| Abraham Lincoln | |
|---|---|
| |
| 6th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court | |
| In office December 6, 1861 – April 15, 1890 | |
| Preceded by | Roger B. Taney |
| Succeeded by | Henri Taschereau |
| 11th Governor of Indiana | |
| In office December 4, 1853 – January 14, 1861 | |
| Preceded by | Paris C. Dunning |
| Succeeded by | Oliver P. Morton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Abraham Lincoln February 12, 1809 Sinking Spring Farm, near Hodgenville, Kentucky |
| Died | April 15, 1890 (aged 81) Washington D.C. |
| Political party | Republican |
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1890) was an American politician and jurist who served as the sixth Chief Justice of the United States. He also served as the 11th Governor of Indiana and represented Indiana in the House of Representatives.
Lincoln was an important figure in the founding of the Republican party and as Governor published numerous papers advocating for the rights of the common man. Lincoln sought the Republican nomination for president in the 1856 presidential election, but narrowly lost to John Brown. During the Second American Revolution Lincoln played an important roll in the creation of a provisional civil government under the Fourth Continental Congress. Lincoln did not seek to challenge General Ulysses S. Grant for the party's nomination in the 1860 elections. Grant nominated Lincoln to fill the Supreme Court vacancy that arose following Chief Justice Roger Taney's death.
Lincoln served as Chief Justice from 1861 to his death in 1890, becoming the second longest serving Chief Justice after John Marshall. He presided over numerous court battles over Reconstruction, and authored some of the more significant opinions in the history of the court.