Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in rural Kentucky. He went from a young boy teaching himself in the backwoods of Kentucky and Indiana, to working various jobs as a young man, to teaching himself law, to running for various political positions, to then becoming the President of the United States. Only through perseverance, courage, and determination was Abraham Lincoln able to accomplish this.

He was born in 1809 in rural Kentucky and his family later moved to the Indiana woods. Abraham did not have an easy childhood, or one that necessarily put much value into an education, that is until his father remarried after his mother’s death. Abraham’s stepmother continually encouraged him in his learning pursuits. Even then, Abraham had little formal schooling and was mostly self-taught. He borrowed many books to continue learning. Years later, he became a lawyer, also teaching himself through various books.

Before Lincoln was eventually elected President, ran for Senator, or even became a lawyer, he was a hard-working man, always continuing to learn. He worked on a river boat, split fence rails, worked at a New Salem store, and was a Captain during the Black Hawk War. Abraham also spent eight years from 1834-1842 in the Illinois legislature. Lincoln ran for the Senate in 1858 against Stephen A. Douglas and even though he lost, the well-known Douglas versus Lincoln debates gave him a grand reputation, which is a reason why he was nominated as a Republican candidate in 1860.

Abraham was elected as the 16th President of the United States, and only a few weeks after his inauguration, South Carolina fired upon Fort Sumter and seceded from the Union. Abraham Lincoln was the President during one of the most trying times in American history. While President, he strengthened the new Republican party, signed the Emancipation Proclamation, ended slavery with the 13th amendment, was a strong and courageous wartime leader, and fought hard for the preservation of the Union, all while dealing with personal grief over the death of his son, and his wife’s deep depression over the loss.

Not long after the war ended, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Abraham and his wife, Mary, attended a play at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865. Assassin John Wilkes Booth entered Lincoln’s booth and shot him in the back of the head. Abraham Lincoln died the next day on April 15, 1865.

Abraham Lincoln was the politician who never lost sight of his values and morals while climbing the political ladder. He is a prime example of a politician who kept his values, and was determined to put the Union above all else, and do what was necessary to preserve it. Abraham Lincoln’s courage, determination, steadfastness, and perseverance, served him well in his life, enabling him to do much for the United States and its citizens.