When Lincoln returned home from the Black Hawk War, he planned to become a blacksmith, but instead formed a partnership with 21-year-old William Berry, with whom he purchased a New Salem general store on credit.
wˌɛn lˈɪŋkən ɹᵻtˈɜːnd hˈoʊm fɹʌmðə blˈæk hˈɔːk wˈɔːɹ, hiː plˈænd tə bɪkˌʌm ɐ blˈæksmɪθ, bˌʌt ɪnstˈɛd fˈɔːɹmd ɐ pˈɑːɹtnɚʃˌɪp wɪð twˈɛnti wˈʌnjˈɪɹˈoʊld wˈɪljəm bˈɛɹi, wɪð hˈuːm hiː pˈɜːtʃɪst ɐ nˈuː sˈeɪləm dʒˈɛnɚɹəl stˈoːɹ ˌɔn kɹˈɛdɪt.