Who was Abraham Lincoln?
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 to 1865. He led the country through the Civil War and helped end slavery.
Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Kentucky in 1809 and grew up in Indiana and Illinois with little formal schooling. He taught himself law and became a lawyer and politician. His debates with Stephen Douglas in 1858 made him nationally known.
His election in 1860 led several Southern states to secede, starting the Civil War. In 1863 he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring enslaved people in Confederate states free, and gave the Gettysburg Address, one of the most famous speeches in American history.
His death
Lincoln pushed for the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery. On April 14, 1865, just days after the Confederate army surrendered, he was shot by actor John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., and died the next morning.
Did You Know?
At about 1.93 meters (6 feet 4 inches), Lincoln was the tallest US president. He is also the only president to hold a patent, for a device to lift boats over shallow water.