A-maze-ing flatboat journey

Find your way through the maze of Abraham Lincoln's flatboat journey from Rockport Indiana to New Orleans Louisiana.

NPS

Complete the maze below to help Abraham and Allen find their way to New Orleans. As you find your way through the maze you will learn about some of the events they encountered.

In 1828 James Gentry, a local storekeeper, hired nineteen year old Abraham Lincoln to accompany his son Allen Gentry on a flatboat trip. They built the boat, filled it with supplies to sell and, with Abraham as oarsman, traveled 1,222 miles from Rockport, Indiana to New Orleans, Louisiana. They returned to Indiana by steamboat. Abraham Lincoln earned $24 for this 3 month journey. The flatboat journey was difficult but exciting. There were many obstacles getting started and along the way down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

Alternative Text for Image: The image is intended as a maze activity. Text on the image reads: Begin at Rockport, IN, Heard John Breckenridge plead a case in court, Borrowed a book, Found a quiet place to read, Waited for Allen's son to be Born, Robbers try to take flatboat, Barely escape, Finish in New Orleans, LA. The image is primarily blank except for lines that form the maze and the text. Instructions for the activity are included on the webpage.