History
Abraham Lincoln
16th U.S. president
Issued the Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln issued the proclamation declaring enslaved people in the rebellious states to be free.
U.S. National ArchivesLed the Union through the Civil War
As president, Lincoln directed the Union war effort through the nation’s secession crisis and Civil War.
White House Historical AssociationPressed Congress to abolish slavery constitutionally
Lincoln supported passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, which permanently abolished slavery in the United States.
U.S. National ArchivesDelivered the Gettysburg Address
Lincoln reframed the Civil War around equality, democratic government, and a “new birth of freedom.”
U.S. National ArchivesSigned the Homestead Act
The act offered western public land to settlers who lived on and improved it, reshaping U.S. land ownership.
U.S. National ArchivesSigned the Morrill Land-Grant Act
The legislation supported colleges focused on agriculture and mechanical arts through federal land grants.
U.S. SenateAuthorized the transcontinental railroad
Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act, supporting a rail connection between the eastern United States and the Pacific.
U.S. National ArchivesSuspended habeas corpus during the Civil War
Lincoln’s administration suspended the writ in wartime, prompting enduring constitutional criticism over executive power.
U.S. National ArchivesApproved 38 executions after the U.S.–Dakota War
Lincoln approved death sentences for 38 Dakota men following military trials whose fairness remains heavily criticized.
National Park ServiceSupported colonization proposals for freed Black Americans
Lincoln promoted voluntary colonization during part of his presidency, a policy criticized as inconsistent with equal citizenship.
Library of Congress