For generations, almost every American child has grown up hearing that in America “you can grow up to be President of the United States.” As proof, we hear of Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), who was born...

For generations, almost every American child has grown up hearing that in America “you can grow up to be President of the United States.” As proof, we hear of Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), who was born in a log cabin and did his school work on the back of a shovel because he couldn’t afford paper. According to Abraham Lincoln: The Man behind the Myths (Oates, 1994), Lincoln was indeed born in a log cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky. But he was anything but destitute: Log cabins were common on the frontier, and his was set on a 238-acre farm. His father was one of the largest landowners of the area. And he definitely had paper and pencils for his homework.