Abraham Lincoln

Second only to George Washington as the most famous President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln is an American icon whose life and deeds helped to shape both the Sons of Liberty and the US as we know them today. Lincoln served as President during the tumultuous American Civil War, a brutal conflict that strained the American republic to the breaking point. 
== Facts: ==
-Abraham Lincoln is known for his towering height and noble appearance. Certainly that's how he's remembered. The truth, however, is that Lincoln was quite the fighter in his youth, entering into wrestling matches where he worked his opponents into a lather through liberal use of trash talking. 
-In his later years, Lincoln did take on many of the paternal overtones for which he is often remembered: as a statesman, an accomplished orator, something of a philosopher, and an expert civic strategist. Lincoln carefully worded himself in public and always made sure to position himself to avoid getting bogged down with one political faction over another. 
-The outbreak of the American Civil War was something Lincoln earnestly sought to stop, but when events escalated out of control, Lincoln passionately led the Union forces against the secessionists. While more of a political animal than a military one, Lincoln frequently visited the troops and would often inspire them by standing on the field of battle (something which kept his personal attendants in constant anxiety).
-Lincoln's stance on slavery is a bit nuanced. He's on record stating that, if he could preserve the Union (ie, stop the Civil War) without freeing the slaves, he would. However, Lincoln did seem to push for abolition as well. In all likelihood, slavery was a problem for Lincoln, although during his lifetime the carnage of the Civil War took precedence over it.
-Lincoln's success in keeping the United States together should not go under appreciated. During his lifetime, Lincoln had to maneuver around multiple warring factions in Congress, including pro-war Democrats and Republicans, pro-slavery advocates, and Southern secessionist idealists. During a midnight ride one night, the then President of the United States was forced to beat a hasty retreat back to the White House when an unknown person took a potshot from the woods, purportedly piercing the President's top hat. 
== Assassination: ==
On April 14, 1865, while attending a play at Ford's Theater in downtown Washington D.C., Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Booth, a Northern supporter of secession, had planned out the assassination with others and waited to catch the President alone in his viewing box while his bodyguard was momentarily distracted. 
According to those present, Booth simply entered the viewing box, shot Lincoln in the back of the skull with a small pistol, then leaped over the bannister. Booth landed on the stage, spraining or breaking his ankle in the process, although that didn't stop him from shouting out 'Sic Semper Tyranus!' (Such is the fate of all tyrants).
Booth escaped out the back where a horse was waiting for him and rode off into the night, as well as the largest and most determined manhunt in US history. 
Lincoln was carried across the street to a neighboring house to treat his wounds, but he expired shortly thereafter. 
== Ghost of Abraham Lincoln: ==
Washington D.C. is a hotbed for spectral activity since it acts as the nexus for an entire country, and the countless lives and passions that run through the politically charged city also help to fuel the many Ghosts who call Washington home. Chief among these unseen citizens is the Ghost of Abraham Lincoln. 
Lincoln's Ghost has appeared to several people in the last century and a half, including foreign heads of state, US Presidents, and several visitors. It should be noted that Lincoln's ghost never appears hostile or antagonistic, but instead seems to be maintaining a presence in the White House, as if unwilling to let it go. 
== References: ==
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln_and_slavery
-http://www.history.com/topics/abraham-lincoln-assassination
-https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/abrahamlincoln
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln%27s_ghost
centre|thumb|240x240px
Category:Sons Of Liberty
Category:Temple Of Reason