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Homeschooled in his youth, Lincoln became a successful attorney in Illinois who was known for his integrity and his piercing cross-examinations.  He lost many more political races than he won, and served briefly in [[Congress]] as a Whig opposed to the Mexican War.  That cost him reelection, and a decade later in 1858 he ran for the [[U.S. Senate]] against the dynamic speaker [[Stephen Douglas]], who defeated him.  But Lincoln ran a strong enough race that Douglas was forced to alienate some of his supporters with his [[Freeport Doctrine]], and when both ran for president two years later in 1860, Lincoln won easily without even campaigning.  His victory precipitated the Civil War, since many southern states believed that he would abolish slavery, since abolition was a core plank of the [[Republican]] party.

Homeschooled in his youth, Lincoln became a successful attorney in Illinois who was known for his integrity and his piercing cross-examinations.  He lost many more political races than he won, and served briefly in [[Congress]] as a Whig opposed to the Mexican War.  That cost him reelection, and a decade later in 1858 he ran for the [[U.S. Senate]] against the dynamic speaker [[Stephen Douglas]], who defeated him.  But Lincoln ran a strong enough race that Douglas was forced to alienate some of his supporters with his [[Freeport Doctrine]], and when both ran for president two years later in 1860, Lincoln won easily without even campaigning.  His victory precipitated the Civil War, since many southern states believed that he would abolish slavery, since abolition was a core plank of the [[Republican]] party.

Lincoln was perhaps the only President who appeared to greatly increase his Christian faith while in office.  As a congressmen in the 1840s, Lincoln distinguished himself by redoing the geometric proofs in the great work of [[Euclid]], and prided himself on logic rather than faith.  From 1860 to 1863 Lincoln continued to rely entirely on logical arguments in his speeches and approach to the Civil War.  But on the way to the cemetery in Gettysburg in November 1863, Lincoln apparently found God and inserted after "one nation" the phrase "under God" into his pre-written Gettysburg Address.  The following year Lincoln won reelection, and his Second Inaugural Address was filled with spiritual references lacking from his First Inaugural Address.

Lincoln was perhaps the only President who appeared to greatly increase his Christian faith while in office.  As a congressmen in the 1840s, Lincoln distinguished himself by redoing the geometric proofs in the great work of [[Euclid]], and prided himself on logic rather than faith, not that these are mutually exclusive.  From 1860 to 1863 Lincoln continued to rely entirely on logical arguments in his speeches and approach to the Civil War.  But on the way to the cemetery in Gettysburg in November 1863, Lincoln apparently found God and inserted after "one nation" the phrase "under God" into his pre-written Gettysburg Address.  The following year Lincoln won reelection, and his Second Inaugural Address was filled with spiritual references lacking from his First Inaugural Address.

Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. on Good Friday, April 14, 1865. He was shot a few days after the Civil War had ended, and passed away the next day.  He became a martyr to the North and a cause for revenge against the South, from which the assassin had come.

Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. on Good Friday, April 14, 1865. He was shot a few days after the Civil War had ended, and passed away the next day.  He became a martyr to the North and a cause for revenge against the South, from where the assassin had come.

==Currency==

==Currency==

==References==

==References==

*[http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/gettysburg.htm Gettysburg Address]

*[http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/gettysburg.htm Gettysburg Address]

[[Category:Presidents of the United States]]

[[Category:Presidents of the United States]]