rather grainy and the photos are small. Lynx users cannot access the photos unfortunately.
Abraham Lincoln Online: This is a wonderful site containing the full text of many of Lincoln's speeches, including his first and second inaugural addresses, as well as biographical information, and descriptions of historic sites, such as Ford's Theatre.
Lincoln: This site provides a timeline of Lincoln's presidency, images, and the full text of several documents, including the Emancipation Proclamation.