UNITED STATES · 1809–1865
Abraham Lincoln
16th President · Union Leader · Emancipator
- ELECTED PRESIDENT
- 51
- IN OFFICE
- 4 years
- AGE AT DEATH
- 56
He preserved the Union and changed the meaning of freedom
Abraham Lincoln rose from a modest frontier background to become a lawyer, congressman, and national voice against the expansion of slavery. His election split an already divided nation.
Could You Save a Divided Nation?
Take his place. Hold the Union together while deciding how far and how fast freedom should advance.
Timeline
History, Step by Step
His presidency unfolded under constant pressure. Each decision carried military, political, and human costs.
- 1860
ELECTED PRESIDENT
Lincoln wins without carrying the South, convincing many slaveholding states that their power is in danger.
NATION SPLITS - 1861
WAR BEGINS
Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter. Lincoln calls for troops, and four more states leave the Union.
THE CRISIS - 1862
A NEW WAR AIM
Lincoln decides emancipation can weaken the Confederacy and give the Union cause a larger moral purpose.
THE SHIFT - 1863
EMANCIPATION TAKES EFFECT
The proclamation declares enslaved people free in areas still in rebellion and allows Black military service.
FREEDOM - 1864
REELECTED IN WARTIME
Military victories help Lincoln win a second term and pursue a constitutional end to slavery.
MANDATE - 1865
VICTORY AND ASSASSINATION
Days after Lee’s surrender, Lincoln is killed. The nation enters Reconstruction without his leadership.
THE LOSS
