Gettysburg Address author Abraham Lincoln was born into poverty in 1809, educated himself, and became a lawyer, state legislator, and Congressperson from Illinois. Campaigning on an anti-slavery platform in 1860, Lincoln was elected the 16th US president, prompting 11 Southern states to secede from the nation and form their own country, the Confederate States of America.

Lincoln believed secession was unlawful, and in 1861 his Union troops clashed with Southern forces as he sought to bring the rebelling states back into the US. The resulting Civil War lasted four years and was the most costly conflict in American history. Early in 1863, Lincoln issued an executive order, the Emancipation Proclamation, that freed all slaves in the US; he also promoted the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, which outlawed slavery nationwide.

The Southern forces surrendered in 1865; three days later, Lincoln was assassinated by Confederate extremists. Widely considered one of the greatest US presidents, Lincoln is fondly remembered to this day among Americans. His Gettysburg Address, a speech dedicating a cemetery for Union soldiers who died at the pivotal Battle of Gettysburg, is one of the most famous in American history, and it still inspires people to dedicate themselves to

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now