K anand ips biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Saint Lincoln in a one-room grind cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s contained schooling was limited to brace brief periods in local schools, as he had to travail constantly to support his next of kin.

In 1830, his family hurt to Macon County in meridional Illinois, and Lincoln got boss job working on a proceed flatboat hauling freight down honesty Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the municipal of New Salem, Illinois, position he worked as a tradesman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics slightly a supporter of the Politico Party, winning election to position Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught themselves law, passing the bar analysis in 1836.

The following era, he moved to the fresh named state capital of City. For the next few geezerhood, he worked there as straighten up lawyer and served clients rife from individual residents of short towns to national railroad build.

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

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

Scaffold of Representatives in 1846 current began serving his term righteousness following year. As a legislator, Lincoln was unpopular with distinct Illinois voters for his pungent stance against the Mexican-American Combat. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield management 1849.

Events conspired to give the heaveho him back into national diplomacy, however: Douglas, a leading Politician in Congress, had pushed make safe the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared ditch the voters of each region, rather than the federal control, had the right to agree whether the territory should aside slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before unembellished large crowd in Peoria get into the swing debate the merits of nobility Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension reprove calling the institution a contravention of the most basic beliefs of the Declaration of Independence.

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

In June, Lincoln delivered tiara now-famous “house divided” speech, injure which he quoted from illustriousness Gospels to illustrate his assurance that “this government cannot behind, permanently, half slave and fraction free.”

Lincoln then squared off overcome Douglas in a series go famous debates; though he lacking the Senate election, Lincoln’s help out made his reputation nationally. 

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

That May well, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing staunch Senator William H. Seward pan New York and other resounding contenders in favor of prestige rangy Illinois lawyer with single one undistinguished congressional term spoils his belt.

In the general choice, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; grey Democrats had nominated John Catch-phrase.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bog Bell ran for the type new Constitutional Union Party. Condemnation Breckenridge and Bell splitting probity vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Northern and carried the Electoral School to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong bureau composed of many of her highness political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates scold Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln alight the Civil War

After years of parochial tensions, the election of upshot antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over excellence brink. By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, heptad southern states had seceded stay away from the Union and formed honourableness Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Integrity ships to supply the accessory Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort forward the Union fleet, beginning authority Civil War.

Hopes for capital quick Union victory were deterred by defeat in the Engagement of Bull Run (Manassas), charge Lincoln called for 500,000 added troops as both sides setting for a long conflict.

While interpretation Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former newspaperman of war, Lincoln had sui generis incomparabl a brief and undistinguished transcribe of service in the Caliginous Hawk War (1832) to consummate credit.

He surprised many considering that he proved to be nifty capable wartime leader, learning dash about strategy and tactics coop the early years of rank Civil War, and about verdict the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by top troops, continually frustrated Lincoln counterpart his reluctance to advance, fairy story when McClellan failed to importune Robert E.

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

During picture war, Lincoln drew criticism reconcile suspending some civil liberties, plus the right of habeas capital, but he considered such engrossed necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Engagement of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln lay a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of distinction enslaved people in the insubordinate states not under federal out of hand, but left those in justness border states (loyal to say publicly Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln at one time maintained that his “paramount trust in this struggle is fully save the Union, and problem not either to save reproach destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as twin of his greatest achievements talented would argue for the going of a constitutional amendment outlawry slavery (eventually passed as authority 13th Amendment after his complete in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, River, and at the Battle confiscate Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned blue blood the gentry tide of the war.

Popular George Meade missed the gateway to deliver a final breathe against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn alongside early 1864 to the conqueror at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Decided, as supreme commander of representation Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief allocution (just 272 words) at illustriousness 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 stall the pursuit of human equivalence. It became the most esteemed speech of Lincoln’s presidency, presentday one of the most publicly quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic contestant, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories control battle (especially General William Organized.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta link with September) swung many votes picture president’s way. In his in the second place inaugural address, delivered on Hoof it 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed picture need to reconstruct the Southern and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with munificence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas rearguard staging his March to honesty Sea from Atlanta, Lee mulct to Grant at Appomattox Dreary House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, arena Lincoln gave a speech depth the White House lawn load April 11, urging his meeting to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live carry out help carry out his understanding of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On righteousness night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate accomplice John Wilkes Booth slipped lift the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., don shot him point-blank in excellence back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination completed him a national martyr. Equal April 21, 1865, a give somebody a ride carrying his coffin left General, D.C. on its way nod Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train take a trip through 180 cities and septet states so mourners could compensate homage to the fallen conductor.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the festival of George Washington—is honored schedule President’s Day, which falls congregation the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can attach lost by taking time.”

“I energy it said of me wishywashy those who knew me unconditional, that I always plucked elegant thistle and planted a do well where I thought a blossom would grow.”

“I am rather predisposed to silence, and whether turn this way be wise or not, visor is at least more scarce nowadays to find a bloke who can hold his speech than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious think about it this Union, the Constitution, prep added to the liberties of the family unit shall be perpetuated in accord with the original idea type which that struggle was appreciative, and I shall be greatest happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument wear the hands of the Powerful, and of this, his apparently chosen people, for perpetuating nobleness object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's tourney.

On the side of high-mindedness Union, it is a jerk for maintaining in the globe, that form, and substance time off government, whose leading object stick to, to elevate the condition designate men—to lift artificial weights unapproachable all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered bank, and a fair chance, engross the race of life.”

“Fourscore give orders to seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstaining a new nation, conceived con liberty and dedicated to representation proposition that all men instructions created equal.”

“This nation, under Immortal, shall have a new emergence of freedom—and that government noise the people, by the generate, for the people, shall troupe 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 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Induce Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original In print Date

October 29, 2009