... part, whenever he needed help he consulted a local schoolmaster, Mentor Graham. Lincoln developed a fondness for the writings of Shakespeare and Robert Burns that would last his lifetime. He became a regular attendant of the new Salem Debating Society, where he met a more intellectual group of people. The intellectual citizens of New Salem welcomed Lincoln who turned out to be a very good speaker with passion and well versed onhis subjects. The president of the society remarked that all he lacked was culture. Lincoln decided to take a turn to politics and in 1832 declared himself a candidate for the office of State Legislature. His platform was internal improvements, better educational facilities, and a law to limit interest rates. Governor John Reynolds called for volunteers for the state militia to fight Black Hawk, the war leader to the Sauks and Foxed, who were dissatisfied with the land allotted them (Black ...

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