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Abraham Lincoln was an American statesman and lawyer who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 to 1865. Lincoln led the nation through the American Civil War, the country's greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. He succeeded in preserving the Union, abolishing slavery, bolstering the federal government and modernizing the U.S. economy.
Born into poverty, Lincoln was raised on the frontier, was self-educated, became a lawyer, an Illinois state legislator, a U.S. Congressman, and ultimately the 16th President of the United States. Shortly after his election, Southern states began seceding from the Union. Just over one month after Lincoln assumed the presidency, the Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter. His wartime leadership proved itself repeatedly through times of personal turmoil and clinical depression. His pragmatic governance, critical thinking, and sound judgment guided a torn nation along a path of righteousness. His Gettysburg Address is regarded as one of the greatest speeches in American political discourse. On 14 April 1865, he was assassinated – just days after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.