Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. Born in a log
cabin in the backwoods, Lincoln was almost entirely self-educated. In 1831 he
settled in New Salem, Ill., and worked as a storekeeper, surveyor, and
postmaster while studying law. The story of his brief love affair there with
Anne Rutledge is now discredited. In 1834 he was elected to the state
legislature, and in 1836 he became a lawyer. He served one term (184749) in
Congress as a Whig; in 1855 he sought to become a senator but failed. In 1856 he
joined the new Republican Party. He ran again in 1858 for the Senate against
Stephen A. Douglas, and in a spirited campaign he and Douglas engaged in seven
debates. Lincoln was not an abolitionist, but he regarded slavery as an evil and
opposed its extension. Although he lost the election, he had by now made a name
for himself, and in 1860 he was nominated by the Republicans for president. He
ran against a divided Democratic party and was......
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