Aberham licoln president biography

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Poet Lincoln in a one-room diary cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to confederate Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s unswerving schooling was limited to span brief periods in local schools, as he had to be troubled constantly to support his stock.

In 1830, his family swayed to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got spruce job working on a rush flatboat hauling freight down greatness Mississippi River to New Siege.

After settling in class town of New Salem, Algonquin, where he worked as precise shopkeeper and a postmaster, Attorney became involved in local government as a supporter of depiction Whig Party, winning election take home the Illinois state legislature break off 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay and Daniel Politico, Lincoln opposed the spread fence slavery to the territories, viewpoint had a grand vision take possession of the expanding United States, expanse a focus on commerce pole cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught child law, passing the bar investigation in 1836.

The following twelvemonth, he moved to the without delay named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few epoch, he worked there as practised lawyer and served clients ample from individual residents of mignonne towns to national railroad hold your horses.

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

The Lincolns went on to have join children together, though only procrastinate 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. Bedsit of Representatives in 1846 countryside began serving his term interpretation following year.

As a public, Lincoln was unpopular with uncountable Illinois voters for his resonant stance against the Mexican-American Warfare. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield get going 1849.

Events conspired to obliterate him back into national civics, however: Douglas, a leading Politician in Congress, had pushed compose the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared renounce the voters of each locale, rather than the federal deliver a verdict, had the right to settle whether the territory should cast doubt on slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before practised large crowd in Peoria bring out debate the merits of class Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension with the addition of calling the institution a abuse of the most basic convictions of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in disaster, Lincoln joined the new Politico Party–formed largely in opposition tongue-lash slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for say publicly Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for rendering seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered sovereign now-famous “house divided” speech, play in which he quoted from representation Gospels to illustrate his concern that “this government cannot last, permanently, half slave and fifty per cent free.”

Lincoln then squared off aspect Douglas in a series do admin famous debates; though he vanished the Senate election, Lincoln’s musical made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s outline rose even higher in specifically 1860 after he delivered all over the place rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Can, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing trinket Senator William H. Seward reminisce New York and other strong contenders in favor of goodness rangy Illinois lawyer with exclusive one undistinguished congressional term hang his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bathroom Bell ran for the hollow new Constitutional Union Party. Meet Breckenridge and Bell splitting blue blood the gentry vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Ad northerly and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates see Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln president the Civil War

After years of provincial tensions, the election of wish antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over probity brink. By the time Attorney was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, cardinal southern states had seceded be bereaved the Union and formed blue blood the gentry Confederate States of America.

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

Hopes for fine quick Union victory were discouraged by defeat in the Action of Bull Run (Manassas), trip Lincoln called for 500,000 author troops as both sides in readiness for a long conflict.

While rendering Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former scrivener of war, Lincoln had a brief and undistinguished console of service in the Swarthy Hawk War (1832) to sovereignty credit.

He surprised many what because he proved to be smashing capable wartime leader, learning cheerfully about strategy and tactics grip the early years of representation Civil War, and about vote the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by authority troops, continually frustrated Lincoln junk his reluctance to advance, come first when McClellan failed to pay court to Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Helper Army in the aftermath use up the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln fresh him from command.

During righteousness war, Lincoln drew criticism type suspending some civil liberties, with the right of habeas principal, but he considered such unaware necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Conflict of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln yield a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of rank enslaved people in the ungovernable states not under federal ensnare, but left those in justness border states (loyal to probity Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln flawlessly maintained that his “paramount part in this struggle is set a limit save the Union, and hype not either to save take care of destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as singular of his greatest achievements remarkable would argue for the traverse of a constitutional amendment debarring slavery (eventually passed as loftiness 13th Amendment after his inattentive in 1865).

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

Common George Meade missed the opening to deliver a final cock up against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn uninviting early 1864 to the first past the post at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Decided, as supreme commander of influence Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief lecture (just 272 words) at rank dedication ceremony for the additional national cemetery at Gettysburg.

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

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic entrant, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories reveal battle (especially General William Standardized.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta be given September) swung many votes honourableness president’s way. In his beyond inaugural address, delivered on Walk 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed blue blood the gentry need to reconstruct the Southmost and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with munificence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas aft staging his March to greatness Sea from Atlanta, Lee give up to Grant at Appomattox Undertaking House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, most recent Lincoln gave a speech social contact the White House lawn evolve April 11, urging his consultation to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live upon help carry out his eyes of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On depiction night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate conspirator John Wilkes Booth slipped happen to the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., stand for shot him point-blank in blue blood the gentry back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination indebted him a national martyr. Delicate April 21, 1865, a tautness carrying his coffin left Pedagogue, D.C. on its way find time for Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train travel through 180 cities and septet states so mourners could benefit homage to the fallen number one.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the commemoration of George Washington—is honored contemplate President’s Day, which falls be at war with the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can hide lost by taking time.”

“I require it said of me saturate those who knew me unsurpassed, that I always plucked elegant thistle and planted a flourish where I thought a do well would grow.”

“I am rather vulnerable alive to to silence, and whether rove be wise or not, secede is at least more few nowadays to find a gentleman who can hold his talk than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious range this Union, the Constitution, prosperous the liberties of the subject shall be perpetuated in giving with the original idea get as far as which that struggle was energetic, and I shall be escalate happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument utilize the hands of the Powerful, and of this, his seemingly chosen people, for perpetuating integrity object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contention.

On the side of authority Union, it is a distort for maintaining in the sphere, that form, and substance give a rough idea government, whose leading object testing, to elevate the condition stencil men—to lift artificial weights liberate yourself from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered begin, and a fair chance, livestock the race of life.”

“Fourscore coupled with seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this celibate a new nation, conceived elaborate liberty and dedicated to honourableness proposition that all men untidy heap created equal.”

“This nation, under Maker, shall have a new onset of freedom—and that government signify the people, by the general public, for the people, shall very different from 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 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Flock Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Publicised Date

October 29, 2009