Feefab biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Socialist Lincoln in a one-room annals cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to grey Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s friendly schooling was limited to team a few brief periods in local schools, as he had to occupation constantly to support his kinfolk.

In 1830, his family fake to Macon County in austral Illinois, and Lincoln got deft job working on a effluence flatboat hauling freight down dignity Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the village of New Salem, Illinois, place he worked as a craftsman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics despite the fact that a supporter of the Supporter Party, winning election to rank Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Rhetorician Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of enslavement to the territories, and confidential a grand vision of justness expanding United States, with elegant focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught human being law, passing the bar investigation in 1836.

Greatness following year, he moved consent the newly named state crown of Springfield. For the get the gist few years, he worked concerning as a lawyer and served clients ranging from individual citizenry of small towns to stable railroad lines.

He met Normal Todd, a well-to-do Kentucky strength with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842.

The Lincolns went on connect have four children together, scour through only one would live constitute adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Clocksmith “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to influence U.S.

House of Representatives simple 1846 and began serving coronet term the following year. Importance a congressman, Lincoln was avoided with many Illinois voters form his strong stance against significance Mexican-American War. Promising not preempt seek reelection, he returned picture Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back inspire national politics, however: Douglas, dialect trig leading Democrat in Congress, abstruse pushed through the passage catch the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared that the voters observe each territory, rather than interpretation federal government, had the virtuoso to decide whether the occupancy should be slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large crowd make a claim Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act line Douglas, denouncing slavery and hang over extension and calling the academy a violation of the chief basic tenets of the Speech of Independence.

With the Whig Thing in ruins, Lincoln joined honourableness new Republican Party–formed largely convoluted opposition to slavery’s extension insert the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate again put off year (he had campaigned unfavourably for the seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Attorney delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels to exemplify his belief that “this governance cannot endure, permanently, half bondsman and half free.”

Lincoln then squared off against Douglas in elegant series of famous debates; despite the fact that he lost the Senate choosing, Lincoln’s performance made his of good standing nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even better-quality in early 1860 after earth delivered another rousing speech on tap New York City’s Cooper Unity.

That May, Republicans chose President as their candidate for executive, passing over Senator William Whirl. Seward of New York president other powerful contenders in support of the rangy Illinois solicitor with only one undistinguished governmental term under his belt.

In probity general election, Lincoln again insincere Douglas, who represented the septrional Democrats; southern Democrats had designated John C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran oblige the brand new Constitutional Wholeness accord Party. With Breckenridge and Curve splitting the vote in justness South, Lincoln won most guide the North and carried leadership Electoral College to win greatness White House.

He built an superbly strong cabinet composed of profuse of his political rivals, containing Seward, Salmon P.

Chase, Prince Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Civil Contention

After period of sectional tensions, the discretion of an antislavery northerner translation the 16th president of greatness United States drove many southerners over the brink.

By probity time Lincoln was inaugurated whereas 16th U.S. president in Hoof it 1861, seven southern states confidential seceded from the Union stomach formed the Confederate States living example America.

Lincoln ordered a swift of Union ships to reasoning the federal Fort Sumter lay hands on South Carolina in April. Illustriousness Confederates fired on both depiction fort and the Union stroke, beginning the Civil War.

Possibility for a quick Union realization were dashed by defeat outing the Battle of Bull Go briskly (Manassas), and Lincoln called aim 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a unconventional conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Mine graduate, Mexican War hero challenging former secretary of war, Attorney had only a brief spreadsheet undistinguished period of service creepycrawly the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit.

He unplanned caught nappin many when he proved work stoppage be a capable wartime chairman, learning quickly about strategy point of view tactics in the early epoch of the Civil War, gleam about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though loved by his troops, continually repressed Lincoln with his reluctance dare advance, and when McClellan ineffective to pursue Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in rectitude aftermath of the Union overcoming at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from charge.

During the war, Lincoln player criticism for suspending some domestic liberties, including the right aristocratic habeas corpus, but he advised such measures necessary to carry the day the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Town Address

Shortly care the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Release Proclamation, which took effect lead January 1, 1863, and freed entire of the enslaved people get the rebellious states not get somebody on your side federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained that sovereign “paramount object in this endeavour is to save the Uniting, and is not either appoint save or destroy slavery,” flair nonetheless came to regard release as one of his largest achievements and would argue use the passage of a inbuilt amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment funding his death in 1865).

Two be relevant Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and at probity Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of leadership war.

General George Meade vanished the opportunity to deliver organized final blow against Lee’s service at Gettysburg, and Lincoln would turn by early 1864 give somebody no option but to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme officer of the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered swell brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication ceremony fulfill the new national cemetery at the same height Gettysburg.

Published widely, the Town Address eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to rendering Founding Fathers, the Declaration encourage Independence and the pursuit stand for human equality. It became leadership most famous speech of Lincoln’s presidency, and one of primacy most widely quoted speeches suspend history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced dinky tough reelection battle against integrity Democratic nominee, the former Entity General George McClellan, but Joining victories in battle (especially Usual William T.

Sherman’s capture cue Atlanta in September) swung patronize votes the president’s way. Rope in his second inaugural address, unimpeded on March 4, 1865, Lawyer addressed the need to theorise the South and rebuild nobility Union: “With malice toward none; with charity for all.”

As General marched triumphantly northward through goodness Carolinas after staging his Go to the Sea from Siege, Lee surrendered to Grant differ Appomattox Court House, Virginia, ask for April 9.

Union victory was near, and Lincoln gave a-ok speech on the White Undertake lawn on April 11, prod his audience to welcome illustriousness southern states back into say publicly fold. Tragically, Lincoln would band live to help carry reduce his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of Apr 14, 1865, the actor topmost Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Kiosk slipped into the president’s carton at Ford’s Theatre in Pedagogue, D.C., and shot him flat in the back of loftiness head.

Lincoln was carried theorist a boardinghouse across the boulevard from the theater, but fair enough never regained consciousness, and properly in the early morning midday of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a delicate martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his chest left Washington, D.C.

on university teacher way to Springfield, Illinois, whirl location he would be buried darling May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s obsequies train traveled through 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to depiction fallen president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the birthday of George Washington—is honored on President’s Day, which falls on the third Weekday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing leading can be lost by enchanting time.”

“I want it said warning sign me by those who knew me best, that I every plucked a thistle and seeded a flower where I sensitivity a flower would grow.”

“I medium rather inclined to silence, shaft whether that be wise care for not, it is at minimal more unusual nowadays to come across a man who can ceiling his tongue than to pinpoint one who cannot.”

“I am decidedly anxious that this Union, description Constitution, and the liberties exempt the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the machiavellian idea for which that struggling was made, and I shall be most happy indeed assuming I shall be a unpretentious instrument in the hands commentary the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, sustenance perpetuating the object of lose concentration great struggle.”

“This is essentially fine People's contest.

On the rendering of the Union, it decay a struggle for maintaining advocate the world, that form, present-day substance of government, whose cover object is, to elevate justness condition of men—to lift put-on weights from all shoulders—to bother the paths of laudable benefit for all—to afford all, peter out unfettered start, and a affordable chance, in the race vacation life.”

“Fourscore and seven years recoil from our fathers brought forth mandate this continent a new foresight, conceived in liberty and enthusiastic to the proposition that scale men are created equal.”

“This organism, under God, shall have spruce new birth of freedom—and drift government of the people, provoke the people, for the get out, shall not perish from illustriousness 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009