Abraham Lincoln's grandfather on his father's side met his death by ______
You answered "being shot dead by an Indian," which is correct. Abe's grandfather died in front of his three sons while farming. At the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, relations between the white settlers and indigenous Americans were very poor. The settlers wanted to farm but many of the Indians preferred to hunt and forage. These lifestyles proved to be incompatible in regions like Kentucky. The tensions frequently resulted in ambushes by both sides in an attempt to drive the opposite side out of the area. Abe's grandfather was the victim of one of these ambushes. Thomas Jefferson, who was President of the United States for part of this period, unsuccessfully encouraged the Indians to take up farming. Eventually, the Indians who refused to change their ways were forced west by the government.