If you were a collector of any item -- be it coins, paintings, or china -- how much would you be willing to fork over for one at auction? What about if you were a very wealthy collector? Dozens of rare documents from periods spanning 200 years of American history just went up for auction, with historical artifacts and original manuscripts fetching millions of dollars each. Among them were original copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment -- marking the first time the pair have been sold at the same time. The Emancipation Proclamation sold for a whopping $2.17 million and the 13th Amendment sold for a massive  $2.41 million . They are each among a handful of original copies that still exist and are being held in private hands. What's more, they each bear the original signatures of Abraham Lincoln, Secretary of State William Seward, and other prominent men of the day. Lincoln originally issued the order abolishing slavery in 1863, but the copy just...

I'll give you a few hints: He was born in 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky He grew up a member of a poor family in Kentucky and Indiana He attended school for only one year, but thereafter read on his own in a continual effort to enhance his mind Standing a whopping 6'4," he was a popular wrestler in Illinois  He entertained friends and strangers alike with his folksy wit and sense of humor, which helped him conceal bouts of depression He was quite the animal lover As an adult, he lived in Illinois and performed a slew of jobs before entering politics, including stints as a surveyor, postmaster, surveyor, and shopkeeper He served in the Illinois legislature from 1834 to 1836, and then became an attorney In 1842, he married Mary Todd, with whom he raised four sons He became leader of the new Republican party Known as the Great Emancipator, he signed the Emancipation Proclamation He warned that "a house divided against itself cannot stand" He guided the ...