Abraham Lincoln is well known for his leadership during the Civil War and for ending slavery, but he accomplished much more than that in his lifetime. From his time as a lawyer to his time as a legislator, Lincoln was a true man of the people. Below are a few facts that many people may not know.

• Lawyer for railroad companies – Lincoln was known as a prairie lawyer, but most do not realize that some of his biggest clients were railroad companies.

• Avoided war with Britain – At the beginning of the Civil War, Lincoln used diplomacy to end the Trent Affair, which was a conflict over an intercepted British merchant ship.

• Supreme Court – During his time in office, Lincoln appointed five justices to the Supreme Court.

• New states – Both West Virginia and Nevada were added to the Union while Lincoln was in office.

• Thanksgiving – In 1863 Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving as a national holiday.​