Abraham Lincoln

This article is about the American president.

Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln in 1863, aged 54
16th President of the United States
In office March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865
Vice Presidents	Hannibal Hamlin (1861–1865) Andrew Johnson (1865)
Preceded by	James Buchanan
Succeeded by	Andrew Johnson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 7th district
In office March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849
Preceded by	John Henry
Succeeded by	Thomas Harris
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
In office 1834–1842
Personal details
Born	February 12, 1809 Hodgenville, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	April 15, 1865 (aged 56) Petersen House, Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting place	Lincoln Tomb, Oak Ridge Cemetery Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
Nationality	American
Political party	Whig (1834–1854) Republican (1854–1865) National Union (1864–1865)
Spouse(s)	Mary Todd (m. 1842; his death 1865)
Children	Robert Todd, Edward Baker,William Wallace ("Willie"),Thomas ("Tad") III
Profession	Lawyer Politician
Religion	See: Abraham Lincoln and religion
Signature
Military service
Service/branch	Illinois Militia
Years of service	3 months (April 21, 1832 – July 10, 1832)
Rank	Captain (April 21, 1832 – May 27, 1832) Private (May 28, 1832 – July 10, 1832) OBS:. Discharged from his command and re-enlisted as a Private.
Battles/wars	Black Hawk War

This article is part of a series about Abraham Lincoln

Early Life & Career Ancestry Congressman Lincoln–Douglas debates Electoral History "Cooper Union Speech" Views on Slavery "Farewell Address in Illinois" President of the United States First Term Campaign for the Presidency  1860 1st Inauguration Presidency American Civil War The Union Waging War Emancipation Proclamation "Gettysburg Address" 13th Amendment Second Term Reelection  1864 2nd Inauguration "Second Inaugural Address" Reconstruction Assassination and legacy April 14, 1865 Funeral Legacy Memorials Depictions v t e

Abraham Lincoln ⁱ/ˈeɪbrəhæm ˈlɪŋkən/ (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War—its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis.^[1][2] In doing so, he preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy.

Born in Hodgenville, Kentucky, Lincoln grew up on the western frontier in Kentucky and Indiana. Largely self-educated, he became a lawyer in Illinois, a Whig Party leader, and a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, where he served from 1834 to 1846. Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1846, Lincoln promoted rapid modernization of the economy through banks, tariffs, and railroads. Because he had originally agreed not to run for a second term in Congress, and because his opposition to the Mexican–American War was unpopular among Illinois voters, Lincoln returned to Springfield and resumed his successful law practice. Reentering politics in 1854, he became a leader in building the new Republican Party, which had a statewide majority in Illinois. In 1858, while taking part in a series of highly publicized debates with his opponent and rival, Democrat Stephen A. Douglas, Lincoln spoke out against the expansion of slavery, but lost the U.S. Senate race to Douglas.

In 1860, Lincoln secured the Republican Party presidential nomination as a moderate from a swing state. With very little support in the slaveholding states of the South, he swept the North and was elected president in 1860. His victory prompted seven southern slave states to form the Confederate States of America before he moved into the White House - no compromise or reconciliation was found regarding slavery and secession. Subsequently, on April 12, 1861, a Confederate attack on Fort Sumter inspired the North to enthusiastically rally behind the Union in a declaration of war. As the leader of the moderate faction of the Republican Party, Lincoln confronted Radical Republicans, who demanded harsher treatment of the South, War Democrats, who called for more compromise, anti-war Democrats (called Copperheads), who despised him, and irreconcilable secessionists, who plotted his assassination. Politically, Lincoln fought back by pitting his opponents against each other, by carefully planned political patronage, and by appealing to the American people with his powers of oratory.^[3] His Gettysburg Address became an iconic endorsement of the principles of nationalism, republicanism, equal rights, liberty, and democracy.

Lincoln initially concentrated on the military and political dimensions of the war. His primary goal was to reunite the nation. He suspended habeas corpus, leading to the controversial ex parte Merryman decision, and he averted potential British intervention in the war by defusing the Trent Affair in late 1861. Lincoln closely supervised the war effort, especially the selection of top generals, including his most successful general, Ulysses S. Grant. He also made major decisions on Union war strategy, including a naval blockade that shut down the South's normal trade, moves to take control of Kentucky and Tennessee, and using gunboats to gain control of the southern river system. Lincoln tried repeatedly to capture the Confederate capital at Richmond; each time a general failed, Lincoln substituted another, until finally Grant succeeded. As the war progressed, his complex moves toward ending slavery began with the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863; subsequently, Lincoln used the U.S. Army to protect escaped slaves, encouraged the border states to outlaw slavery, and pushed through Congress the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which permanently outlawed slavery.

