Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States who led the country during the American Civil War. He was born in 1809 in Kentucky and grew up in Indiana. Lincoln had little formal education but was a voracious self-learner. He worked various jobs including as a postmaster and surveyor before becoming a lawyer in Illinois. Lincoln was elected to the presidency in 1860 on the Republican ticket and sought to preserve the Union in the face of secession by southern states. During his presidency, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and delivered the Gettysburg Address. He was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865.