Abraham Lincoln (Napoleonic Age)

Abraham Lincoln (12 February 1809 – 3 October 1884) was an American statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and author, who served as the twelfth President of the United States from 1865 to 1869. Lincoln served as Vice President from 1861 to 1865, during which the American Civil War broke out and ultimately ended. Throughout his life he was noted as a committed and an ardent defender of personal liberty and equality.

A largely self-educated man, having received little formal education, Lincoln became a well-known lawyer in Illinois and became a prominent Whig leader in that state in the 1830s when he was elected to the state legislature. He became noted in the 1840s as a leading and was elected to represent Illinois in the, favoring government policies that promoted industrialization, economic modernization, and tariffs to protect American goods. In 1858, Lincoln participated in a series of well-publicized and famous debates with Democrat Stephen A. Douglas, his opponent in the ongoing Senate election in Illinois. Though he eventually lost, he was thereafter recognized as a leading member of the Republican Party, second only to President John C. Frémont. At the 1860 Republican National Convention, Lincoln was nominated to replace Hannibal Hamlin as Frémont's running mate on the ticket. The eloquent Lincoln helped to secure a surprising amount of support for the ticket in several Southern states; however, his well-known commitment to the eventual abolition of slavery did little to ease tensions over secession. By the time he took office as Vice President, several Southern states had already left the Union.

Lincoln took an active part in the administration, unlike many of his predecessors, and played a critical role in overseeing the war effort on behalf of President Frémont. He was known for a tumultuous relationship with various high-ranking officers in the Federal Army, particularly General George B. McClellan. His famed Gettysburg Address, given after the Union victory there in 1863, is regarded as one of the greatest rhetorical defenses of republicanism, nationalism, equal rights, and democracy in American history. As the Civil War came to an end and President Frémont began what later came to be known as Reconstruction, Lincoln became the favorite for the Republican nomination in the 1864 election. After successfully urging the Convention to choose James Speed as his Vice President, Lincoln was elected in a landslide and continued Frémont's social and economic policies. He retired from public life after only one term in office, despite enjoying much popularity and with many friends and public figures urging him to run for re-election. He became an author and political theorist after his retirement from public life, urging a continued commitment to the principles of what he termed "social republicanism" and equal rights.

Though often overshadowed by his predecessor, he has often been ranked as among the greatest Presidents in American history. Presidents Winfield Scott, John Frémont, and Abraham Lincoln, serving continuously from 1849 to 1869, are often referred to as the "three greats" in American history for their dedication to the Union, their efforts to stave off coming civil war, and their energies spent in binding the nation back together in its wake.