Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 to April 15, 1865) was an American politician, strategist, and the 16th president. Lincoln was the first Republican president who led the abolition of slavery among black Americans during his tenure.
In August 1834, Lincoln was elected as a member of the Whig Party as a senator for Illinois. In 1856, Lincoln withdrew from the Whig Party and joined the newly formed Republican Party. On November 6, 1860, Lincoln was elected as the President of the United States. After the outbreak of the American Civil War, Lincoln signed the Homestead Act and issued the Emancipation Proclamation, laying the foundation for the victory of the North in the Civil War. On November 8, 1864, Lincoln was re elected as the President of the United States. On April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated by John Booth and passed away the next morning at the age of 56.
During the outbreak of the Civil War in the United States, Lincoln firmly opposed national division. He abolished slavery in the rebellious states, defeated the Southern Separatists, and upheld the rights of the United States and its territories to all races and equal rights.
In 2006, Abraham Lincoln was ranked the first among the 100 people who influenced the United States by the authoritative American journal Atlantic Monthly. [1] In 2008, the British Times ranked 43 US presidents as the "Greatest Presidents" according to different criteria, with Abraham Lincoln ranking first.

Early experiences
On February 12, 1809, Lincoln was born into a poor family in Harding County, Kentucky. Their parents are descendants of British immigrants who make a living by farming and hunting. When Lincoln was a child, he helped his family move firewood, carry water, and do farm work.
In 1816, the Lincoln family moved to the southwest of Indiana and cultivated land for a living. At the age of 9, Lincoln's mother, who was only 36 years old, unfortunately passed away. A year later, my father married a kind and open-minded woman named Sally Bush. The stepmother is kind and hardworking, treating her husband's ex-wife's children as if they were her own child. She is full of love for Little Lincoln, and Lincoln also respects her stepmother. The family lives in harmony and happiness. Due to his poor family background, Lincoln only attended elementary school for four months. In order to study, he borrowed books everywhere and often traded his hard work for books, newspapers, and magazines for reading. I can't afford to practice calligraphy with a notebook, so I write on a flat wall. As a result, he gradually accumulated a large amount of knowledge, including poetry, law, and biography. In addition, he also self-taught geometry.
At the age of 18, Lincoln, a tall man, was hired by a ship owner to sail down the Ohio River and to New Orleans. Before the age of 25, Lincoln had no fixed career. In order to maintain his family, he worked as a ferryman on the Ohio River, a plantation worker, a shop assistant and a stonemason. As an adult, due to his proficiency in surveying and calculation, he became a local land surveyor and was often invited to resolve boundary disputes. Despite his hard work, Lincoln remained a young man who loved reading and often stayed up late reading. In his youth, Lincoln read all Shakespeare's works, read "American History", and also read many historical and literary books. [3-4]
Initial political foray
In 1834, Lincoln delivered his first political speech at a political rally, criticizing black slavery and proposing suggestions that were beneficial to the public cause, which made Lincoln influential among the public; In August of the same year, at the age of 25, Lincoln was elected as a member of the Whig Party and served three consecutive terms until 1842. He also managed the rural postal office and engaged in land surveying. [4]
In 1835, Lincoln's fianc é e Anne Rutledge unfortunately passed away. Lincoln suffered a mental breakdown and was bedridden for six months.
In 1836, Lincoln became a lawyer through years of self-study and later partnered with others to establish a law firm in Springfield. Soon, Lincoln became the leader of the Whig Party in the state legislature. After several failed elections, Lincoln, at the age of 37, was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1846.
In 1842, Lincoln married Mary Todd.
In 1847, Lincoln, as a representative of the Whig Party, ran for Congress and achieved success, making his first trip to the capital, Washington. Before and after this, the debate about slavery became a major event in American political life. In this debate, Lincoln gradually became an opponent of slavery. He believed that slavery should eventually be eliminated and should first be abolished in the capital, Washington. The slaveholders, who represented the interests of Southern slave owners, fiercely opposed Lincoln's elimination of slavery.
