Abraham Lincoln is the sixteenth president of the United States of America.
He ruled the country from 1861 to 1865, and this period was marked by a great shift towards the establishment of democracy. What was this person like? We can say that Lincoln's biography is a clear proof of the reality of the "American dream". This is a real self-made man, who has achieved everything in life solely with his work and talents. Born in 1809 to a poor immigrant farmer, he reached the heights of the social ladder, led the Republican Party (1854) and became the leader of the country.
To his goal, as well as to the realization of his ideals, Lincoln President walked long and hard. Many factors influenced the formation of his personality. At the age of 9 he lost his mother. The stepmother instilled in young Abraham a love of reading. There was only one book at home - the Bible, and the boy learned it by heart. In the future, this is a thorough knowledge of the HolyScripture repeatedly helped him in oratory. Such allusions had a stunning effect on the listeners.
Forced to earn a living by hard physical labor, Abraham Lincoln - the president of the future - educated himself. His political views were greatly influenced by the writings of the French Enlightenment figures, as well as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Even then, the young man realized that slavery is a shameful phenomenon that must be eradicated.
He was even more convinced of this thought when the Lincoln family moved to Illinois. It's been 12 years since slavery was abolished in this state. Lincoln first entered politics as president in 1832, when he announced his candidacy for the Whig party in the lower house of Illinois. There he achieved such popularity that he was re-elected three times. In 1856, a new party appeared in the States - the Republican Party, and Lincoln joined its ranks. Two years later, he submits his candidacy for election to the US Senate. By tradition, the election was preceded by a debate, where Lincoln clashed with his opponent S. A. Douglas. Although the latter won, the "A House Divided" speech on the issue of slavery in America propelled Abraham to the top of the political arena.
Therefore, in 1860, Lincoln won the presidential election of four candidates. The President of the United States took office at a tragic moment in the history of the country. In 1861, the southern states declared secession. Lincoln tried to achieve peace by half measures, declaring that the centr althe government did not intend to interfere with the laws of the states and abolish slavery, but resolutely refused to introduce it into the new territories. In 1862, he approved the Homestead Act, which provided for the allotment of land to every citizen. This act undermined the very foundation of the slave latifundia.
But life has made adjustments. It soon turned out that the economic prosperity of the country is impossible without the abolition of slavery throughout the state. The victory over the Confederates brought Lincoln great popularity among the population, but in 1865, a native of the South, actor J. W. The memory of the martyred president, who was killed for the abolition of slavery in the United States, is immortalized in Washington. The white marble memorial convincingly shows what role Abraham Lincoln, the president, played for his country. A photo that has been preserved since that time shows us a man who is tall not only in height (1.90 m), but also in thoughts. Four million Americans have been freed by him.
