Today, Lincoln is often remembered for a short speech he gave at Gettysburg on November 19, 1863. It's called the Gettysburg Address. It was only a few minutes long, but is considered one of the great speeches in American history. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States of America, who successfully prosecuted the Civil War to preserve the nation. He played in key role in passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, which officially ended slavery in America.