In 1850, the power of slave owners in the United States increased significantly, and Lincoln was forced to give up his position as a congressman and continue to do so

Elected President
On June 16, 1858, Lincoln delivered a speech titled "Family Dispute" while running for president with Douglas. On November 6, 1860, Lincoln was elected as the President of the United States, marking the first time the Republican Party took office. Lincoln's election posed a serious threat to the interests of southern plantation owners, and in order to regain their long-term control of national leadership, they launched a rebellion. The 11 southern states successively withdrew from the federation, declared the establishment of the "United States of America", and formulated new constitutions to elect a new president. [5]
On March 4, 1861, Lincoln became the President of the United States. [2]
On April 12, 1861, the Confederate Army shelled Fort Sumter, a Union stronghold located in Charleston Port, South Carolina, which opened the prelude to the civil war. On April 15th, Lincoln ordered the conscription of volunteers to fight for federal unity, and the Civil War broke out.
After the Civil War, President Lincoln made a decisive decision, not only expanding the presidential war power, but also ordering the suspension of citizens' habeas corpus privileges in some areas.
Winning the Civil War
In May 1862, Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which stipulated that each American citizen could pay a registration fee of only $10 to acquire 160 acres of land in the West. After five years of continuous cultivation, he became the legal owner of the land. This measure fundamentally eliminated the possibility of southern slave owners seizing western land, while also meeting the urgent needs of farmers and greatly stimulating their enthusiasm to participate in the war. In September 1862, Lincoln personally drafted the Draft Declaration on the Liberation of Black Slaves.
On January 1, 1863, the "Declaration on the Liberation of Black Slaves" was officially promulgated, announcing the abolition of slavery in the rebellious states from that day on. Liberated black slaves could be called up to join the federal army. The announcement of the freedom of black slaves fundamentally disrupted the combat effectiveness of the Southern army and provided the Northern army with resources.
In 1863, Lincoln proposed the programmatic slogan of "by the people, by the people, and for the people", making war a revolutionary struggle of the masses. In April, the commander in chief of the federal army, Grant, implemented a new attack plan, first destroying the strongholds around the fortress, and then surrounding Vicksburg. The navy also came to assist in the battle, attacking from both land and water, fiercely shelling the fortress, and the deafening sound of artillery continued for 47 days. From July 1st to 3rd, the two sides engaged in the largest battle since the Civil War in Gettysburg, north of Washington. The two sides engaged in a fierce battle for three days and nights. On July 4th, the besieged southern army ran out of ammunition and food, and was forced to surrender. The northern army dealt a heavy blow to the southern army, causing a loss of 36000 soldiers. From then on, the northern army began a counterattack, while the southern army had to defend.
Due to Lincoln's outstanding achievements in the American Civil War, he was re elected as President of the United States on November 8, 1864. On April 3, 1865, the rebel capital of Richmond was captured. On April 9th, the rebel commander in chief, Robert Edward Lee, led 28000 remaining troops to surrender to Grant in the small village of Apomatox. The four year long Civil War ended with victory in the north.

be assassinated
At 10:15 p.m. on April 14, 1865, the fifth day after the surrender of the southern army, Lincoln was watching a play in the President's Box at Washington Ford Theater. John Wilkes Booth, an actor who sympathized with the south, shot Lincoln in the head when the president's bodyguards left.
