Modern | United States

Abraham Lincoln

Also known as: Honest Abe · The Great Emancipator · The Rail-Splitter · Father Abraham

16th President of the United States - Lawyer - Statesman

PoliticsMilitaryLawLeadership

Born: 1809

Died: 1865

Era: Modern

Region: United States

Birthplace: Hodgenville, Kentucky

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He led the nation through the American Civil War, preserving the Union and abolishing slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Born in a log cabin in Kentucky to a poor frontier family, Lincoln was largely self-taught and rose through frontier politics to become a lawyer and congressman before winning the presidency in 1860. His leadership during the Civil War and the moral weight of his speeches — including the Gettysburg Address — established him as one of the greatest presidents in American history.

Map

Timeline

1809 Event

Born in Kentucky

Born on February 12 in a one-room log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family was poor frontier farmers who moved frequently in search of better land.

1830 Event

Moved to Illinois

Helped his family move to Illinois, then struck out on his own at 21, settling eventually in New Salem — a small village on the Sangamon River.

1832 Event

Black Hawk War & First Election

Volunteered and was elected captain of his militia company during the Black Hawk War. Also ran for the Illinois state legislature for the first time, finishing eighth out of thirteen candidates.

1836 Event

Admitted to the Bar

Licensed to practice law in Illinois after years of self-study, reading law books borrowed from other lawyers. Moved to Springfield the following year to begin his legal career.

1842 Event

Married Mary Todd

Married Mary Todd in Springfield after a turbulent courtship. They would have four sons, only one of whom — Robert — survived to adulthood.

1847 Event

Elected to Congress

Served a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he vocally opposed the Mexican-American War and drew attention to President Polk's justifications for it.

1858 Event

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Challenged incumbent Senator Stephen Douglas to a series of seven landmark debates across Illinois on the issue of slavery's expansion, bringing Lincoln to national attention.

1860 Event

Elected President

Won the presidential election on November 6, becoming the first Republican president. His election triggered the secession of Southern states and the formation of the Confederacy.

1861 Event

Civil War Begins

Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter on April 12, beginning the Civil War. Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers and began assembling the Union war effort.

1861 Defeat

Battle of Fort Sumter

Charleston, South Carolina - vs Confederate States of America - The Confederate attack on Fort Sumter began the Civil War. Lincoln's response — calling for 75,000 volunteers — unified the North and set the Union war machine in motion.

1862 Victory

Battle of Antietam

Sharpsburg, Maryland - vs Confederate Army of Northern Virginia - The bloodiest single day in American military history. The Union's tactical victory gave Lincoln the political moment he needed to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

1863 Event

Emancipation Proclamation

Issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, declaring enslaved people in Confederate states to be free — transforming the Civil War into a war to end slavery.

1863 Event

Gettysburg Address

Delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19 at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery — 272 words that redefined the purpose of the Civil War and American democracy.

1863 Victory

Battle of Gettysburg

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania - vs Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under General Lee - The decisive turning point of the Civil War. The Union victory ended Lee's invasion of the North and crippled the Confederate offensive capability permanently.

1864 Event

Re-elected President

Won re-election against Democrat George McClellan in November, with a campaign centred on finishing the war and ending slavery permanently via constitutional amendment.

1864 Victory

Battle of Atlanta

Atlanta, Georgia - vs Confederate Army of Tennessee - Sherman's capture of Atlanta in September 1864 revived Northern morale and secured Lincoln's re-election, ensuring the war would be fought to complete victory.

1865 Event

Civil War Ends

Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the Civil War after four years of fighting.

1865 Event

Assassinated at Ford's Theatre

Shot by Confederate sympathiser John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C. on April 14. He died the following morning, becoming the first U.S. president to be assassinated.

1865 Victory

Appomattox Campaign

Appomattox Court House, Virginia - vs Confederate General Robert E. Lee - Lee's surrender to Grant effectively ended the Civil War, vindicating Lincoln's refusal to negotiate a peace that would have preserved slavery.

Family Tree

Parents

Thomas Lincoln

Father

1778–1851

Nancy Hanks Lincoln

Mother

1784–1818

Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln

Stepmother

1788–1869

Subject & Siblings

Lincoln

Self

1809 - 1865

Spouses

Mary Todd Lincoln

Wife

1818–1882

Children

Robert Todd Lincoln

Son

1843–1926

Edward Baker Lincoln

Son

1846–1850

William Wallace Lincoln

Son

1850–1862

Thomas "Tad" Lincoln

Son

1853–1871

Key Contributions

Scale Abolition of Slavery

Issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and championed the 13th Amendment, which permanently abolished slavery throughout the United States.
Shield Preserving the Union

Led the United States through its greatest internal crisis, refusing to let the nation dissolve and emerging victorious after four years of the bloodiest war in American history.
Scroll Gettysburg Address

Delivered one of the most celebrated speeches in history, reframing the Civil War as a struggle for human equality and redefining the meaning of American democracy.
Gavel Self-Made Lawyer & Statesman

Rose from frontier poverty and no formal schooling to become a skilled trial lawyer and the most consequential American president, almost entirely through self-education.

Fun Facts

Hat

Used His Hat as a Filing Cabinet

Lincoln famously stored letters, bills, and important documents inside his tall stovepipe hat, using it as a portable office filing system throughout his legal and political career.

Trophy

Nearly Undefeated Wrestler

Lincoln was an exceptional wrestler in his youth, with only one loss recorded in roughly 300 matches. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1992.

Lightbulb

The Only President to Hold a Patent

Lincoln patented a device in 1849 to lift boats over shallow waters using adjustable buoyant air chambers — the only U.S. president ever to hold a patent. The device was never manufactured.

Moon

Dreamed of His Own Death

Lincoln reportedly told his cabinet that shortly before his assassination he had a recurring dream of sailing rapidly toward a "dark and indefinite shore" — a dream he had before every major Civil War event.

Death

Gunshot wound to the head

April 15, 1865

Location

Location: Petersen House, Washington D.C.

Burial: Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois

Those Present

John Wilkes Booth

Confederate sympathiser who shot Lincoln as part of a wider conspiracy to decapitate the Union government.

Impact

Lincoln's assassination came just five days after the effective end of the Civil War — a moment of national triumph turned instantly to grief. He was the first U.S. president to be assassinated. His death galvanised public support for Reconstruction but removed the one man whose political skill and temperament might have made it succeed.