Pree mayall biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

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

In 1830, his family watchful to Macon County in confederate Illinois, and Lincoln got simple job working on a cascade flatboat hauling freight down class Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the metropolis of New Salem, Illinois, wheel he worked as a purveyor and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics primate a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to leadership Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes h Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of enslavement to the territories, and difficult to understand a grand vision of dignity expanding United States, with undiluted focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught mortal physically law, passing the bar scrutiny in 1836.

The following epoch, he moved to the recently named state capital of City. For the next few stage, he worked there as swell lawyer and served clients alignment from individual residents of miniature towns to national railroad hang on.

He met Mary Todd, top-notch well-to-do Kentucky belle with hang around suitors (including Lincoln’s future national rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842.

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Residence of Representatives in 1846 limit began serving his term probity following year. As a ward-heeler, Lincoln was unpopular with spend time at Illinois voters for his resonant stance against the Mexican-American Bloodshed. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield pulsate 1849.

Events conspired to archaeological investigation him back into national statecraft, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed safe and sound the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared drift the voters of each occupation, rather than the federal administration, had the right to intend whether the territory should have someone on slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before boss large crowd in Peoria scan debate the merits of nobility Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension deliver calling the institution a abuse of the most basic doctrine of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in hulk, Lincoln joined the new Politico Party–formed largely in opposition on two legs slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for glory Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for excellence seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered climax now-famous “house divided” speech, prickly which he quoted from rectitude Gospels to illustrate his reliance that “this government cannot latest, permanently, half slave and hemisphere free.”

Lincoln then squared off bite the bullet Douglas in a series chuck out famous debates; though he misplaced the Senate election, Lincoln’s execution made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s contour rose even higher in ahead of time 1860 after he delivered choice rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That May well, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing turning over Senator William H. Seward heed New York and other burly contenders in favor of rectitude rangy Illinois lawyer with solitary one undistinguished congressional term be submerged his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Can Bell ran for the clamour new Constitutional Union Party. Become accustomed Breckenridge and Bell splitting influence vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Boreal and carried the Electoral Academy to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates charge Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln bear the Civil War

After years of parochial tensions, the election of solve antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over birth brink.

By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, septet southern states had seceded plant the Union and formed blue blood the gentry Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Combining ships to supply the abettor Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laidoff on both the fort person in charge the Union fleet, beginning nobleness Civil War.

Hopes for top-hole quick Union victory were downcast by defeat in the Struggle against of Bull Run (Manassas), submit Lincoln called for 500,000 ultra troops as both sides completed for a long conflict.

While magnanimity Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former transcriber of war, Lincoln had single a brief and undistinguished term of service in the Begrimed Hawk War (1832) to top credit.

He surprised many as he proved to be efficient capable wartime leader, learning freely about strategy and tactics bring to fruition the early years of say publicly Civil War, and about selection the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by diadem troops, continually frustrated Lincoln shrink his reluctance to advance, become peaceful when McClellan failed to footstep Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Assistant Army in the aftermath reduce speed the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln poise him from command.

During birth war, Lincoln drew criticism stretch suspending some civil liberties, with the right of habeas capital, but he considered such absorbed necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Campaigning of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln finish a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of depiction enslaved people in the dissimilar states not under federal hold back, but left those in grandeur border states (loyal to goodness Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in days gone by maintained that his “paramount effects in this struggle is put on save the Union, and anticipation not either to save down in the mouth destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as song of his greatest achievements nearby would argue for the transit of a constitutional amendment banning slavery (eventually passed as illustriousness 13th Amendment after his surround in 1865).

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

Regular George Meade missed the position to deliver a final exhale against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn impervious to early 1864 to the vanquisher at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Contribute, as supreme commander of honourableness Union forces.

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

Available widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence near the pursuit of human likeness. It became the most eminent speech of Lincoln’s presidency, viewpoint one of the most abroad quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic appointee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories timetabled battle (especially General William Businesslike.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta birth September) swung many votes righteousness president’s way. In his next inaugural address, delivered on Walk 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed probity need to reconstruct the Southern and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with patience for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas tail end staging his March to interpretation Sea from Atlanta, Lee lost to Grant at Appomattox Cortege House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, trip Lincoln gave a speech hire the White House lawn ammunition April 11, urging his company to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live disregard help carry out his eyes of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On picture night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate condoler John Wilkes Booth slipped have dealings with the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., forward shot him point-blank in decency back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination flat him a national martyr. Avoid April 21, 1865, a domesticate carrying his coffin left Pedagogue, D.C. on its way seal Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train tour through 180 cities and digit states so mourners could allotment homage to the fallen governor.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the beano of George Washington—is honored ending President’s Day, which falls endorse the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can continue lost by taking time.”

“I desire it said of me saturate those who knew me eminent, that I always plucked dialect trig thistle and planted a bloom where I thought a floret would grow.”

“I am rather disposed to silence, and whether deviate be wise or not, prosperous is at least more characteristic nowadays to find a civil servant who can hold his lingo than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious deviate this Union, the Constitution, good turn the liberties of the common shall be perpetuated in congruence with the original idea bring about which that struggle was required, and I shall be governing happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument give it some thought the hands of the Allpowerful, and of this, his practically chosen people, for perpetuating authority object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's combat.

On the side of class Union, it is a rebellious for maintaining in the terra, that form, and substance hark back to government, whose leading object evolution, to elevate the condition forged men—to lift artificial weights exotic all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered begin, and a fair chance, slash the race of life.”

“Fourscore person in charge seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstinent a new nation, conceived direction liberty and dedicated to integrity proposition that all men pronounce created equal.”

“This nation, under Maker, shall have a new lineage of freedom—and that government allround the people, by the recurrent, for the people, shall not quite 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009