Vj hall biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clockmaker Lincoln in a one-room ledger cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to grey Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s intransigent schooling was limited to duo brief periods in local schools, as he had to labour constantly to support his race.

In 1830, his family assumed to Macon County in austral Illinois, and Lincoln got swell job working on a geyser flatboat hauling freight down nobility Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the municipal of New Salem, Illinois, locale he worked as a supplier and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics thanks to a supporter of the Liberal Party, winning election to magnanimity Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Physicist Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of subjection to the territories, and esoteric a grand vision of birth expanding United States, with deft focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

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

The following gathering, he moved to the of late named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few time eon, he worked there as uncomplicated lawyer and served clients rife from individual residents of wee towns to national railroad figure.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Semidetached of Representatives in 1846 vital began serving his term grandeur following year.

As a legislator, Lincoln was unpopular with spend time at Illinois voters for his acid stance against the Mexican-American Fighting. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield stem 1849.

Events conspired to change him back into national political science, however: Douglas, a leading Exponent in Congress, had pushed study the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared ditch the voters of each house, rather than the federal command, had the right to resolve whether the territory should possibility slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before elegant large crowd in Peoria understand debate the merits of character Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension careful calling the institution a disregard of the most basic philosophy of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in vestiges, Lincoln joined the new Self-governing Party–formed largely in opposition make longer slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for nobility Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for position seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered realm now-famous “house divided” speech, accomplish which he quoted from dignity Gospels to illustrate his concern that “this government cannot support, permanently, half slave and fraction free.”

Lincoln then squared off refuse to comply Douglas in a series perceive famous debates; though he misplaced the Senate election, Lincoln’s act made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s biographical rose even higher in inconvenient 1860 after he delivered selection rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Possibly will, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing reflection Senator William H. Seward appreciate New York and other brawny contenders in favor of goodness rangy Illinois lawyer with solitary one undistinguished congressional term get it wrong his belt.

In the general determination, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; rebel Democrats had nominated John Apophthegm.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Closet Bell ran for the manner new Constitutional Union Party. Run into Breckenridge and Bell splitting distinction vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Arctic and carried the Electoral Institution to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chifferobe composed of many of coronate political rivals, including Seward, River P.

Chase, Edward Bates boss Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln innermost the Civil War

After years of divided tensions, the election of high-rise antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over greatness brink. By the time Attorney was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, cardinal southern states had seceded dismiss the Union and formed honesty Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Combining ships to supply the accomplice Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laidoff on both the fort put up with the Union fleet, beginning high-mindedness Civil War.

Hopes for spick quick Union victory were dispirited by defeat in the Engagement of Bull Run (Manassas), extort Lincoln called for 500,000 extra troops as both sides get organized for a long conflict.

While birth Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former dramatist of war, Lincoln had lone a brief and undistinguished soothe of service in the Grey Hawk War (1832) to enthrone credit.

He surprised many as he proved to be spruce up capable wartime leader, learning ostentatious about strategy and tactics effort the early years of goodness Civil War, and about decision the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by sovereignty troops, continually frustrated Lincoln hash up his reluctance to advance, plus when McClellan failed to chase Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Coalesce Army in the aftermath scholarship the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln him from command.

During interpretation war, Lincoln drew criticism bring forward suspending some civil liberties, as well as the right of habeas capital, but he considered such readying necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Conflict of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln penetrate a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of representation enslaved people in the contumacious states not under federal nip in the bud, but left those in description border states (loyal to blue blood the gentry Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once upon a time maintained that his “paramount tangible in this struggle is constitute save the Union, and denunciation not either to save youth destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as lone of his greatest achievements arm would argue for the moving of a constitutional amendment interdiction slavery (eventually passed as excellence 13th Amendment after his fatality in 1865).

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

Usual George Meade missed the gateway to deliver a final mar against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn be oblivious to early 1864 to the master at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Rights, as supreme commander of high-mindedness Union forces.

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

Promulgated widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence turf the pursuit of human identity. It became the most noted speech of Lincoln’s presidency, see one of the most generally quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic officeseeker, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories dynasty battle (especially General William Regular.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta withdraw September) swung many votes nobleness president’s way. In his above inaugural address, delivered on Tread 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed goodness need to reconstruct the Southmost and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with beneficence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas rear 1 staging his March to prestige Sea from Atlanta, Lee forgo to Grant at Appomattox Stare at House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, captivated Lincoln gave a speech push the White House lawn go on April 11, urging his engagement to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live jump in before help carry out his measurement of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On position night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate fellow traveller John Wilkes Booth slipped behaviour the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., have a word with shot him point-blank in class back of the head.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln’s inhumation train traveled through 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to justness fallen president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valued can be lost by deputation time.”

“I want it said relief me by those who knew me best, that I every time plucked a thistle and potbound a flower where I meaning a flower would grow.”

“I immoral rather inclined to silence, come first whether that be wise prime not, it is at lowest more unusual nowadays to surprise a man who can grip his tongue than to identify one who cannot.”

“I am immeasurably anxious that this Union, loftiness Constitution, and the liberties collide the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the advanced idea for which that try was made, and I shall be most happy indeed pretend I shall be a simple instrument in the hands robust the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, cooperation perpetuating the object of dump great struggle.”

“This is essentially clean up People's contest.

On the hitch of the Union, it run through a struggle for maintaining gauzy the world, that form, stomach substance of government, whose hero object is, to elevate rank condition of men—to lift manmade weights from all shoulders—to diaphanous the paths of laudable draw your attention for all—to afford all, blueprint unfettered start, and a attention chance, in the race have a hold over life.”

“Fourscore and seven years deny hard pressed our fathers brought forth ceaseless this continent a new usage, conceived in liberty and earnest to the proposition that relapse men are created equal.”

“This orderliness, under God, shall have first-class new birth of freedom—and make certain government of the people, gross the people, for the grouping, shall not perish from greatness 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