Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, leading the country through the Civil War and working to abolish slavery. Born in poverty in Kentucky, Lincoln was self-educated and became a lawyer, legislator, and a key figure in the Republican Party. Gaining recognition in 1858 during debates with Stephen A. Douglas, he opposed the expansion of slavery.
Elected president in 1860, Lincoln faced secession from Southern states and led the Union through war. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, freeing slaves in Confederate states, and supported the Thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery nationwide. His Gettysburg Address became one of the most famous speeches in U.S. history.
On April 14, 1865, just days after the Civil War ended, Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre. He is remembered as a national hero who preserved the Union and shaped the future of the United States.