Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Kentucky on February 12, 1809. He didn’t go to school for long but taught himself to read and write and well. He earned the nickname "Honest Abe" because people thought he always told the truth.  

Before he was president he was a lawyer and a Republican politician. 

Lincoln married Mary Todd in 1842.  They had four sons, but only one lived to be an adult.

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States of America. He served as President from March 4, 1861, until April 15, 1865. Lincoln's Vice-President was Andrew Johnson. He was elected for two terms, but was shot in 1865 before his presidency was over. 

During his presidency the Civil War began. In this war, the Northern states fought the Southern states.  While the states were fighting, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.  This was a very important document because it led to the end of slavery.  The Civil War lasted from 1861 until 1865. 

President Lincoln was shot on April 14, 1865 while he was watching a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C.  The man who shot him was John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln died the next morning. He was the first US president ever assassinated.