Through a poverty-ridden childhood on the American frontier, Abraham Lincoln is determined to leave his mark on the world. He rises to become president of a nation about to tear itself apart.

With the Civil War fully underway, Abraham Lincoln is forced to quickly learn how to manage a military as commander-in-chief. He comes to see only one path through the war: Emancipation.

As casualties mount in the raging Civil War, Abraham Lincoln seeks a general who can end it once and for all. When the end draws near, he begins to think about what comes next.