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Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters
Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters is here in full — 470 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Abraham Lincoln • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters
Context Illustration Reading 1/94 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
DANIEL KILHAM DODGE, PH.D.
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
LONGMANS GREEN AND CO.
The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.
Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters is here in full — 470 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/94 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
DANIEL KILHAM DODGE, PH.D.
Line 2
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
Line 3
LONGMANS GREEN AND CO.
Line 4
The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.
Line 5
Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.
/ənˈlaɪk ˈmeni men huː hæv ˈrɪzən frʌm ˈhʌmbəl sərˈaʊndɪŋz ˈlɪŋkən ˈnevər ˈboʊstəd ʌv hɪz ˈwʌndərfəl ˈstrʌɡəl wɪð ˈpɑːvərti/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

Appendix noun US /əˈpendɪks/

supplementary material that is collected and appended at the back of a book

From this reading “The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Bloomington noun US /ˈbluːmɪŋtən/

a university town in south central Indiana

From this reading “The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boasted verb US /ˈboʊstəd/

past form of “boast” — show off

From this reading “Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
communicated verb US /kəˈmjuːnəkeɪtɪd/

past form of “communicate” — transmit information

From this reading “The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daniel noun US /ˈdænjəl/

(Old Testament) a youth who was taken into the court of Nebuchadnezzar and given divine protection when thrown into a den of lions (6th century BC)

From this reading “DANIEL KILHAM DODGE, PH.D.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dodge verb US /dɑːdʒ/

make a sudden movement in a new direction so as to avoid

From this reading “DANIEL KILHAM DODGE, PH.D.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Illinois noun US /ˌɪləˈnɔɪ/

a midwestern state in north-central United States

From this reading “The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Lincoln's noun US /ˈlɪŋkənz/

possessive form of “lincoln” — 16th President of the United States; saved the Union during the American Civil War and emancipated the slaves; was assassinated by Booth (1809-1865)

From this reading “The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 49

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

1859

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

Pending verification
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AppendixnounUS /əˈpendɪks/

supplementary material that is collected and appended at the back of a book

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BloomingtonnounUS /ˈbluːmɪŋtən/

a university town in south central Indiana

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boastedverbUS /ˈboʊstəd/

past form of “boast” — show off

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
COnounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
communicatedverbUS /kəˈmjuːnəkeɪtɪd/

past form of “communicate” — transmit information

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading DANIEL KILHAM DODGE, PH.D.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DANIELnounUS /ˈdænjəl/

(Old Testament) a youth who was taken into the court of Nebuchadnezzar and given divine protection when thrown into a den of lions (6th century BC)

From this reading DANIEL KILHAM DODGE, PH.D.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DODGEverbUS /dɑːdʒ/

make a sudden movement in a new direction so as to avoid

From this reading DANIEL KILHAM DODGE, PH.D.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
factsnounUS /fækts/

plural of “fact” — a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
GREENnounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
humbleadjectiveUS /ˈhʌmbəl/

low or inferior in station or quality

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IllinoisnounUS /ˌɪləˈnɔɪ/

a midwestern state in north-central United States

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JnounUS /dʒeɪ/

a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
KILHAM

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading DANIEL KILHAM DODGE, PH.D.

Pending verification
lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LincolnnounUS /ˈlɪŋkən/

16th President of the United States; saved the Union during the American Civil War and emancipated the slaves; was assassinated by Booth (1809-1865)

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Lincoln'snounUS /ˈlɪŋkənz/

possessive form of “lincoln” — 16th President of the United States; saved the Union during the American Civil War and emancipated the slaves; was assassinated by Booth (1809-1865)

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LONGMANS

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

Pending verification
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PHnounUS /ˈpiːˈeɪtʃ/

(from potential of Hydrogen) the logarithm of the reciprocal of hydrogen-ion concentration in gram atoms per liter

From this reading DANIEL KILHAM DODGE, PH.D.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
povertynounUS /ˈpɑːvərti/

the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
risenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪzən/

(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
statedadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪtɪd/

declared as fact; explicitly stated

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
struggleverbUS /ˈstrʌɡəl/

make a strenuous or labored effort

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
surroundingsnounUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋz/

the environmental condition

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
UnlikeadjectiveUS /ənˈlaɪk/

marked by dissimilarity

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WnounUS /ˈdʌbəljuː/

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings, Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words, communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington, Illinois.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters by Abraham Lincoln holds 470 sentences, grouped into 94 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters contain?

Chapter 1 holds 470 sentences of Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters, unabridged, divided into 94 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters by Abraham Lincoln exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 470 sentences, grouped into 94 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters?

Work through the 94 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 94 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters

Common questions about reading Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters by Abraham Lincoln on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters?

Yes. All 1912 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14274 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #14274, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters take to read?

About 159 minutes of reading across 383 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters section by section

How to work through Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters

Words and structures a reader meets early in Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Daniel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kilham
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dodge
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Longmans
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lincoln's Inaugurals, Addresses and Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.