There was a politician named Abraham Lincoln.
Abraham Lincoln . Largely self-educated , he became a lawyer in Illinois , a Whig Party leader , and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives , in which he served for eight years . Politically , Lincoln fought back by pitting his opponents against each other , by carefully planned political patronage , and by appealing to the American people with his powers of oratory . The Emancipation Proclamation was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1 , 1863 .