Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the president of the United States from 1861 to his assassination in 1865. His presidency was dominated by the Civil War: One month after he was elected, seven Southern states attempted to secede from the United States (they were later joined by four others), in large part to preserve the institution of slavery. As president, Lincoln was determined to preserve the Union. This focus was continually challenged by abolitionists who considered him too mild on the subject of slavery, and by those who sought to end the Civil War by accepting an independent Confederacy.

Lincoln was personally opposed to slavery and earlier in his career had favored gradual, compensated emancipation. But as president he hesitated to abolish slavery outright, believing that preserving the Union should take the highest priority. Lincoln succinctly expressed his...