Many historians consider Abraham Lincoln to be the best president in the history of the United States, but many don’t know that before he became famous as a politician, his name was well known due to his feats as a wrestler.
He wasn’t the first U.S. president to wrestle; George Washington was also known to participate in the sport. But Lincoln was, by far, the most successful. In fact, some believe that Lincoln’s dominance in the ring helped fuel his political career.
Lincoln was taught “catch-as-catch-can” wrestling at the age of nine by his uncle Mordecai Lincoln, who was an avid participant in the sport.
The sport is similar to freestyle wrestling, and, to spectators, it looks more like hand-to-hand combat than a wrestling match. Due to his large frame, he became a dominant grappler.
His first major challenge came when he was 19. He helped his stepbrother defend his river barge by throwing hijackers off the boat.
Then, a few years later, after he moved to New Salem, Illinois, his large size instantly made him a target of the town bully and leader of the Clary’s Grove Boys gang, Jack Armstrong. Lincoln worked as a clerk, and, encouraged by his boss, he accepted Armstrong’s challenge to a wrestling match. The two found a clearing between trees next to the store and started the match. Because Lincoln was winning, Armstrong started to take cheap shots. Lincoln grew angry, picked up his opponent, and threw him to the ground, quickly ending the match.
Lincoln became very popular in the town partially due to the fact that general store where he worked was a popular gathering spot. After living in New Salem for only six months, the young and ambitious store clerk decided to run for a seat in the state legislature.
Lincoln lost his first bid for the state legislature because he volunteered to fight in the Black Hawk War of 1832 and wasn’t able to campaign outside his small town. Despite his defeat, Lincoln won 277 of the 300 votes in New Salem. He eventually earned his first political position: a seat in the Illinois State Legislature in 1834.
When not reading books or studying law, Lincoln wrestled in his spare time for around 12 years. He is said to have won around 300 matches and only lost one.
Lincoln’s sole loss in the ring came during the Black Hawk War. Fellow soldier Hank Thompson challenged Lincoln to wrestle over who would get the best campsite. After two matches, Thompson proved to be superior and defeated the future president for the first and only time.
Despite a lack of military experience, Lincoln’s entire presidency was marked by war. He had to teach himself everything he knew about strategy and military leadership to help him win the Civil War and become a great U.S. leader.
Once he became engulfed in politics, his wrestling legacy was mostly forgotten for over a century after his death. Lincoln was eventually given the “Outstanding American” distinction by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1992.
