-
 16th
president of the US
- Revered as the savior of the Union
and the liberator of black slaves, Abraham Lincoln rose from humble
beginnings to become one of the most famous presidents in American
history. The son of a poor farmer, he was self-educated, spending
his youth working at odd jobs while studying law. In 1836 he was admitted
to the
bar in Illinois.
Lincoln's political career began in the Illinois state legislature
where he sat from 1834 until 1842. A skilled orator, he was elected
to Congress in 1846, but did not gain national attention until 1858
when he ran for the US Senate. Although he lost, he became the presidential
candidate for the new Republican party in 1860.
As an abolitionist his victory in that race led to the formation of
the Confederacy and the outbreak of the American Civil War.
As president, Lincoln vowed to reestablish the Union and to free all
slaves. Successful on both counts, he was reelected in 1864.
He was, however, hated by most Southerners and on April 14, 1865,
five days after the Confederates surrendered, he was assassinated
by John Wilkes Booth.
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