Who Was Abraham Lincoln?

Who Was Abraham Lincoln?

Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th President of the United States and one of the most important leaders in American history. He guided the country through its greatest crisis - the Civil War - and took bold action to end slavery.

Early Life

Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Kentucky to a poor farming family. His mother died when he was nine years old. Despite having very little formal schooling (less than one year total), Lincoln taught himself by reading every book he could find. He grew up in Indiana and later moved to Illinois, where he worked as a store clerk, postmaster, and surveyor before studying law on his own.

Lincoln became a lawyer and earned a reputation for honesty - earning him the nickname "Honest Abe."

Political Career

Lincoln served in the Illinois state legislature and later in the U.S. Congress. He became nationally known through his debates with Stephen Douglas in 1858 over the expansion of slavery. Though he lost that Senate race, the debates made him famous enough to win the Republican nomination for president in 1860.

His election in November 1860 prompted Southern states to begin seceding (leaving) from the Union, leading directly to the Civil War.

President During the Civil War

Lincoln became president on March 4, 1861, just weeks before Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter. For the next four years, he led the Union in the bloodiest war in American history.

Key actions as president:

Fort Sumter attacked: April 1861 - Civil War begins

Emancipation Proclamation: January 1, 1863 - Freed enslaved people in Confederate states

Gettysburg Address: November 1863 - Declared the war's purpose: equality and democracy

Re-elected: November 1864 - Voted in while the war was still ongoing

Lee surrenders: April 9, 1865 - Civil War ends

The Emancipation Proclamation

On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all enslaved people in Confederate states were free. While it did not immediately free all enslaved Americans (it didn't apply to border states), it transformed the war into a fight for human freedom and paved the way for the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery nationwide in 1865.

The Gettysburg Address

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a two-minute speech at the dedication of a military cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Gettysburg Address is one of the most quoted speeches in American history, ending with the famous words:

"...that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Legacy

Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865 - just five days after the Confederate surrender. He is remembered as the president who saved the Union and took the first major steps toward ending slavery. His birthday, February 12, is a national observance, and his face appears on the penny and the $5 bill.

Practice Activities

• Timeline: Students create a timeline of Lincoln's major life events from birth to death.

• Primary source analysis: Read excerpts from the Gettysburg Address and discuss what Lincoln meant by "all men are created equal."

• Compare presidents: Use a Venn diagram to compare Lincoln and George Washington.

• Penny observation: Students look carefully at a penny and identify Lincoln's portrait, noting when the penny was first minted.

• Persuasive letter: Write a letter from Lincoln's perspective explaining why he issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

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