= Abraham Lincoln = '''Abraham Lincoln''' was a [[UnitedStates/WhigParty|Whig]] and later [[UnitedStates/RepublicanParty|Republican]] politician, [[UnitedStates/Congress|congressman]], and [[UnitedStates/Presidents|president]] of the United States. <<TableOfContents>> ---- == History == Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in the state of Kentucky. He served in the Illinois militia during the [[UnitedStates/Makataimeshekiakiak|Black Hawk War]]. He ran for a seat in the '''Illinois House of Representatives''' in 1834 as a [[UnitedStates/WhigParty|Whig]] representing Sangamon county; he went on to serve four terms. In 1842, he lost the Whig nomination for the [[UnitedStates/Congress|IL-7 seat]] to [[UnitedStates/JohnJHardin|Hardin]]. He did succeed in 1846, and won the subsequent election; he had however promised to serve only one term. During his term, he supported [[UnitedStates/ZacharyTaylor|Taylor's]] candidacy for the Whig presidential nomination in 1848. Lincoln returned to the state House in 1854, again running as a Whig for Sangamon county; he however declines the seat he won to remain eligible for [[UnitedStates/JamesShields|Shields']] senatorial seat. His supporters in the legislature held a plurality, but he was not able to build a majority. Eventually he stepped aside in favor of [[UnitedStates/LymanTrumbull|Trumbull]], to ensure [[UnitedStates/JoelAldrichMatteson|Matteson]] did not win. Leading into the 1856 presidential election, he joined the [[UnitedStates/RepublicanParty|Republicans]] and founded the Illinois chapter of the party. He delivered the closing speech at the party's convention. He supported the [[UnitedStates/JohnCFremont|Frémont]]-[[UnitedStates/WilliamLDayton|Dayton]] ticket (which would not win) and [[UnitedStates/WilliamHenryBissell|Bissell]] for the Illinoisan governorship (who did win), establishing him as a party insider. Lincoln aimed to contest [[UnitedStates/StephenADouglas|Douglas']] senate seat in 1858; he won the Republican nomination and participated in the '''Lincoln-Douglas debates'''. Ultimately the state legislature remained [[UnitedStates/DemocraticParty|Democrat]]-controlled and Douglas was re-elected to the seat. Running with [[UnitedStates/HannibalHamlin|Hamlin]], he received the Republican nomination in 1860. Other notable candidates were [[UnitedStates/WilliamHSeward|Seward]] and [[UnitedStates/SalmonPChase|Chase]]. In the context of a split Democratic nomination, and a third party spoiler in [[UnitedStates/ConstitutionalUnion|Constitutional Union]], Lincoln won the election despite receiving zero votes in 10 slave states. Lincoln's presidency is entirely characterized by the [[UnitedStates/CivilWar|Civil War]]. Several states, including South Carolina, had signed onto a [[UnitedStates/GeorgeWCrawford|Ordinance of Secession]] ahead of his inauguration and began a siege of [[UnitedStates/Charleston|Ft. Sumter]]. The '''Battle of Ft. Sumter''' occurred on April 12 following the inauguration. Lincoln was assassinated by [[UnitedStates/JohnWilkesBooth|Booth]] on April 14, 1865 at [[UnitedStates/WashingtonDC|Ford's Theatre]]. ---- == Policies == Even before the [[UnitedStates/CivilWar|Civil War]], Lincoln had a clear history of opposing slavery. He began to support [[UnitedStates/FreeSoilParty|free soil policy]] as early as his terms in the Illinois House of Representatives. He expressed a personal opinion of opposing slavery in his 1854 '''Peoria Speech'''. He crossed party lines to support abolitionist [[UnitedStates/DemocraticParty|Democrats]] and himself changed parties to join the generally anti-slavery [[UnitedStates/RepublicanParty|Republicans]]. Lincoln did not have a significant military career, but became a definitive war president. He micromanaged the [[UnitedStates/ArmedForces|U.S. Army]] officer corps throughout the Civil War. ---- CategoryRicottone