An exceptionally astute politician deeply involved with power issues in each state, Lincoln reached out to the War Democrats and managed his own re-election campaign in the 1864 presidential election. Anticipating the war's conclusion, Lincoln pushed a moderate view of Reconstruction, seeking to reunite the nation speedily through a policy of generous reconciliation in the face of lingering and bitter divisiveness. On April 14, 1865, five days after the April 9th surrender of Confederate commanding generalRobert E. Lee, Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer.

Lincoln has been consistently ranked both by scholars^[4] and the public^[5] as one of the three greatest U.S. presidents.

John Adams

This article is about the second president of the United States. For his son, the 6th president of the United States

John Adams
2nd President of the United States
In office March 4, 1797 – March 4, 1801
Vice President	Thomas Jefferson
Preceded by	George Washington
Succeeded by	Thomas Jefferson
1st Vice President of the United States
In office April 21, 1789 – March 4, 1797
President	George Washington
Preceded by	Inaugural holder
Succeeded by	Thomas Jefferson
United States Minister to the Court of St. James's
In office April 1, 1785 – March 30, 1788
Appointed by	Congress of the Confederation
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Thomas Pinckney
United States Minister to the Netherlands
In office April 19, 1782 – March 30, 1788
Appointed by	Congress of the Confederation
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Charles W. F. Dumas (Acting)
Delegate to the Second Continental Congress from Massachusetts
In office May 10, 1775 – June 27, 1778
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Samuel Holten
Delegate to the First Continental Congress from Massachusetts Bay
In office September 5, 1774 – October 26, 1774
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	October 30, 1735 Quincy, Massachusetts
Died	July 4, 1826 (aged 90) Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.
Resting place	United First Parish Church Quincy, Massachusetts
Political party	Federalist
Spouse(s)	Abigail Smith (m. 1764; died 1818)
Children	Abigail), John Quincy, Susanna, Charles, Thomas, and Elizabeth
Alma mater	Harvard University
Religion	Unitarianism (formerly Congregationalism)
Signature

John Adams, Jr. (October 30 [O.S. October 19] 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American lawyer, author, statesman, and diplomat. He served as the second President of the United States (1797–1801), the first Vice President (1789–1797),^[1] and as a Founding Fatherwas a leader of American independence from Great Britain.^[2] Adams was a political theorist in the Age of Enlightenment who promoted republicanism and a strong central government. His innovative ideas were frequently published. He was also a dedicated diarist and correspondent, particularly with his wife and key advisor Abigail.

He collaborated with his cousin, revolutionary leader Samuel Adams, but he established his own prominence prior to the American Revolution. After the Boston Massacre, despite severe local anti-British sentiment, he provided a successful though unpopular legal defense of the accused British soldiers, driven by his devotion to the right to counsel and the "protect[ion] of innocence".^[3] As a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress, Adams played a leading role in persuading Congress to declare independence. He assisted Thomas Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and was its foremost advocate in the Congress. As a diplomat in Europe, he helped negotiate the eventual peace treaty with Great Britain, and acquired vital governmental loans from Amsterdam bankers. Adams was the primary author of the Massachusetts Constitution in 1780 which influenced American political theory, as did his earlier Thoughts on Government.

Adams' credentials as a revolutionary secured for him two terms as President George Washington's vice president (1789 to 1797) and also his own election in 1796 as the second president. In his single term as president, he encountered fierce criticism from theJeffersonian Republicans, as well as the dominant faction in his own Federalist Party, led by his opponent Alexander Hamilton. Adams signed the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts, and built up the army and navy in the face of an undeclared naval "Quasi-War" with France. The major accomplishment of his presidency was a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the face of Hamilton's opposition. Due to his strong posture on defense, Adams is "often called the father of the American Navy".^[4] He was the first U.S. president to reside in the executive mansion, now known as the White House.^[5]

In 1800, Adams lost re-election to Thomas Jefferson, and retired to Massachusetts. He resumed his friendship with Jefferson upon the latter's own retirement by initiating a correspondence which lasted fourteen years.^[6] He and his wife established a family of politicians, diplomats, and historians now referred to as the Adams political family. Adams was the father of John Quincy Adams, thesixth President of the United States. He died on the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Modern historians in the aggregate have ranked his administration as the twelfth most successful.

