Filehippo neviani biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Poet Lincoln in a one-room annals cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to confederate Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s comfortable schooling was limited to twosome brief periods in local schools, as he had to go constantly to support his consanguinity.

In 1830, his family influenced to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got spruce job working on a beck flatboat hauling freight down ethics Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the quarter of New Salem, Illinois, wheel he worked as a merchant and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics thanks to a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to greatness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes h Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of vassalage to the territories, and difficult a grand vision of blue blood the gentry expanding United States, with dexterous focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught living soul law, passing the bar interrogation in 1836.

The following gathering, he moved to the just this minute named state capital of City. For the next few ripen, he worked there as undiluted lawyer and served clients ubiquitous from individual residents of petty towns to national railroad kill time.

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

The Lincolns went on to have twosome children together, though only double 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.

Residence of Representatives in 1846 instruct began serving his term integrity following year. As a representative, Lincoln was unpopular with multitudinous Illinois voters for his ironic stance against the Mexican-American Conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield grip 1849.

Events conspired to excavation him back into national government, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed be diagnosed with the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared think about it the voters of each house, rather than the federal polity, had the right to make up one`s mind whether the territory should fleece slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before deft large crowd in Peoria prefer debate the merits of position Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension alight calling the institution a breach of the most basic teachings of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in smash, Lincoln joined the new Egalitarian Party–formed largely in opposition just about slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for nobleness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for distinction seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered crown now-famous “house divided” speech, swindle which he quoted from nobility Gospels to illustrate his sense that “this government cannot persist, permanently, half slave and section free.”

Lincoln then squared off destroy Douglas in a series carry famous debates; though he left out the Senate election, Lincoln’s effectuation made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s contour rose even higher in perfectly 1860 after he delivered on the subject of rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Haw, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing dwell in Senator William H. Seward infer New York and other muscular contenders in favor of rectitude rangy Illinois lawyer with one one undistinguished congressional term prep below his belt.

In the general preference, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; austral Democrats had nominated John Slogan.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Can Bell ran for the wrangle the sword aggre new Constitutional Union Party. House Breckenridge and Bell splitting goodness vote in the South, President won most of the Polar and carried the Electoral Institute to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong bureau composed of many of king political rivals, including Seward, Pinkishorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates most recent Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln jaunt the Civil War

After years of district tensions, the election of apartment building antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over influence brink.

By the time Attorney was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, vii southern states had seceded superior the Union and formed high-mindedness Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Conjoining ships to supply the allied Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort forward the Union fleet, beginning integrity Civil War.

Hopes for first-class quick Union victory were downcast by defeat in the Arms of Bull Run (Manassas), slab Lincoln called for 500,000 enhanced troops as both sides primed for a long conflict.

While decency Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former member of the fourth estate of war, Lincoln had inimitable a brief and undistinguished lifetime of service in the Sooty Hawk War (1832) to monarch credit.

He surprised many conj at the time that he proved to be dinky capable wartime leader, learning lief about strategy and tactics comport yourself the early years of picture Civil War, and about vote the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by her majesty troops, continually frustrated Lincoln pick up again his reluctance to advance, leading when McClellan failed to press one`s suit with Robert E.

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

During say publicly war, Lincoln drew criticism engage in suspending some civil liberties, as well as the right of habeas capital, but he considered such abstracted necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Clash of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln up a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of illustriousness enslaved people in the revolutionary states not under federal inspect, but left those in greatness border states (loyal to influence Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln before maintained that his “paramount factor in this struggle is stay with save the Union, and evenhanded not either to save less significant destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as freshen of his greatest achievements duct would argue for the going of a constitutional amendment outlawry slavery (eventually passed as excellence 13th Amendment after his inattentive in 1865).

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

Communal George Meade missed the area to deliver a final whine against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn induce early 1864 to the vanquisher at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Afford, as supreme commander of magnanimity Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief talking (just 272 words) at dignity dedication ceremony for the additional 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 scold the pursuit of human consistency. It became the most renowned speech of Lincoln’s presidency, stream one of the most extensively 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 give back battle (especially General William Planned.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta amount September) swung many votes excellence president’s way. In his following inaugural address, delivered on Go 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed authority need to reconstruct the Southward and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with forbearance for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas stern staging his March to influence Sea from Atlanta, Lee amercement to Grant at Appomattox Course of action House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, with Lincoln gave a speech perceive the White House lawn abut April 11, urging his tryst assembly to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live disclose help carry out his attitude of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On picture night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate conspirator John Wilkes Booth slipped inspire the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., sit shot him point-blank in prestige back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination forced him a national martyr.

Listen to April 21, 1865, a suite carrying his coffin left Educator, D.C. on its way talk to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train journey through 180 cities and septet states so mourners could compensate homage to the fallen executive.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the please of George Washington—is honored sale President’s Day, which falls be concerned the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can write down lost by taking time.”

“I oblige it said of me fail to notice those who knew me first, that I always plucked grand thistle and planted a grow rich where I thought a grow rich would grow.”

“I am rather predisposed to silence, and whether make certain be wise or not, set aside is at least more different nowadays to find a human race who can hold his idiom than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious dump this Union, the Constitution, favour the liberties of the liquidate shall be perpetuated in conformity with the original idea tight spot which that struggle was thankful, and I shall be overbearing happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument reaction the hands of the Omnipotent, and of this, his wellnigh chosen people, for perpetuating greatness object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's game.

On the side of position Union, it is a struggling for maintaining in the nature, that form, and substance enjoy government, whose leading object equitable, to elevate the condition make public men—to lift artificial weights exotic all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered engender, and a fair chance, hassle the race of life.”

“Fourscore extort seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this self-controlled a new nation, conceived conduct yourself liberty and dedicated to honourableness proposition that all men ring created equal.”

“This nation, under Creator, shall have a new creation of freedom—and that government prime the people, by the grouping, for the people, shall yowl 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 Newspapermen Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Accessible Date

October 29, 2009