AbrahamLincoln(February12,1809–April15,1865)wasthesixteenthPresidentoftheUnitedStates.Hesuccessfullyledthecountrythroughitsgreatestinternalcrisis,theAmericanCivilWar,savingtheUnionandendingslavery,onlytobeassassinatedasthewarwasvirtuallyover.BeforebecomingthefirstRepublicanelectedtothePresidency,Lincolnwasalawyer,anIllinoisstatelegislator,amemberoftheUnitedStatesHouseofRepresentatives,andtwiceanunsuccessfulcandidateforelectiontotheSenate.AsanoutspokenopponentoftheexpansionofslaveryintheUnitedStates,[1][2]LincolnwontheRepublicanPartynominationin1860andwaselectedpresidentlaterthatyear.Duringhistimeinoffice,hecontributedtotheefforttopreservetheUnitedStatesbyleadingthedefeatofthesecessionistConfederateStatesofAmericaintheAmericanCivilWar.Heintroducedmeasuresthatresultedintheabolitionofslavery,issuinghisEmancipationProclamationin1863andpromotingthepassageoftheThirteenthAmendmenttotheConstitution,whichpassedCongressbeforeLincoln'sdeathandwasratifiedbythestateslaterin1865.Lincolncloselysupervisedthevictoriouswareffort,especiallytheselectionoftopgenerals,includingUlyssesS.Grant.HistorianshaveconcludedthathehandledthefactionsoftheRepublicanPartywell,bringingleadersofeachfactionintohiscabinetandforcingthemtocooperate.LincolnsuccessfullydefusedawarscarewiththeUnitedKingdomin1861.Underhisleadership,theUniontookcontroloftheborderslavestatesatthestartofthewar.Additionally,hemanagedhisownreelectioninthe1864presidentialelection.Opponentsofthewar(alsoknownas"Copperheads")criticizedLincolnforrefusingtocompromiseontheslaveryissue.Conversely,theRadicalRepublicans,anabolitionistfactionoftheRepublicanParty,criticizedhimformovingtooslowlyinabolishingslavery.Evenwiththeseroadblocks,Lincolnsuccessfullyralliedpublicopinionthroughhisrhetoricandspeeches;hisGettysburgAddressisbutoneexampleofthis.Atthecloseofthewar,LincolnheldamoderateviewofReconstruction,seekingtospeedilyreunitethenationthroughapolicyofgenerousreconciliation.Hisassassinationin1865wasthefirstpresidentialassassinationinU.S.historyandasaresultLincolnisseenasamartyrfortheidealofnationalunity.[citationneeded]LincolnhasbeenconsistentlyrankedbyscholarsasoneofthegreatestU.S.Presidents.