Before Abraham Lincoln became President, he was seen as a social loser. He had a rough childhood because his mother passed away at an early age, and he had to constantly move to different homes. Lincoln was adored by many people for his way of treating them; he was just, honest (hence the Honest Abe moniker), courage, and humility. He had grown up never winning anything, and this was expected until 1860, when he ran for President against Stephen Douglas and won. Two years prior to this event, Lincoln had lost to Douglas in becoming the newest member of the Illinois Senate.