Abraham

Lincoln

1809 — 1865

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.

Born in a log cabin in Kentucky, Lincoln grew up in poverty and largely self-educated himself. He became a successful lawyer and later entered politics, becoming a member of the Illinois state legislature and later a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Lincoln's election as President in 1860 was a major factor in the outbreak of the American Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865.

During his presidency, Lincoln led the Union through the Civil War, preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy. His Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 declared that all slaves in Confederate-held territory were to be freed. Lincoln's leadership during the Civil War and his actions to end slavery have made him one of the most revered and important figures in American history.