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Who Was Abraham Lincoln?

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He was born on February 12, 1809 in a one-room log cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky to Thomas and Nancy (Hanks) Lincoln. Despite limited formal education, Lincoln was an avid reader and became known for his wit, wisdom, and oratory skills.

Lincoln moved to Indiana in 1816 and to Illinois in 1830 where he worked as a frontier lawyer and Whig Party politician. He was elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1834 and became a U.S. Congressman in 1846. In 1858, he ran against Stephen A. Douglas for a seat in the U.S. Senate, and while he lost the election, the debates they had during the campaign brought Lincoln national attention.

In 1860, Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the United States, becoming the first Republican President. Upon taking office, he faced a divided nation with growing tensions between the North and the South over the issue of slavery. In 1861, seven Southern states seceded from the Union to form the Confederate States of America, leading to the start of the American Civil War.

Lincoln faced numerous challenges during his presidency, including opposition to his policies, military setbacks, and criticism from both the North and South. However, he remained steadfast in his beliefs and in 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring slaves in Confederate-held territory to be free. This marked a turning point in the Civil War and set the stage for the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States.

Lincoln was re-elected in 1864, and in April 1865, he delivered his famous Second Inaugural Address, in which he called for reconciliation between the North and South. Tragically, he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth just days later, on April 15, 1865.

The True Ancestry of Lincoln's Mother Nancy Hanks

Until recently, the genealogy of Nancy (Hanks) Lincoln has been a controversial one with scholars debating various theories since research began shortly after Lincoln’s death. Even members of the Hanks family and reported cousins of Lincoln could not agree on it.

Of the various theories that have evolved over the past 150 years, only two were believed by Lincoln scholars to have the possibility of being correct. Now DNA evidence has identified which of those theories is correct. Read more >>

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Some of the most recently added connections of famous kin for Abraham Lincoln

View entire list of famous kin for Abraham Lincoln