Slavery Biographies | Abraham Lincoln Biography

Born February 12, 1809
Hardin County, Kentucky (near Hodgeville,
Kentucky)
Died April 15, 1865
Washington, D.C.

U.S. President

In 1863, during the height of the American Civil War (1861-65), sixteenth president of the United States Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, a presidential order that granted freedom to slaves held in Confederate (southern) states. Hailed as the "Great Emancipator," Lincoln set in motion the turning point that ultimately ended the bloodiest conflict in American history. He did not live, however, to see the reconciliation of a divided nation. In 1865, five days after the Confederate surrender, Lincoln became the first U.S. president to be assassinated. He has since become a legendary figure not only in the United States but throughout the world. His story—the rise from humble frontiersman to one of the greatest presidents in U.S....