Abraham Lincoln
(1809–1865)

Serving as president during one of the most tragic periods in American history, Abraham Lincoln fought to reunite a nation torn apart by war. His courage, strength, and dedication in the face of an overwhelming national crisis have made him one of the most admired and respected American Presidents.

Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Kentucky. When he was seven, his family moved to Indiana. Because he had to help his family clear land, split timber, build a home, and plant crops, Lincoln was able to attend school only occasionally. Lincoln managed to educate himself, however, by reading a wide variety of books.

When Lincoln was 21, his family moved to Illinois, and he took a job as a store clerk. He soon developed an interest in politics, and in 1832 he ran for the Illinois state legislature—which he held for four terms—two years later.

In 1846, Lincoln was elected to the United States Congress. He earned a reputation as a champion of emancipation by sponsoring a bill that called for the abolition of slavery. The bill was defeated, however, and Lincoln failed to win reelection. Following his defeat, Lincoln left politics to practice law. Yet his interest in politics was once again aroused in 1854, when the Missouri Compromise, which protected the balance between slave states and free states, was repealed. In 1858, Lincoln ran for the United States Senate against Stephen Douglas, a strong supporter of the Missouri Compromise. Lincoln lost the election, but his heated debates with Douglas won him national recognition.

Lincoln was elected president of the United States in 1860. Soon after his election, a number of states seceded from the Union and the Civil War began. Throughout the war, Lincoln longed for the day when the states would be reunited and the country's wounds would be healed. Lincoln had little chance to celebrate the end of the war, because he was assassinated just five days after it ended.

In addition to being a strong leader, Abraham Lincoln was a gifted speaker and writer. His most famous speech, "The Gettysburg Address," was delivered at the dedication ceremonies for the national cemetery at Gettysburg. The direct, forceful speech, which captured the determination and despair of the divided nation, is one of the most significant speeches in American history.

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