Although Abraham Lincoln did not die immediately after he was hit, his wife was always around to encourage him: "Live, you must live!" But at 7 a.m. on April 15, 1865, Abraham Lincoln died at the age of 56. [4] On May 4th, Lincoln was buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Politics
In the Civil War, the center of Lincoln's political strategy was to maintain the unity of the Union. In his mind, "the federation means a free government, a government for the people, by the people, and for the people." He believed that saving the federation and restoring national unity should be the highest goal of the civil war, and his attitude persisted until the victory of the civil war ended. In the early stages of the Civil War, Lincoln avoided the issue of slavery. By the middle of the Civil War, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and until the later stages of the Civil War, he adopted a tolerant policy towards the rebellious government and army in the South, all of which were subordinate to the fundamental goal of federal unity. In the early stages of the Civil War, the priority between abolishing slavery and maintaining federal unity became a focus of debate between the US government and the opposition. Lincoln and the opposition (radical and abolitionism) had very different views on this issue. The opposition believes that the southern states' black slaves should be liberated first, and then the rebellion should be quelled. Lincoln, on the other hand, considered the overall and long-term interests of the country and believed that maintaining the unity of the Union was a primary issue. In his message to Congress on July 4, 1861, he emphasized that "the Union is indivisible. Both houses of Congress agreed with Lincoln's views and subsequently unanimously passed a resolution on the purpose of the war. Declare that war "is not for any purpose of conquest or suppression, nor to overthrow or interfere with the rights and existing systems of the southern states. The sole purpose of war is to preserve the Union. Maintaining federal unity "became the guiding slogan of the Lincoln administration and the supreme goal of the Civil War. For this purpose, Lincoln adopted an evasive attitude towards the issue of slavery. He believed, "If I could save the Union without liberating a slave, I would be willing to do so; if this was to save the Union and require liberating all slaves, I would also be willing to do so." In the circumstances at that time, the Union was the only flag that could unite the largest number of people and also the only flag that could lead to victory. Faced with the current and objective situation in the United States at that time, Lincoln's strategy of avoiding slavery was wise. It is subject to and conducive to the central purpose of maintaining federal unity.
In the second stage of the war, Lincoln changed his strategy of avoiding slavery and resolutely declared the liberation of slaves. On September 22, 1862, Lincoln personally drafted the Draft Declaration on the Liberation of Black Slaves. On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation of Black Slaves was officially promulgated, announcing the abolition of slavery in the rebellious states from that day on, and the freedom of black slaves in the territories under the rebellion of the United States of America. Liberated black slaves can be called up to join the federal army. The announcement of the freedom of black slaves fundamentally disrupted the combat effectiveness of the Southern army and provided a strong source of troops for the Northern army. During the Civil War, the number of black people directly participating in the war reached 186000. They fought bravely, with an average of one in three black people giving their lives to the cause of liberation. He made important contributions to maintaining national unity and liberating black slaves.
At the end of the Civil War, the radicals believed that the southern states participating in the rebellion should be "treated as conquered areas, and new people should be moved there, and the rebel should be expelled". Lincoln opposed the idea of the radicals, and believed that the southern states had never legally separated from the Union, but only temporarily interrupted their ties with the Union because of launching and participating in the rebellion. He adopts a tolerant attitude towards the rebels

military
As the supreme commander of the military, Lincoln's leadership over the country during the American Civil War was mainly reflected in the military. Lincoln made every effort to prevent the outbreak of war before the war, but after the outbreak of the civil war, he showed a steadfast attitude towards the war to the end. This is also determined based on his fundamental purpose of maintaining federal unity. In the early stages of the war, the northern army suffered a disastrous defeat, and many people in the country demanded a ceasefire and reconciliation. However, Lincoln strongly opposed the consensus and insisted on continuing the battle.
