Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th President of the United States. He was in office from March 4, 1861 until his death at the hands of an assassin. He was in office for the Civil War, and was roundly criticized for ignoring states' rights and for refusing to compromise on the issue of slavery. His assassination by John Wilkes Booth was the first presidential assassination in U.S. history.