Lincoln was elected as the sixteenth president of the United States of America. He saved the union and he was the emancipator of slaves despite rising from humble beginnings and leading his country through a bloodied civil war. Abraham Lincoln was born to Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln on February 12th, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky. He had an elder sister, Sarah, and a younger brother, Thomas, who died in infancy. Born into a poor, illiterate household, education was not heavily encouraged. In fact, Lincoln’s father discouraged his interest in academics and tried to busy Lincoln in physical labour …show more content…
He ran for the Illinois General Assembly as a member of the Whig Party in 1834 and was re-elected in 1836 and 1838. During this time Abraham studied law and graduated with a law degree in 1835. On November 4, 1842, Lincoln married Mary Todd, who he had four sons with, Robert, Edward, William and Thomas. On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the United States, becoming the first Republican President. On April 12, the Confederate artillery opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbour and the Civil War began. On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves in territories held by Confederates, leading the Union to victory and ending the Civil War on April 9, 1865. On November 8, 1864, Lincoln was re-elected as president. However, tragically on April 15, 1865, the United States of America and the world, lost an amazing leader when President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wikes Booth on April 14 whilst attending the theatre with Mary. Lincoln’s legacy lived on after his death as on December 6, 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was finally ratified and slavery was abolished. Later, Lincoln’s