Abraham Lincoln

Brief Biography - Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1965) Abraham Lincoln was a great leader, politician, and humanist of the United States. He was born on February 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky, into a poor family. His father, Thomas Lincoln, was a simple farmer, and his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, was a hardworking and religious woman. From childhood, Lincoln was hardworking and curious. Although he had very little formal education, he continued his studies through self-effort and gained knowledge by reading books. In the early years of his life, he worked as a woodcutter, a boatman, and a store clerk. But his strong willpower and sense of justice eventually led him into politics. Abraham Lincoln believed that basic human rights and freedom were given by God, not by any human authority. With this belief, he devoted his life to abolishing slavery in the United States. In 1861, he was elected as the 16th President of the United States. Under his leadership, the nation went through the Civil War, yet he remained firm in his mission to preserve the Union. In 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, through which he declared freedom for the enslaved people. The foundation of Lincoln’s thought was equality, human rights, and democracy. His famous speech, the “Gettysburg Address,” remains a symbol of democracy and humanity even today. He was a humble, honest, and just leader who believed in democracy as “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” On April 14, 1865, while watching a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, he was shot by an assassin named John Wilkes Booth. The next day, April 15, 1865, Abraham Lincoln passed away. His death brought grief not only to America but to the entire world, which lost an unforgettable voice of justice, humanity, and freedom. Yet, Lincoln’s ideals still live on—as an eternal lesson of equality, courage, and compassion. Abraham Lincoln was a light of truth and hope who illuminated the path of human dignity and freedom even in the darkest times.