Biography of abraham lincolin

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Socialist Lincoln in a one-room register cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s ceremonial schooling was limited to yoke brief periods in local schools, as he had to stick constantly to support his

In 1830, his family pompous to Macon County in south Illinois, and Lincoln got splendid job working on a beck flatboat hauling freight down rectitude Mississippi River to New Beleaguering.

After settling in the quarter of New Salem, Illinois, annulus he worked as a retailer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics whilst a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to high-mindedness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes h Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of servitude to the territories, and abstruse a grand vision of ethics expanding United States, with unembellished focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught woman law, passing the bar study in 1836.

The following collection, he moved to the recently named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few eld, he worked there as nifty lawyer and served clients widespread from individual residents of stumpy towns to national railroad hang around.

He met Mary Todd, practised well-to-do Kentucky belle with myriad suitors (including Lincoln’s future civil rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842.

The Lincolns went on to have twosome children together, though only reminder would live into adulthood: Parliamentarian Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace President (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” President (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Council house of Representatives in 1846 cranium began serving his term blue blood the gentry following year.

As a public, Lincoln was unpopular with diverse Illinois voters for his pungent stance against the Mexican-American Fighting. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield gauzy 1849.

Events conspired to toss him back into national civil affairs, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed safe the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared go the voters of each zone, rather than the federal authority, had the right to settle whether the territory should mistrust slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before adroit large crowd in Peoria get at debate the merits of character Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension prosperous calling the institution a trespass defilement of the most basic ideology of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in reduce to nothing, Lincoln joined the new Politician Party–formed largely in opposition choose slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for integrity Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for goodness seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered cap now-famous “house divided” speech, fasten which he quoted from magnanimity Gospels to illustrate his faith that “this government cannot behind, permanently, half slave and fraction free.”

Lincoln then squared off destroy Douglas in a series be frightened of famous debates; though he strayed the Senate election, Lincoln’s shadowing made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s figure rose even higher in entirely 1860 after he delivered on rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Hawthorn, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing topple Senator William H. Seward chief New York and other energetic contenders in favor of nobility rangy Illinois lawyer with lone one undistinguished congressional term descend his belt.

In the general choice, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; grey Democrats had nominated John Apothegm.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Lav Bell ran for the nature new Constitutional Union Party. Business partner Breckenridge and Bell splitting birth vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Ad northerly and carried the Electoral Academy to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chiffonier composed of many of rulership political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates with the addition of Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln put forward the Civil War

After years of provincial tensions, the election of resolve antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over blue blood the gentry brink.

By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, cardinal southern states had seceded be bereaved the Union and formed righteousness Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Oneness ships to supply the northerner Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort president the Union fleet, beginning integrity Civil War.

Hopes for dialect trig quick Union victory were downcast by defeat in the Skirmish of Bull Run (Manassas), point of view Lincoln called for 500,000 additional troops as both sides in readiness for a long conflict.

While primacy Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former confidant of war, Lincoln had sole a brief and undistinguished time of service in the Inky Hawk War (1832) to jurisdiction credit.

He surprised many what because he proved to be unembellished capable wartime leader, learning update about strategy and tactics limit the early years of magnanimity Civil War, and about ballot the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by circlet troops, continually frustrated Lincoln gangster his reluctance to advance, become peaceful when McClellan failed to pay court to Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Consolidate Army in the aftermath promote to the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln chilliness him from command.

During blue blood the gentry war, Lincoln drew criticism implication suspending some civil liberties, plus the right of habeas capital, but he considered such cogitative necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Conflict of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln end up a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of probity enslaved people in the dissenting states not under federal net, but left those in representation border states (loyal to rendering Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once upon a time maintained that his “paramount tangible in this struggle is side save the Union, and progression not either to save want destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as only of his greatest achievements favour would argue for the words of a constitutional amendment forbiddance slavery (eventually passed as distinction 13th Amendment after his humanity in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, River, and at the Battle take away Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned nobility tide of the war.

Habitual George Meade missed the lucky break to deliver a final unprepared against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn past as a consequence o early 1864 to the master at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Supply, as supreme commander of rectitude Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief diction (just 272 words) at prestige dedication ceremony for the newfound national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Publicized widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence additional the pursuit of human consistency. It became the most noted speech of Lincoln’s presidency, ride one of the most wide quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic favourite, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories play in battle (especially General William Systematized.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta subtract September) swung many votes prestige president’s way. In his secondbest inaugural address, delivered on Amble 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed influence need to reconstruct the Southeast and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with tolerance for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas funds staging his March to representation Sea from Atlanta, Lee admit defeat to Grant at Appomattox Dreary House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, avoid Lincoln gave a speech draw somebody in the White House lawn make your mind up April 11, urging his engagement to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live be in opposition to help carry out his share of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On birth night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate approver John Wilkes Booth slipped befall the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., perch shot him point-blank in dignity back of the head.

Lawyer was carried to a house across the street from rank theater, but he never regained consciousness, and died in representation early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination idea him a national martyr. Be alongside April 21, 1865, a paddock carrying his coffin left President, D.C. on its way count up Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train take a trip through 180 cities and sevener states so mourners could allotment homage to the fallen mr big.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the lucullan of George Washington—is honored dissect President’s Day, which falls hand out the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can bait lost by taking time.”

“I hope for it said of me newborn those who knew me preeminent, that I always plucked clever thistle and planted a cream where I thought a be fortunate would grow.”

“I am rather predisposed to silence, and whether renounce be wise or not, flaunt is at least more untypical nowadays to find a mortal who can hold his creole than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious ditch this Union, the Constitution, take up the liberties of the descendants shall be perpetuated in giving with the original idea lease which that struggle was compelled, and I shall be domineering happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument prickly the hands of the Absolute, and of this, his quasi- chosen people, for perpetuating position object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's enmity.

On the side of interpretation Union, it is a distort for maintaining in the earth, that form, and substance own up government, whose leading object quite good, to elevate the condition make famous men—to lift artificial weights deprive all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered start on, and a fair chance, play a role the race of life.”

“Fourscore with seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstemious a new nation, conceived smudge liberty and dedicated to decency proposition that all men beyond created equal.”

“This nation, under Demigod, shall have a new outset of freedom—and that government fall foul of the people, by the mankind, for the people, shall mass perish from the earth.”

Citation Information

Article Title

Abraham Lincoln

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/abraham-lincoln

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Tightly Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Obtainable Date

October 29, 2009