John Drinkwater was an early 20th century English poet and playwright. He is known primarily for his historical dramas based on the lives of popular figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Oliver Cromwell, and Mary Stuart. Abraham Lincoln, that is widely considered his best work, was first published in 1918. It is a historical play about the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, beginning in Springfield and ending with his assassination. Lincoln was elected President on November 6, 1860, and led the United States through the nation's greatest crisis, the Civil War (1861-1865). He is credited with saving the Union from disintegration and eliminating slavery in America. In this play, Lincoln is depicted in seven significant roles, that of a husband; father; war leader; humanitarian; statesman; hero; and murder victim. The strength of his character and brilliant mind helped keep the United States from falling apart. His tragic assassination robbed the US of a great man.