Hello, my name is Abraham Lincoln and I'd like to talk about how I worked to end slavery and fight for equal rights. I was born on February 12, 1809, in a small house in Kentucky. I grew up in a world where slavery was common. My family moved to Indiana when I was young. That's where I first saw how unfair racism is.

I often heard stories about how badly Black people were treated, even though we didn't have slaves. As an adult, they helped shape what I believe because they stuck with me. I learned how to be a lawyer by reading books and taking breaks. I started out as a politician by working in the Illinois State Legislature. There, I had to deal with arguments about expanding slavery to new places. For me, it wasn't just politics; it was also about what was right and wrong.

At the national level, I first joined the Whig Party and then the Republican Party. Both of these parties were against the spread of slavery. It wasn't just wrong to own slaves; it went against the very ideas that made our country great. "A house divided against itself cannot stand," I famously said when I ran against Stephen A. Douglas for the Senate in 1858. The fact that this comment hit home so hard showed how deeply divided our country is.

The country was almost at war with the South when I became president in 1861. I knew this fight was about more than just land. It was also about people's rights. I wanted to keep the Union together, but I couldn't ignore how slaves felt. The Emancipation Proclamation, which came out on January 1, 1863, said that all slaves in the Confederate states should be set free. Everything changed for me at this moment. It was the right thing to do and good for the troops.

A lot of people didn't agree with my choice. A lot of people were scared about the changes I was going to make. Still, I believed it was necessary to fight against slavery. People who spoke out strongly against slavery, like Frederick Douglass, who worked for justice, motivated me. Their hard work made me want to keep going.

As the war went on, the fight to end slavery and the fight to keep our country together became more linked. I thought of a fictional America, a place where everyone was free, not just a few. But I knew this idea wouldn't be easy. There were different opinions in my party and across the country. But I didn't give up because I believed that history would finally support our cause.

That we got rid of slavery in the US with the Thirteenth Amendment was the most important thing we did. I still remember how pleased I was when we made this important progress. Everyone won the fight for fairness and a better future.

I know that the fight for ending slavery wasn't just mine when I think back on my life. It was a fight by many people. People who were against slavery lived and fought for freedom through marches, letters, and fights. You can hear their words all through history. People will have to carry on this torch and make sure that freedom and equality keep growing, I hope.

I know that the fight for justice is still going on when I think about what I did to help end slavery. I learned that doing the right thing even when it's hard is very important on my road. I learned a lot from abolitionists and from my own life. This is why I want to push other people to speak out against injustice and make the world a better place for everyone.

No longer having slaves was a big step forward, but it wasn't the end. True equality is still not here yet, and we are all to blame for that. People should be inspired by my story and the stories of those who fought with me to join the fight for justice. That way, the ideas of freedom and equality will live on for future generations.