ABSTRACT
Abraham Lincoln is often described as the greatest president in United States history. He was fi rst elected to the presidency in 1860 when the United States was on the brink of being torn apart. Economic strife between northern and southern states, changing attitudes toward slavery, and rapid western expansion all combined to create an explosive social and political division in the country. Th is situation eventually led to a civil war that destroyed over 600,000 lives as well as countless families, livelihoods, and the collective fabric that holds a nation together. Th e Civil War began one month after Lincoln took offi ce and occupied his entire time as president. His insightful and skilled leadership held the northern states together and eventually ended the war, while showing empathy and compassion for all the soldiers and families involved.
