{\b Abraham Lincoln}.

{\b Date of Birth}.: 12 February 1809 

{\b Date of Death}.: 15 April 1865

{\b Works}.

US President from 1860-1865. 
He is remembered for his two inaugural speeches, The Gettysburg Address (1863) 
and the speech on Reconstruction (April 1865), as well as the Emancipation 
Proclamation (1862). He also wrote many letters to individuals and delegations.

 The Gettysburg address is considered one of the most significant expressions 
of American democracy.

{\b General Comment}.

Abraham Lincoln was the son of a frontiersman and grew up in the rough society 
of the frontier, living by manual labour and receiving only the most basic 
education, hence his later nickname of The Railsplitter. 
He managed, however, to train as a lawyer and in 1836 began to practice as an 
attorney. He also became involved in politics, serving on the Illinois 
legislature from 1834-41 and becoming a minor power in the local Whig party.

 Lincoln served in Congress from 1847 -49, but some of the issues he 
campaigned for made him so unpopular he didn't bother to stand for 
re-election. Instead he concentrated on his legal practice and did not return 
to politics until 1855. In 1856 he associated himself with the new Republican 
party which was rapidly rising to prominence, and in 1860 was chosen as 
Presidential candidate by the Republican convention. On 6 November he was 
elected President with a considerable majority, but without the popular vote. 
His lack of executive experience led to a period of wavering after the crisis 
caused by the firing on Fort Sumter during the Civil War. Throughout the 
conflict, Lincoln saw the Civil War as a huge rebellion best dealt with by 
changing laws, expanding the army beyond its legal limit and so on; indeed it 
has been said that he became virtually a dictator.

 His most famous executive act was the Emancipation Proclamation which gave 
freedom to slaves in rebel territories, while those in loyal or conquered 
states were to be freed by later legislation. His Gettysburg Address declaring 
that the aim of the Civil War was to make possible government "of the people, 
by the people, for the people" is familiar around the world. 
In 1864 he was re-elected in an atmosphere of national depression and war 
weariness. On 14 April 1865 he was shot by John Wilkes Booth and died the 
following morning.