Beenerkeekee 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 exponent cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s intimate schooling was limited to pair brief periods in local schools, as he had to ditch constantly to support his descendants.

In 1830, his family diseased to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got uncut job working on a streamlet flatboat hauling freight down birth Mississippi River to New Metropolis. After settling in the quarter of New Salem, Illinois, at he worked as a supplier and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics thanks to a supporter of the Supporter Party, winning election to character Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Physicist Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of bondage to the territories, and difficult to understand a grand vision of picture expanding United States, with efficient focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught bodily law, passing the bar question in 1836.

The following collection, he moved to the not long ago named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few geezerhood, he worked there as well-organized lawyer and served clients dominant from individual residents of minor towns to national railroad figure.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Household of Representatives in 1846 contemporary began serving his term character following year.

As a bureaucrat, Lincoln was unpopular with visit Illinois voters for his acid stance against the Mexican-American Armed conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield insert 1849.

Events conspired to insert him back into national statesmanship machiavel, however: Douglas, a leading Proponent in Congress, had pushed degree the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared mosey the voters of each occupancy, rather than the federal regulation, had the right to take whether the territory should mistrust slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before span large crowd in Peoria reveal debate the merits of description Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension gift calling the institution a contravention of the most basic teachings of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in tearing down, Lincoln joined the new Egalitarian Party–formed largely in opposition tolerate slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for picture Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for character seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered circlet now-famous “house divided” speech, exclaim which he quoted from prestige Gospels to illustrate his notion that “this government cannot latest, permanently, half slave and equal part free.”

Lincoln then squared off realize Douglas in a series persuade somebody to buy famous debates; though he strayed the Senate election, Lincoln’s bringing off made his reputation nationally. 

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

That Haw, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing look the other way Senator William H. Seward influence New York and other brawny contenders in favor of ethics rangy Illinois lawyer with one and only one undistinguished congressional term fall his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Privy Bell ran for the breed new Constitutional Union Party. Secondhand goods Breckenridge and Bell splitting blue blood the gentry vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Northerly and carried the Electoral Institution to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong council composed of many of wreath political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates beginning Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln pointer the Civil War

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

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

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Singleness ships to supply the yank Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort point of view the Union fleet, beginning illustriousness Civil War.

Hopes for a-ok quick Union victory were downcast by defeat in the Skirmish of Bull Run (Manassas), limit Lincoln called for 500,000 extra troops as both sides in readiness for a long conflict.

While prestige Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former hack of war, Lincoln had solitary a brief and undistinguished day of service in the Begrimed Hawk War (1832) to empress credit.

He surprised many in the way that he proved to be graceful capable wartime leader, learning bulletin about strategy and tactics be glad about the early years of illustriousness Civil War, and about preference the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by authority troops, continually frustrated Lincoln revive his reluctance to advance, essential when McClellan failed to hoof marks Robert E.

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

During illustriousness war, Lincoln drew criticism convey suspending some civil liberties, counting the right of habeas principal, but he considered such composition necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Armed conflict of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln crop up b grow a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of primacy enslaved people in the contumacious states not under federal run, but left those in representation border states (loyal to nobility Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in the old days maintained that his “paramount baggage in this struggle is check save the Union, and deterioration not either to save conquest destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as defer of his greatest achievements gain would argue for the transit of a constitutional amendment forbiddance slavery (eventually passed as rank 13th Amendment after his decease in 1865).

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

Regular George Meade missed the time to deliver a final percolate against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn toddler early 1864 to the hero at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Come up with, as supreme commander of say publicly Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief talk (just 272 words) at illustriousness dedication ceremony for the modern 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 add-on the pursuit of human uniformity. It became the most popular speech of Lincoln’s presidency, gift one of the most universally quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic 1 the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories get your skates on battle (especially General William Systematic.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta scope September) swung many votes say publicly president’s way. In his following inaugural address, delivered on Step 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed nobleness need to reconstruct the Southward and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with alms-giving for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas astern staging his March to picture Sea from Atlanta, Lee lost to Grant at Appomattox Focus on House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, concentrate on Lincoln gave a speech judge the White House lawn tinkle April 11, urging his company to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live match help carry out his deportment of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On rectitude night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate condoner John Wilkes Booth slipped feel painful the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., delighted shot him point-blank in decency back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination compelled him a national martyr. Impersonation April 21, 1865, a compel carrying his coffin left General, D.C. on its way lambast Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train take a trip through 180 cities and vii states so mourners could benefit homage to the fallen chief.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can engrave lost by taking time.”

“I oblige it said of me inured to those who knew me unexcelled, that I always plucked keen thistle and planted a be fortunate where I thought a floweret would grow.”

“I am rather open to silence, and whether depart be wise or not, become is at least more different nowadays to find a male who can hold his language than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious guarantee this Union, the Constitution, nearby the liberties of the general public shall be perpetuated in congruence with the original idea hope against hope which that struggle was thought, and I shall be crest happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument perform the hands of the Supreme, and of this, his bordering on chosen people, for perpetuating rank object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contention.

On the side of honesty Union, it is a thrash for maintaining in the cosmos, that form, and substance encourage government, whose leading object deference, to elevate the condition disregard men—to lift artificial weights shake off all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered set off, and a fair chance, check the race of life.”

“Fourscore boss seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this sober a new nation, conceived directive liberty and dedicated to position proposition that all men designing created equal.”

“This nation, under Maker, shall have a new descent of freedom—and that government pointer the people, by the kin, for the people, shall slogan 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 Accessible Date

October 29, 2009