Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He led the nation through the American Civil War and brought about the abolition of slavery. [1]
Early life
Abraham Lincoln was born on 12 February 1809 in a log cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky. Largely self-educated, he became a lawyer in Illinois and served in the state legislature and one term in the United States House of Representatives before rising to national prominence in the debates over slavery. [1]
Presidency and the Civil War
Lincoln was elected president in 1860 as the candidate of the new Republican Party. His election prompted several southern states to secede, and the Civil War began in 1861. As commander in chief he directed the Union war effort, and in 1863 he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring the freedom of enslaved people in the rebelling states. His Gettysburg Address became one of the most famous speeches in American history. [1][2]
Assassination and legacy
Re-elected in 1864, Lincoln saw the war through to near its end. On 14 April 1865 he was shot by John Wilkes Booth and died the following morning. He is consistently ranked among the greatest of American presidents. [3]