During the war, Lincoln participated in the formulation and command of major strategic and campaign plans, without even neglecting specific details. Although Lincoln did not come from a military background and lacked practical experience in commanding battles, he read a large number of military works through the Library of Congress and was familiar with Napoleon's military ideas and Von Klausewitz's military theory. Lincoln integrated the strengths of the two families and made strategic decisions based on time and place, without sticking to conventional rules. In the early stages of the war, Lincoln formulated a strategic policy of "seeking enemies to fight and adopting an offensive". Lincoln believed that the southern army should be the target of attack, rather than the southern capital of Richmond, to eliminate the enemy's viable forces. The reasons for the retreat of the Northern Army from 1861 to 1863 were multifaceted, and General Mead's heavy attack on Robert Edward Lee's army in Gettysburg in June 1863 was an important manifestation of Lincoln's strategic principles. In the middle and late stages of the war, Lincoln began to concentrate his superior forces and implement the strategic policy of "clamp type sniping and comprehensive counterattack". General Grant and General Mead commanded southward on the eastern front, while Salman and Thomas cooperated with the southward troops on the western front. The eastern and western war zones won decisive victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg almost simultaneously. On March 28, 1865, under the personal leadership of Lincoln, an emergency meeting of senior generals was held, and it was decided to adopt the strategic policy of tightening the encirclement and launching simultaneous entry from the north and south. Grant and Salman clashed on two fronts, forcing the federal government to abandon Richmond and ultimately surrounding the remnants of Robert Edward Lee, ending the American Civil War. Lincoln's strategic decisions demonstrated his ability to command war and control the overall situation, making immortal contributions to the ultimate victory of the war. [7]
International Relations
The American Civil War ended with the victory of the northern United States. The Lincoln administration, in the face of the obstacles set by European powers, adopted a series of foreign policies that were appropriate and targeted, turning the civil war into a revolutionary war, which was an important factor in the victory of the North. In the face of complex international relations, the Lincoln administration, while adhering to firm goals, also had a flexible and flexible foreign policy.
（1） Defeat the Southern Alliance's "cotton diplomacy" and eliminate excuses for British and French interference. The Civil War in the United States was initiated by the South, which did not have an advantage in power. It relied on holding an important trump card to Britain and France - cotton. As the slave owners of the South saw the dependence of countries such as Britain and France on their cotton, they vigorously carried out "cotton diplomacy". Britain and France, out of their own interests and needs, were bound to provide aid, thereby setting obstacles for the northern government. Faced with the support of Britain and France for the Southern Alliance, Lincoln adopted two policies of "blockade" and "substitution", timely thwarting the "cotton diplomacy" and avoiding direct interference by Britain and France in the civil war. The so-called "blockade" refers to the blockade of the Haikou, prohibiting ships from the south from entering and exiting,

Former Minister of Operations Edwin M. Stanton: Here lies the most perfect leader in the world.
Karl Marx, the founder of Marxism: He is a person who will not be intimidated by difficulties or deceived by success. He perseveres towards his great goals without making any rash moves. He steadily moves forward without regressing... In short, he is a rare figure who has reached a great level and still maintains his excellent qualities. This outstanding and morally noble person was so humble that only after he fell as a martyr did the world realize that he was a hero.
Russian critical realist writer Lev Tolstoy: President Lincoln has become a legendary figure in the hearts of people around the world due to his "unique spiritual power and great personality". His position is equivalent to Beethoven in music, Dante in poetry, Raphael in painting, and Christ in philosophy of life. Even if he had not been elected president, he would undoubtedly be as great as he is now, but perhaps only God knows.
American military strategist Robert Edward Lee: Lincoln is the person I admire the most in my life, despite our different political views.
Frederick Douglass, leader of the American Abolition Movement: He is a powerful figure in his party, with extraordinary intelligence and rich experience; Because of his comical and humorous demeanor, he is the best campaign speaker in the West.
American thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson: Lincoln's history is the true history of the American people in his time. He walked step by step ahead of them, they were slow and he was also slow. They accelerated their pace and he also accelerated his pace. He is the true representative of this continent, a person who dedicates his whole body and mind to social activities, and can be called the father of the United States.
American actress Marilyn Monroe: Lincoln is the sexiest man in American history. [10]
Lincoln biographer David Herbert Donald: Lincoln is a completely contradictory entity, full of ambition, yet without any sense of ambition; He is both a recognized pacifism and a war maniac in the eyes of many people; While caring for the lower class workers, he is also considered an agent of North American capitalists. [11]
Columnist Camilla Cavendish: Strive to win civil war, maintain national unity, and create a country based on the Constitution.
Los Angeles Times reporter Chris Ayers: He is the most undisputed great presidential candidate in our judging panel.