Lincoln Received only about 18 Months of Formal Education in His Life

Abraham Lincoln was born to a farmer and carpenter, Thomas Lincoln, and seamstress Nancy Hanks Lincoln. He spent most of his youth working on various farms his father owned. He received a small amount of formal schooling from various itinerant teachers, but was known as an avid reader ever since his early youth. He worked as a merchant, a postmaster, a county surveyor and a lawyer, although he had no formal education in any of these fields. He was also a captain in the Illinois Militia prior to starting his political career.