abraham lincoln
...lk. His father, Thomas Lincoln, remarried the next year, and Abraham loved his new stepmother, Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln. Abraham himself married Mary Todd on November 4th, 1842, and they had four boys, only one of whom lived past 20. Despite the fact that he had none, or barely any formal education, lincoln practiced law. In 1858 he ran against Stephen A. Douglas for Senator. Lincoln lost the election, but in the debates with Douglas, he gained a reputation that won him the Republican nomination for President in 1860. From the beginning, Lincoln made it clear to the American people that he did not think slavery was fair, or right. He made it known that if he was to become President, abolishing slavery would be his main goal. Lincoln won the election, and took the oath of office to become President of the United States on March 4, 1861. It was a difficult time to be president. Many Southern states who did not agree with Lincoln about slavery left, or declared that they were not a part of the United States. Lincoln’s contribution to democracy was a huge one. His contribution was very controversial as well. Many people, mostly from the southern United States, we not in favour of abolishing slavery, however Lincoln’s goal was to do just that. The Civil War began in April, 1861, and was one of the worst wars the United States has ever been involved in, with over 600,000 Americans dead. While the war was on, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves within the Confederacy and changed the war from a battle to preserve the Union into a battle for freedom. Lincoln won re-election in 1864, as the Union military won the war. In his planning for peace, the President was flexible and gene...