By the spring conventions in the required nine states had ratified, and the Constitution could become law. But with powerful, populous, and highly divided Virginia and New York yet to vote, the legitimacy of the new national system had not yet been fully resolved. A Biography of John Hancock.
Abraham Lincoln was elected for two terms, but only served one of them in full. &nbsp;His first term began on March 4, 1861. &nbsp;He was re-elected in 1864 and began his second term on March 4, 1865, but was assassinated after only 42 days, dying in office on April 15, 1865.
Feature Essay. Abraham Lincoln before the Presidency. James Davis. Illinois College, Jacksonville. From April of 1861 to April of 1865, President Abraham Lincoln led the United States through its terrible Civil War. During the war, Lincoln's leadership helped preserve the Union and emancipate over three million slaves. His ideas defined important goals of the war and inspired the war-weary public.