Contents
Abraham Lincoln
Leading the United States through the Civil War and helping end slavery.
Emancipation Proclamation · Gettysburg Address
- Born
- 12 February 1809
- Birthplace
- Hodgenville, Kentucky, United States
- Died
- 15 April 1865
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Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth US president, whose government preserved the Union and advanced emancipation.
Early life
Frontier upbringing
Grew up in Kentucky and Indiana with little formal schooling.
Self-education
Read extensively and trained himself for a legal career.
Career
- 1830s–1840s
Illinois politics
Worked as a lawyer and served in the state legislature and Congress.
- 1850s
Republican leader
Rose nationally through debates over the expansion of slavery.
- 1861–1865
Presidency
Led the Union during civil war and was assassinated shortly after its military victory.
Decisions & speeches
Emancipation Proclamation
Declared freedom for enslaved people in designated areas in rebellion.
Gettysburg Address
Connected the war with equality and democratic government.
Thirteenth Amendment
Supported the amendment abolishing slavery, ratified after his death.
Beyond work
Family
Married Mary Todd; they had four sons.
Wartime power
His administration suspended habeas corpus in some circumstances, provoking constitutional disputes.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Alexander Gardner. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
