Americans will long remember President Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the UnitedStates.

At the age of 19, Abraham Lincoln took a boat down the Ohio River to New Orleans. There Lincoln saw for the first time slaves being sold in the marketplace. At that time, Lincoln made up his mind to work to end slavery for the rest of his life.

In 1836, Lincoln became a lawyer and was famous for being hard—working and honest. He believed that the US stood for freedom for all. He wanted to become a senator（参议员）. In 1858, Lincoln debated（争论） against Stephen Douglas who was also a candidate for the Senate from Illinois.

Because of the Lincoln—Douglas debates, Lincoln became known across the country. Then he decided to run for the presidency in 1860. At last he ran against Stephen Douglas and two other candidates.

Lincoln took the oath（誓言） of office to become president of the United States on March 4, 1861. It was a difficult time to be president. Many southern states did not agree with Lincoln about canceling slavery, and declared（宣布） that they were no longer part of the US. The famous Civil War began in April, 1861.

Lincoln’s Union Army fought the Southern Confederate Armies. Many soldiers were killed in the battles. One of the battles took place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In 1863, a ceremony was held to memorize the dead on the Gettysburg battlefield. Lincoln made a famous speech known as the Gettysburg Address.

Unfortunately, Lincoln was shot while watching a play at Ford’s Theatre and passed away on the morning of April 15, 1865.