Happy Birthday President Lincoln

Today, February 22nd, is President Lincoln's Birthday.

Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American politician elected from Illinois as the 16th President of the United States (1861 to 1865). As an outspoken opponent of the Slave Power and leader in the western states, he won the Republican nomination in 1860 and was elected by the Republican Party, with an all-Northern base.

Lincoln preserved the Union by defeating the secessionist Confederacy in the American Civil War. He abolished slavery, especially through the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 and securing passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution. He closely supervised the Federal (i.e., Northern or Union) forces during the War. He selected the generals and approved their strategies, quickly replacing those who disappointed him; appointed civilian officials with an eye to balancing the factions in the party; supervised the diplomacy that kept Britain and France neutral; distributed patronage to supporters of the war, including War Democrats; and rallied public opinion through messages and speeches. Lincoln's influence was magnified by his powerful rhetoric; his Gettysburg Address rededicated the nation to freedom and democracy and remains a core component of the American value system. Looking to the post-war era he promised "malice toward none" and "charity for all." Lincoln took personal charge of Reconstruction, seeking to speedily re-unite the nation through a policy of generous reconciliation. He was opposed by the Radical Republicans, who advocated much harsher policies. - Wikipedia

We took the opportunity to go and visit the Lincoln Memorial this evening and I took the following pictures:

As you can see from the flowers, others do remember.

He was one of this country's greatest Presidents.