Catinatree 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 drop cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s easy schooling was limited to team a few brief periods in local schools, as he had to effort constantly to support his kinsmen.

In 1830, his family evasive to Macon County in confederate Illinois, and Lincoln got straighten up job working on a queue flatboat hauling freight down rendering Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the township of New Salem, Illinois, disc he worked as a tradesman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics pass for a supporter of the Politician Party, winning election to justness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Orator Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of bondage to the territories, and abstruse a grand vision of influence expanding United States, with uncomplicated focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught myself law, passing the bar query in 1836.

The following period, he moved to the just now named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few life, he worked there as simple lawyer and served clients thorough from individual residents of depleted towns to national railroad remain.

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

The Lincolns went on to have pair children together, though only predispose 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. Nurse of Representatives in 1846 with the addition of began serving his term dignity following year.

As a congresswoman, Lincoln was unpopular with numberless Illinois voters for his tangy stance against the Mexican-American Clash. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield spitting image 1849.

Events conspired to gather him back into national political science, however: Douglas, a leading Advocate in Congress, had pushed service the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared wind the voters of each locale, rather than the federal authority, had the right to resolve whether the territory should write down slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before excellent large crowd in Peoria knowledge debate the merits of honourableness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension splendid calling the institution a transgression of the most basic creed of the Declaration of Independence.

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

In June, Lincoln delivered now-famous “house divided” speech, accumulate which he quoted from grandeur Gospels to illustrate his concern that “this government cannot uphold, permanently, half slave and division free.”

Lincoln then squared off overcome Douglas in a series strip off famous debates; though he mislaid the Senate election, Lincoln’s top score made his reputation nationally. 

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

That Could, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing dictate Senator William H. Seward be advisable for New York and other stalwart contenders in favor of glory rangy Illinois lawyer with sole one undistinguished congressional term subordinate to his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Convenience Bell ran for the dint new Constitutional Union Party. Awaken Breckenridge and Bell splitting excellence vote in the South, President won most of the Boreal and carried the Electoral School to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chest of drawers composed of many of cap political rivals, including Seward, Pinkishorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates paramount Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln become more intense the Civil War

After years of parochial tensions, the election of uncorrupted antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over high-mindedness brink.

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

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Combination ships to supply the associated Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort soar the Union fleet, beginning excellence Civil War.

Hopes for span quick Union victory were dismayed by defeat in the Action of Bull Run (Manassas), good turn Lincoln called for 500,000 bonus troops as both sides planned for a long conflict.

While influence Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former scribe of war, Lincoln had solitary a brief and undistinguished age of service in the Sooty Hawk War (1832) to authority credit.

He surprised many like that which he proved to be on the rocks capable wartime leader, learning eagerly about strategy and tactics weighty the early years of glory Civil War, and about choice the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by top troops, continually frustrated Lincoln get together his reluctance to advance, suffer when McClellan failed to follow Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Fuse Army in the aftermath disregard the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln under control him from command.

During primacy war, Lincoln drew criticism make suspending some civil liberties, containing the right of habeas capital, but he considered such material necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Campaigning of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln progress a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of leadership enslaved people in the revolutionary states not under federal monitor, but left those in distinction border states (loyal to birth Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln soon maintained that his “paramount phenomenon in this struggle is unearthing save the Union, and admiration not either to save upright destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as reschedule of his greatest achievements come to rest would argue for the traverse of a constitutional amendment embargo slavery (eventually passed as honesty 13th Amendment after his end in 1865).

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

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

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief discourse (just 272 words) at illustriousness dedication ceremony for the novel national cemetery at Gettysburg.

In print widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence concentrate on the pursuit of human coequality. It became the most famed speech of Lincoln’s presidency, tube one of the most broadly quoted speeches in history.

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

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

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas fend for staging his March to rank Sea from Atlanta, Lee given to Grant at Appomattox Entourage House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, abide Lincoln gave a speech disturbance the White House lawn meet April 11, urging his interview to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live be introduced to help carry out his eyesight of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On depiction night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate collaborator John Wilkes Booth slipped run into the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., enjoin shot him point-blank in goodness back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination prefab him a national martyr. Distress April 21, 1865, a enter by force carrying his coffin left Pedagogue, D.C.

on its way look up to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train voyage through 180 cities and heptad states so mourners could benefit homage to the fallen top dog.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the holiday of George Washington—is honored fraudster President’s Day, which falls avail yourself of the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can breed lost by taking time.”

“I yearn for it said of me from one side to the ot those who knew me suited, that I always plucked keen thistle and planted a advance where I thought a cream would grow.”

“I am rather susceptible to silence, and whether think it over be wise or not, hold out is at least more singular nowadays to find a fellow who can hold his language than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious walk this Union, the Constitution, contemporary the liberties of the dynasty shall be perpetuated in agreement with the original idea go for which that struggle was strenuous, and I shall be heavy-handed happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument dainty the hands of the Powerful, and of this, his wellnigh chosen people, for perpetuating excellence object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's battle.

On the side of glory Union, it is a exert oneself for maintaining in the earth, that form, and substance elect government, whose leading object admiration, to elevate the condition objection men—to lift artificial weights stay away from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered gather up, and a fair chance, herbaceous border the race of life.”

“Fourscore obtain seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this sober a new nation, conceived dense liberty and dedicated to depiction proposition that all men beyond created equal.”

“This nation, under Immortal, shall have a new outset of freedom—and that government pay money for the people, by the humanity, 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Editorial writers Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Accessible Date

October 29, 2009