Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 in Kentucky and had little formal education, but was a voracious reader. He worked as a postmaster and lawyer before entering politics as a Whig representative in Illinois. In the 1850s, Lincoln debated Stephen Douglas on the issue of slavery and its expansion, though he lost the election. In 1860, Lincoln was elected president as the first Republican with a platform ending the spread of slavery. As president during the Civil War, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and oversaw the Union victory before being assassinated in 1865.

1. ABRAHAM LINCOLN – BIOGRAPHY
Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Education:
Lincoln was born in Hardin County, Kentucky on February 12, 1809. He moved to Indiana in
1816 and lived there the rest of his youth. His mother died when he was nine but he was very
close to his stepmother who urged him to read. Lincoln himself stated that he had about one year
of formal education. However, he was taught by many different individuals. He loved to read and
learn from any books he could get his hands on.
Family Ties:
Father: Thomas Lincoln - farmer and carpenter
Mother: Nancy Hanks - died when Lincoln was nine. His stepmother, Sarah Bush Johnston, was
very close to him.
Siblings: Sarah Grigsby was the only sibling to live to maturity.
Wife: Mary Todd - grew up in relative wealth. Four of her siblings fought for the South. She was
considered mentally unbalanced.
Children:Edward - died at age 3 in 1850; Robert Todd - lawyer and diplomat; William Wallace
- the only president's child to die in the White House, and Thomas "Tad" - died at 18.
Abraham Lincoln's Military Career:
In 1832, Lincoln enlisted to fight in the Black Hawk War. He was quickly elected to be the
captain of a company of volunteers. His company joined regulars under Colonel Zachary Taylor.
He only served 30 days in this capacity and then signed on as a private in the mounted Rangers.
He then joined the Independent Spy Corps. He saw no real action during his short stint in the
military.

2. Career Before the Presidency:
Lincoln worked as a clerk before joining the military. He ran for the state legislature and lost in
1832. He was appointed as Postmaster of New Salem by Andrew Jackson (1833-36). He was
elected as a Whig to the Illinois legislature (1834-1842). He studied law and was admitted to the
bar in 1836. Lincoln served as a US Representative (1847-49). He was elected to the state
legislature in 1854 but resigned to run for the US Senate. He gave his famous "house divided"
speech after being nominated.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates:
Lincoln debated his opponent, Stephen Douglas, seven times in what became known as the
Lincoln-Douglas Debates. While they agreed on many issues, they disagreed over the morality of
slavery. Lincoln did not believe that slavery should spread any further but Douglas argued for
popular sovereignty. Lincoln explained that while he was not asking for equality, he believed
African-Americans should get the rights granted in the Declaration of Independence: life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Lincoln lost the state election to Douglas.
Bid for the Presidency - 1860:
Lincoln was nominated for the presidency by the Republican Party with Hannibal Hamlin as his
running mate. He ran on a platform denouncing disunion and calling for an end to slavery in the
territories. The Democrats were divided with Stephen Douglas representing the Democrats and
John Breckinridge the National (Southern) Democrats. John Bell ran for the Constitutional
Union Party which basically took votes from Douglas. In the end, Lincoln won 40% of the
popular vote and 180 of the 303 electors.
Re-election in 1864:
The Republicans, now the National Union Party, had some concern that Lincoln wouldn't win
but still renominated him with Andrew Johnson as his Vice President. Their platform demanded
unconditional surrender and the official end to slavery. His opponent, George McClellan, had
been relieved as the head of the Union armies by Lincoln. His platform was that the war was a
failure, and Lincoln had taken away too many civil liberties. Lincoln won because the war
turned in the North's favor during the campaign.
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln:
On April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated while attending a play at Ford's Theater in
Washington, D.C. Actor John Wilkes Booth shot him in the back of the head before jumping onto
the stage and escaping to Maryland. Lincoln died on April 15th.

3. On April 26th, Booth was found hiding in a barn which was set on fire. He was then shot and
killed. Eight conspirators were punished for their roles. Learn about the details and the
conspiracies surrounding Lincoln's assassination.
Historical Significance:
Abraham Lincoln is considered by many scholars to have been the best President. He is credited
with holding the Union together and leading the North to victory in the Civil War. Further, his
actions and beliefs led to the emancipation of African-Americans from the bonds of slavery.
Events and Accomplishments of Abraham Lincoln's Presidency:
The main event of Lincoln's presidency was the Civil War that lasted from 1861-65. Eleven states
seceded from the Union, and Lincoln firmly believed in the importance of not only defeating the
Confederation but eventually reuniting North and South.
In September 1862, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This freed the slaves in all
Southern states. In 1864, Lincoln promoted Ulysses S. Grant to be Commander of all Union
forces. Sherman's raid on Atlanta helped clench Lincoln's reelection in 1864. In April, 1865,
Richmond fell and Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse. During the Civil War,
Lincoln curbed civil liberties including suspending the writ of habeas corpus. However, at the
end of the Civil War, the Confederate officers were allowed to return home with dignity. In the
end, the war was the most costly in American history. Slavery was forever ended with the
passage of the 13th amendment.
Due to opposition to Virginia's secession from the Union, West Virginia broke off from the state
in 1863 and was admitted to the Union. Also, Nevada was made a state in 1864.
Other than the Civil War, during Lincoln's administration the Homestead Act was passed which
allowed squatters to take title to 160 acres of land after having lived in it for five years which
helped populate the Great Plains.