George Washington

This article is about the first President of the United States 

George Washington
George Washington by Gilbert Stuart, 1797
1st President of the United States
In office April 30, 1789[nb] – March 4, 1797
Vice President	John Adams
Preceded by	Inaugural holder
Succeeded by	John Adams
Senior Officer of the Army
In office July 13, 1798 – December 14, 1799
Appointed by	John Adams
Preceded by	James Wilkinson
Succeeded by	Alexander Hamilton
Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army
In office June 15, 1775 – December 23, 1783
Appointed by	Continental Congress
Preceded by	Inaugural holder
Succeeded by	Henry Knox (Senior Officer of the Army)
Delegate to the Second Continental Congress from Virginia
In office May 10, 1775 – June 15, 1775
Preceded by	Inaugural holder
Succeeded by	Thomas Jefferson
Delegate to the First Continental Congress from Virginia
In office September 5, 1774 – October 26, 1774
Preceded by	Inaugural holder
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	February 22, 1732 Westmoreland County,Virginia, British America
Died	December 14, 1799(aged 67) Mount Vernon, Virginia,United States of America
Resting place	Washington Family Tomb Mount Vernon, Virginia
Political party	None
Spouse(s)	Martha Dandridge (m. 1759; his death 1799)
Religion	Episcopal Church[1][2] or Deism[3]
Awards	Congressional Gold Medal Thanks of Congress
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Great Britain  United States
Service/branch	Colonial Militia  Continental Army  United States Army
Years of service	British Militia: 1752–58 Continental Army: 1775–83 U.S. Army: 1798–99
Rank	Colonel (Great Britain)  General (United States)  General of the Armies(promoted posthumously: 1976, by an Act of Congress)
Commands	Virginia Colony's regiment Continental Army United States Army
Battles/wars	See battles [show]
^ March 4 is the official start of the first presidential term. April 6 is when Congress counted the votes of the Electoral College and certified a president. April 30 is when Washington was sworn in.

This article is part of a series about George Washington

Early life Ancestry Military career American Revolution Commander in Chief of the Continental Army Valley Forge Battle of Trenton Presiding Officer of the Constitutional Convention President of the United States First term Unanimous election 1st inauguration Presidency Judiciary Act Whiskey Rebellion Thanksgiving Title Coinage Act Residence Act  District of Columbia Second term Unanimous reelection 2nd inauguration Neutrality Act Jay Treaty Farewell Address Legacy Monuments Depictions Papers Library v t e

George Washington (February 22, 1732 [O.S. February 11, 1731]^{[Note 1][Note 2]} – December 14, 1799) was the first President of the United States (1789–97), the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and one of theFounding Fathers of the United States. He presided over the convention that drafted the current United States Constitution and during his lifetime was called the "father of his country".^[4]

Widely admired for his strong leadership qualities, Washington was unanimously elected President in the first two national elections. He oversaw the creation of a strong, well-financed national government that maintained neutrality in the French Revolutionary Wars, suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion, and won acceptance among Americans of all types.^[5] Washington's incumbency established many precedents, still in use today, such as the cabinet system, the inaugural address, and the title Mr. President.^[6][7] His retirement from office after two terms established a tradition which was unbroken until 1940.

Born into the provincial gentry of Colonial Virginia, his family were wealthy planters who owned tobacco plantations and slaves which he inherited; he owned hundreds of slaves throughout his lifetime, but his views on slavery evolved. In his youth he became a seniorBritish officer in the colonial militia during the first stages of the French and Indian War. In 1775, the Second Continental Congresscommissioned Washington as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolution. In that command, Washington forced the British out of Boston in 1776, but was defeated and nearly captured later that year when he lost New York City. After crossing the Delaware River in the middle of winter, he defeated the British in two battles, retook New Jersey and restored momentum to the Patriot cause. This is known as the Battle of Trenton.

His strategy enabled Continental forces to capture two major British armies at Saratoga in 1777 and Yorktown in 1781. Historians laud Washington for the selection and supervision of his generals, preservation and command of the army, coordination with the Congress, with state governors and their militia, and attention to supplies, logistics, and training. In battle, however, Washington was repeatedly outmaneuvered by British generals with larger armies. After victory had been finalized in 1783, Washington resigned as commander-in-chief rather than seize power, proving his opposition to dictatorship and his commitment to American republicanism.^[8]

Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which devised a new form of federal government for the United States. Following unanimous election as President in 1789, he worked to unify rival factions in the fledgling nation. He supportedAlexander Hamilton's programs to satisfy all debts, federal and state, established a permanent seat of government, implemented an effective tax system, and created a national bank.^[9] In avoiding war with Great Britain, he guaranteed a decade of peace and profitable trade by securing the Jay Treaty in 1795, despite intense opposition from the Jeffersonians. Although he remained nonpartisan, never joining the Federalist Party, he largely supported their policies. Washington's Farewell Address was an influential primer on republican virtue, warning against partisanship, sectionalism, and involvement in foreign wars. He retired from the presidency in 1797, returning to his home and plantation at Mount Vernon.

While in power, his use of national authority pursued many ends, especially the preservation of liberty, reduction of regional tensions, and promotion of a spirit of American nationalism.^[10] Upon his death, Washington was eulogized as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen" by Henry Lee.^[11] Revered in life and in death, scholarly and public polling consistently ranks him among the top three presidents in American history; he has been depicted and remembered in monuments, currency, and other dedications to the present day.