The Lincoln family, like many others, steadily migrated west with each new generation. Between 1637 and 1816, they settled in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Indiana. What lured most of them were new opportunities and land. When Thomas Lincoln moved his family north of the Ohio River into the newly formed state of Indiana in 1816, he was continuing a family tradition that had begun several generations before.
The northern part of the state was unorganized at this time.
1. Using Map 1, examine the migration patterns of the Lincoln family. In which direction did they continue to move? Why do you think the Lincoln family kept moving that direction? What are some reasons why families might move to a different part of the country today?
2. Using Map 2, what natural feature determined Indiana's southern boundary? What might have been some reasons frontier families located near this feature?
3. Locate the Lincoln farm. How would you describe its location within the state of Indiana?
4. In what part of the state were most of the towns located at this time? Can you think of any reasons why that might have been?
* The maps on this screen have a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Map 1 and Map 2, but be aware that each file may take as much as 60 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.