Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865) US President during American civil war

Key facts about Abraham Lincoln  Biography

1. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.

2. He was born in 1809 in Kentucky and grew up in Indiana and Illinois.

3. Lincoln is widely regarded as one of America's greatest presidents, known for leading the country through its Civil War and preserving the Union.

4. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, declaring all slaves in Confederate-held territory to be free.

5. He delivered the Gettysburg Address, one of the most famous speeches in American history, in 1863 during the American Civil War.

6. Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, while attending a play at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.

7. He is the only U.S. president to have been assassinated while in office.

8. Lincoln has been widely studied and admired for his leadership, eloquence, and compassion, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest American presidents.

Abraham Lincoln Bouncing back from Failure

Abraham Lincoln is widely recognized for his resilience and determination in the face of failure. Throughout his life, he experienced numerous setbacks and obstacles, including the loss of several business ventures, political defeats, and even a nervous breakdown. However, he never gave up on his dreams and aspirations, and instead, used each failure as an opportunity to learn, grow, and bounce back stronger. His persistence and unwavering commitment to his goals ultimately led him to become the 16th President of the United States and one of the most revered leaders in American history. 

Appearance

Abraham Lincoln was known for his unusual and ugly looks, but some saw his appearance as beautiful due to its unique features, such as a strange mouth and deep cut, criss-cross lines. He was tall (6ft 4in) and thin, weighing around 180lbs. He was the first U.S. president to wear a beard, which he grew after receiving a letter from an 11-year-old girl who suggested it would make him more charming.

Personal life

Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky on the Western Frontier and was named after his paternal grandfather who was a military captain in the American Revolution. He was saved from drowning and kicked unconscious by a horse in two brushes with death. He was self-educated, abstained from alcohol and tobacco, and supported the Temperance movement. He was close to his step-mother and physically strong, but not keen on manual labor. He worked at various jobs, including farm hand, rail-splitter, county surveyor, lawyer, boatman, and General Store Manager. He was an adept boatman and the only president to successfully apply for a patent. As president, he earned $25,000 a year and had an estate of $82,000 at his death. He married Mary Todd in 1842.

Lawyer 

Abraham Lincoln was a self-taught lawyer who practiced law in Springfield, Illinois. He was admitted to the bar in 1836 and handled over 5,000 cases in his legal career, including murder charges, civil cases, and railroad cases. He took one case, Lewis v. Lewis, to the US Supreme Court. In 1858, he successfully defended a client, William Armstrong, on a murder charge by using a Farmer's Almanac to challenge witness testimony.

Slavery

Abraham Lincoln opposed slavery and believed that all men should be free. He witnessed slavery firsthand in New Orleans and took a vow to end it. Lincoln often referenced the Declaration of Independence and believed that the Founding Fathers intended for slavery to eventually die out in the United States. In the 1850s, Lincoln opposed acts such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act that could lead to the spread of slavery into free states. Although he wasn't an abolitionist, he personally wished for all men to be free and spoke out against the extension of slavery into new states. In 1857, he denounced the Supreme Court's decision in Dred Scott v Sanford and argued that the Declaration of Independence considered all men equal and entitled to inalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Politics

Abraham Lincoln served as a Whig politician in the Illinois state legislature from 1834 to 1842. He supported internal improvements and expressed support for women's suffrage. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1847 to 1849 and was critical of President Polk's actions in the Mexican War. He returned to being a lawyer after two years in Congress and ran for Senate in 1854 but withdrew to support the anti-slavery candidate. In 1858, he ran for Senate against Stephen Douglass and lost, but his performance impressed the Republican Party. In 1860, Lincoln won the presidential election, becoming the first president from the Republican Party. As President, he vetoed only four bills and signed a bill for the first US income tax. He also made Thanksgiving a holiday, approved the creation of the National Academy of Sciences, and supported the creation of Yosemite Valley National Park. In 1864, he was re-elected in a landslide.

Lincoln during the Civil War

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States and served during the Civil War. He was cautious in his approach towards the South, trying to avoid firing the first shots in the conflict. Despite criticism, Lincoln assumed sweeping powers as Commander in Chief, including military draft, suspension of habeas corpus, and appointment of generals. He became frustrated with timid generals such as McClellan and was criticised by both Copperheads and Radical Republicans. The Civil War, for Lincoln, was primarily about defending the Union. However, the Emancipation Proclamation, issued in 1863, aimed to free slaves in states under Union control. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, given in 1863, is widely considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. In 1863/64, Lincoln appointed General Ulysses S. Grant to command the Union army. He supported Grant despite criticism and was known for his compassion towards deserters, overturning most death sentences for desertion.

Assassination

John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, while he was attending a play at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Booth was a Confederate sympathizer and was angry about Lincoln's support for voting rights for African Americans.

Personal characteristics

Abraham Lincoln was widely known for his honesty, integrity and truthfulness, which earned him the nickname "Honest Abe." He was a man of conscience and was known for working hard to pay off debts inherited from his business partner. He was also known for his political approach that was based on reflection and reading, avoiding personal attacks and slogans. Although Lincoln did not support equal voting rights for black voters at the time, he treated people with respect and did not differentiate based on skin color, as noted by Frederick Douglass.

Religion

Abraham Lincoln was known to have a strong faith in God and was often seen reading the Bible. Although he never officially joined a church, he did attend services with his wife, especially during his presidency. His religious views were personal and private, and he did not publicly profess any specific Christian beliefs.

Abraham Lincoln was a man of many interesting and unusual facts. Some of the facts include:

He saw John Wilkes Booth, his eventual assassin, in a play just months before his assassination.

He almost fought a duel with swords in 1842.

He declared Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863.

He was offered a gift of elephants by the King of Siam after being elected as president.

Coincidentally, both he and President Kennedy were shot in the head on a Friday while seated beside their wives. Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theatre and Kennedy was shot in a Lincoln automobile made by Ford. these are all labels that were applied to Abraham Lincoln during his lifetime and after.

Historical Reputation

Abraham Lincoln is widely considered one of the greatest American Presidents. In numerous scholarly surveys and polls of historians and political scientists, he is frequently ranked as the top president, often followed by George Washington and Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the Washington Post's "Presidential Rankings Poll," a poll of polls, Lincoln was rated as the best president.