From his humble beginnings in a log cabin situated in rural Kentucky, to his term as the sixteenth President of the United States and the illustrious legacy he left behind, Abraham Lincoln is no slight figure in the pages of American history.



Born in 1809 to Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln developed a particular fondness for reading in spite of his lack of formal education and his father's wishes that he become a farmer like himself.

It was after moving to New Salem, Illinois in the early 1830's that Lincoln ran, first unsuccessfully, then with better results, for the state legislature, where he served four consecutive terms. On his own time, Lincoln began to study, becoming a certified lawyer in 1836. In 1846, Lincoln won his campaign for a seat in the House of Representatives.

He made an ill-fated bid for the Senate against Stephen Douglas in 1856, which put him in the national spotlight for the first time as he traveled the country making memorable speeches such as the House Divided Speech and matching wits with his opponent in a series of debates.

He was the dark horse winner of the 1860 presidential race, and during his presidency, saw internal strife including the secession of eleven Southern states, delivered the Emancipation Proclamation, administered the country during the Civil War, and witnessed the surrender of the Confederate Army.

On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln, who had been recently reelected, was fatally shot while watching a play at Ford's Theatre.

One of the alleged reasons for his assassination was a speech Lincoln had made to a group gathered outside of the White House, in which he suggested his support of African American suffrage.

In fact, it is Abraham Lincoln's controversial and public dedication to the anti-slavery sentiment that was only beginning to take hold at the time of his political career, that is said to have held together the fabric of the Union in the face of great division over that, and other issues vital to the country's survival.

First and foremost, Lincoln believed in the Union, and was not willing to compromise neither its integrity, nor that of the African people so violated by slavery, based on the economic preferences of the South.

According to many historians, it is largely thanks to his able leadership that the United States did not disintegrate as a result of the Civil War and the ideological and other domestic conflicts of that time period. In honor of his birthday, read up on Abraham Lincoln, his life and presidency, not to mention his eloquence, dignity, and devotion to his country and ideals.

Abraham Lincoln was the first of four U.S. Presidents to have been assassinated. The others were James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy.

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