Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was the 16th President of the United States. Born in Kentucky and raised in Illinois, he served briefly in the United States House of Representatives before running for the Senate against Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. Although he lost the election, the series of debates in which the candidates engaged brought national fame to Lincoln, who was elected president in 1861.

By the time of his inauguration March 4, 1861, seven states had seceded from the Union and the Civil War began a little over a month into his first term. The war ended on April 9, 1865; six days later, Lincoln was assassinated while watching a play at Ford's Theater in downtown DC.

This is arguably the most famous statue in the United States. It took French and the Piccirilli Brothers four years to carve it from 28 blocks of white Georgia marble. Subject to the Height Limitations Act of 1910, the statue is 19 tall and 19 feet wide; the scale is such that the President would be 28 feet tall if he were standing.