He was a poor farm boy, he abolished slavery: who is Abraham Lincoln?

Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated by the USA, was one of the most loved and respected names among the USA presidents. The 16th president, who won great love from the people in a short time with his attitude and determination against slavery, has an important place in the history of the USA.

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, is one of his country's greatest statesmen. He was born in Hardin County, Kentucky, the son of a poor farmer. Lincoln, whose mother died when he was nine, was able to attend school for about a year.

He educated himself by reading a lot with the encouragement of his stepmother. In 1830, after his family moved to Illinois, Lincoln got a job on a working ship in Mississippi. He later worked various jobs in New Salem as well.

Lincoln entered political life by being elected to the Illinois Legislature in 1834. Meanwhile, he had trained himself by studying law and succeeded in passing the bar exam in 1836.

He married Mary Ann Todd in 1842. The Lincolns had four sons. Distinguished as a talented lawyer long before he made his name in the political life of his country, Lincoln's success was due to his honesty and commitment to justice as well as his sharp wit and common sense.

Lincoln, who was elected to the Legislature for four consecutive terms, opposed those who wanted slavery to be legalized in the newly established western states during this period.

He was elected to Congress from Illinois in 1847. It was at this time that the war with Mexico was entered into. Lincoln was not in favor of continuing the war with Mexico. The expansion of US territory at the end of the Mexican War brought a new dimension to the problem of slavery. Southerners argued that slavery in the newly annexed territories was not unconstitutional.

Although Lincoln, who joined the Republican Party in 1856, was defeated by his rival Stephen A. Douglas in the 1858 Senate elections, his views on slavery during the election campaign caused widespread debate in the country. He was elected presidential candidate at the party convention in 1860 and became the 16th president of the United States in March 1861.

Southerners reacted to Lincoln's election as president. Meanwhile, there were 19 free states, compared to 15 states where slavery still existed.

Before Lincoln officially took office as president, South Carolina declared its independence. In the next year, 10 more Southern states declared their independence.

These states formed the Confederation of America under the presidency of Jefferson Davis. The American Civil War began when South Carolina besieged Fort Sumter. On January 1, 1863, Lincoln announced the abolition of slavery in the Southern states.

Almost all of Lincoln's presidency was spent fighting the secessionist Southern states. Lincoln's biggest challenge was to find a commander who could succeed against talented Southern generals such as Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. Jackson.

In the first years of the war, the Northern armies were defeated one after another. That changed after Lincoln appointed General Ulysses S. Grant as commander-in-chief in March 1864.

Lincoln was re-elected president in the 1864 elections, in which a large number of soldiers also voted. In 1865, General Lee's 25,000 weary and disorganized army surrendered to General Grant. This defeat was followed by the surrender of other Southern armies and the abolition of slavery.

Lincoln passed many important laws during his presidency. Apart from a new paper money application, private property rights were granted to those who lived and operated on treasury lands for five years.

On April 14, 1865, he and his wife were shot and killed at the Ford Theater in Washington by a Southerner named John Wilkes Booth. Abraham Lincoln is a statesman who is remembered with love and devotion by his people for his honesty, commitment to democracy, and frankness.