Abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War—its bloodiest war and perhaps its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. In doing so, he preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy.

Early life and career

Born in a log cabin in Kentucky, Lincoln grew up on the western frontier in Kentucky and Indiana. Largely self-educated, he became a lawyer in Illinois, a Whig Party leader, and was elected to the United States House of Representatives, in which he served for one term. He then returned to his law practice but became vexed by the opening of additional lands to slavery as a result of the Kansas–Nebraska Act.

Presidency

Lincoln secured the Republican nomination for president in 1860 amid a split in the Democratic Party. His election served as the immediate impetus for the outbreak of the Civil War. During the war, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared slaves in Confederate-held territory to be free, and he ordered the Union Army to protect escaped slaves. He also encouraged border states to outlaw slavery, and pushed through Congress the Thirteenth Amendment, which permanently outlawed slavery throughout the nation.

Assassination

Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer, on April 14, 1865, and died the following day. Lincoln has been consistently ranked both by scholars and the public as among the greatest U.S. presidents.

Legacy

Lincoln's legacy continues to be a subject of interest and debate. His leadership during the Civil War, his role in ending slavery, and his eloquent speeches, notably the Gettysburg Address, have made him one of the most revered figures in American history.