Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th President of the United States, rose from poverty as a self-educated frontiersman to lead the nation through its greatest crisis. During the American Civil War, he preserved the Union, issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and championed the Thirteenth Amendment that permanently abolished slavery. He was assassinated at Ford's Theatre in April 1865.
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, delivered in just two minutes, redefined American democracy with the enduring phrase 'government of the people, by the people, for the people,' which has inspired democratic movements worldwide. His journey from frontier poverty to the presidency, his unwavering commitment to national unity during civil war, and his ultimate sacrifice for the cause of human freedom have made him one of history's most revered leaders.
