By 1861, the United States was in trouble. The Southern states were separating from the North. The issue of slavery was pulling the country apart. It was an important time in U.S. history. But President Abraham Lincoln kept the nation together.

Lincoln became president on March 4, 1861. Some states allowed slavery. Some did not. Lincoln called America a “house divided.” He was right. The U.S. Civil War began 39 days after he took office.

Southern forces attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Soon Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina broke off from the country. With seven other states, they formed a new country. It was called the Confederate States of America (or Confederacy). Americans fought each other. The conflict was terrible. Historian Harold Holzer said Lincoln had one goal. He wanted “to keep the country from breaking in two.”

The Civil War continued. Finally, Lincoln made a statement. On January 1, 1863, his Emancipation Proclamation said slaves “shall be free.” Lincoln pushed to pass the 13th Amendment. That ended slavery.

Later in 1863, Lincoln gave a speech: the Gettysburg Address. He spoke in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He said all Americans have the right to life and freedom. Lincoln added that the country had “unfinished work.”

There was an election in 1864. Lincoln won easily. He knew the war was almost over. Sadly, a man killed Lincoln. The president died on April 15, 1865. Holzer said Lincoln “knew that our country would no longer be divided.”

Many Americans died in the war. But “Lincoln did achieve what he wanted,” Holzer said. The war ended in May 1865. The United States remained as one.

Today, people say Lincoln was one of America’s best leaders. “Lincoln still matters,” Holzer explained. “Lincoln said that America had unfinished work. That is still true. He wanted our country to be ‘worthy of the saving.’ It is our job to make sure it remains worthy.”


Updated April 28, 2020, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Liz Lane