Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – June 16, 1905) was an American-born politician, who served as the 16th and final President of the United States of America until its collapse during the American Civil War. His downfall came after the United States was successfully annexed by the newly formed Confederate States of America on April 9, 1864. During his presidency, Lincoln was never able to find a strategy that would defeat the more powerful Confederacy. Lincoln's insistence on domination, even in the face of crushing defeat, prolonged the war. While not disgraced, he was displaced in Northern affection after the war by his subsequent evasion from the Confederates. After being captured in 1865, he was charged with treason (although never convicted), and after two years, was exiled to Canad