Accounts Disagree on Lincoln’s Famous Wrestling Match
[!NOTE] Historical File: Accounts Disagree on Lincoln’s Famous Wrestling Match Location: USA | Era: Archival History | Format: Documentary & Narrative Record
The Untold Story
Accounts of Lincoln’s famous wrestling match disagree.
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One popular version says Lincoln threw Jack Armstrong.
The story places the match in New Salem, where Lincoln became known for his strength.
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One version ends with a draw.
A wrestling historian says Lincoln got the better of it. Which account do you believe?
The match’s ending is still disputed, even in later retellings. Follow for more history debates.
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Historical Discussion
💭 Some accounts say Lincoln won; others say the match ended in a draw. Which version do you believe?
What are your thoughts on this event? Share your perspective in the discussion or follow Echoes of History Uncut for daily forgotten archives.
Verified Archival Sources & Bibliography
Every claim in this account has been fact-checked against primary archives and scholarly repositories:
- National Wrestling Hall of Fame: Abraham Lincoln (primary)
- Papers of Abraham Lincoln: John (Jack) Armstrong (primary)
- Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum: Lincoln Before Politics (primary)
- Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum: People v. Armstrong (primary)
- National Park Service: Lincoln’s New Salem 1830–1837 (primary)
- History.com: Abraham Lincoln Excelled in Wrestling (news)
- Illinois State Archives: Abraham Lincoln in Illinois (primary)
- Library of Congress: Abraham Lincoln Papers, interview notes (primary)
- U.S. Government Publishing Office: Abraham Lincoln, A Legacy of Freedom (primary)
- University of Illinois: Lincoln in Photographs (book)
- University of Illinois: Lincoln and Historic Illinois (book)
- Springfield Journal-Register: Rematch with the Past (news)
- WWE interview with Lincoln scholar Ronald C. White Jr. (news)
- WIN Magazine: Dispelling the Myths About Lincoln’s Wrestling Days (news)
Recommended Archival Reading & Audiobooks
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