Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln (1809-65) is the 16th President of the United States. He kept the union together and eliminated slavery. Lincoln was consistent and unswerving in his demand that freedom, choice, and self-government be understood. He also made extraordinary efforts to attain knowledge while working on a farm, splitting rails for fences, and keeping store at New Salem, Illinois. He was a captain in the Black Hawk War, spent eight years in the Illinois legislature, and rode the circuit of courts for many years. Even his law partner said that his ambition was an engine that knew no rest. Many Americans think of Abraham Lincoln, above all, as the president who freed the slaves. Immortalized as the "Great Emancipator," he is widely regarded as a champion of black freedom who supported social equality of the races, and who fought the American Civil War (1861-1865) to free the slaves as he regarded slavery as an evil and harmful institution.
In 1856, Lincoln became a member of the Republican Party and quickly became a political front-runner as a moderate who could woo both conservatives and abolitionists. However, Lincoln did not completely oppose slavery as he believed that it was an evil that should be contained and not allowed to grow. After gaining recognition as a possible vice presidential candidate in 1856, he was picked to oppose Stephen Douglas in the Illinois senatorial race. It was during this race that Lincoln and Douglas began a series of famous debates over the topic of slavery. While Lincoln lost the race, he became a pick for the Republican presidential bid in 1860 and won the presidency with a minority of the popular. Lincoln presided over the country during one of its most tumultuous periods. However, despite the ravaging of America's Civil War, Lincoln was able to maintain the continuity of the Union. The main goals during his presidency were restoration and preservation of the Union. Although he is often remembered as " The Great Emancipator", Lincoln, not wanting to alienate any American, at first tried to preserve the integrity of the Union by allowing for a gradual elimination to slavery. Yet, later he realized that in order for the Union to prevail slavery must end. Consequently, on September 22, 1862 Lincoln issued an attempted to free Confederate slaves. In addition to being both doubtful legally and feasibly, Lincoln's efforts only freed a minority of slaves and didn't come into full effect until after his death.