Abraham Lincoln ( February 12 , 1809 – April 15 , 1865 ) was the 16th President of the United States , serving from 1861 to 1865 . The first Republican to be elected president , he successfully led the United States through its Civil War , thus preserving the Union and bringing an end to slavery , first issuing the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 , and then promoting ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution . His presidency was cut short when he was assassinated in April 1865 , only six weeks into his second term
assassinated
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Presidents of the United States on U.S. postage stamps