LINCOLN, ABRAHAM, sixteenth president of the United States was b. in Kentucky, Feb. 12, 1809. His grandfather was an emigrant from Virginia; his father, a poor farmer, who, in 1806, removed from Kentucky to Indiana. In the rude life of the backwoods, Lincoln's entire schooling did not exceed one year, and he was employed in the severest agricultural labor. He lived with his family at Spencer co., Indiana, till 1830, when he removed to Illinois, where, with another man, he performed the feat of splitting 3,000 rails in a day, which gave him the popular sobriquet of " the rail-split ter." In 1834 he was elected to the Illinois legislature. At this period he lived by sur veying land, wore patched homespun clothes, and spent his leisure hours in studying law. He was three times re-elected to the legislature; was admitted to practice law in 1836; and removed to Springfield, the state capital. In 1844 he canvassed the state for 1 Mr. Clay, then nominated for president. Mr. Clay \YRS defeated, but the popularity gained by Lincoln in the canvass secured his own election to congress in 1846, where he I voted against the extension of slavery; and in 1854 was a recognized leader in the newly ' formed republican party. In 1855 he canvassed the state as a candidate for United States senator against Mr. Douglas, but without success. In 185'6 he was an active supporter of Mr. Frernont in the presidential canvass which resulted in the election of Mr. Buchanan.
In 1860 he was nominated for the presidency by the Chicago convention over Mr. Seward,. who expected the nomination. The non-extension of slavery to the territories, or new states to be formed from them, was the inost important principle of his party. There were three other candidates—Mr. Douglas of Illinois, northern Democrat; Mr. Breckenridge of Kentucky, then vice-president, and afterwards a general of the confederate army, southern democrat; and Mr. Bell of Tennessee, native Anierican. With this division, Mr.
Lincoln received a majority of votes over any of the other candidates, though a million short of an absolute majority; every southern and one northern state voted against him. He was installed in the president's chair, Mar. 4, 1861. His election by a sectional vote and on a sectional issue hostile to the south, was followed by the secession of 11 southern states, and a war for the restoration of the union. As a military measure, he proclaimed, Jan. 1, 1863, the freedom of till slaves in the rebel states; and was re-elected to the presi dency in 1864. The war was brought to a close, April 2, 1865; and on the 15th of the sanie month, Lincoln was cut off by the hand of an assassin. See the Lives by Lamm (vol. i. 1870) and Leland (1879).