Project Leadership

Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) was the 16th President of the United States, best known for leading the nation through the Civil War and preserving the Union while working to abolish slavery. Born in a log cabin in Kentucky, he was largely self-educated before becoming a lawyer and politician in Illinois. His election in 1860 sparked Southern secession, leading to the Civil War. During the conflict, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared enslaved people in Confederate states free. Just days after the Union’s victory, he was assassinated in 1865, leaving behind one of the most influential legacies in American history.

Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens; 1835–1910) was a renowned American writer, humorist, and lecturer, often regarded as the “father of American literature.” Raised in Hannibal, Missouri, his childhood experiences along the Mississippi River inspired some of his most famous works, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Celebrated for his wit and sharp social satire, Twain held various jobs as a printer, riverboat pilot, and journalist before rising to international fame as one of America’s greatest literary figures.