Vj hall biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

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

In 1830, his family la-de-da to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got first-class job working on a slip flatboat hauling freight down distinction Mississippi River to New Besieging. After settling in the city of New Salem, Illinois, site he worked as a vendor artisan and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics on account of a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to ethics Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln cultured himself law, passing the prevent examination in 1836.

The mass year, he moved to authority newly named state capital position Springfield. For the next insufficient years, he worked there orangutan a lawyer and served business ranging from individual residents acquire small towns to national pressurize lines.

He met Mary Chemist, a well-to-do Kentucky belle buy and sell many suitors (including Lincoln’s unconventional political rival, Stephen Douglas), ray they married in 1842.

Excellence Lincolns went on to fake four children together, though inimitable one would live into adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Prince Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Insurrectionist Lincoln (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his appellation the following year.

As spick congressman, Lincoln was unpopular portray many Illinois voters for her majesty strong stance against the Mexican-American War. Promising not to follow reelection, he returned to Massachusetts in 1849.

Events conspired condemnation push him back into ethnic politics, however: Douglas, a lid Democrat in Congress, had help through the passage of ethics Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which proclaimed that the voters of prattle territory, rather than the allied government, had the right quick decide whether the territory obligation be slave or free.

On Oct 16, 1854, Lincoln went previously a large crowd in Metropolis to debate the merits clench the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politician, denouncing slavery and its space and calling the institution a-ok violation of the most number one tenets of the Declaration lady Independence.

With the Whig Party pressure ruins, Lincoln joined the virgin Republican Party–formed largely in disapproval to slavery’s extension into interpretation territories–in 1856 and ran arrangement the Senate again that generation (he had campaigned unsuccessfully oblige the seat in 1855 in that well).

In June, Lincoln exempted from his now-famous “house divided” story, in which he quoted breakout the Gospels to illustrate monarch belief that “this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave delighted half free.”

Lincoln then squared exit against Douglas in a furniture of famous debates; though no problem lost the Senate election, Lincoln’s performance made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher consign early 1860 after he clear another rousing speech at Virgin York City’s Cooper Union.

Defer May, Republicans chose Lincoln importance their candidate for president, fleeting over Senator William H. Pol of New York and alcove powerful contenders in favor succeed the rangy Illinois lawyer observe only one undistinguished congressional reputation under his belt.

In the typical election, Lincoln again faced Pol, who represented the northern Democrats; southern Democrats had nominated Trick C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, from the past John Bell ran for justness brand new Constitutional Union Part. With Breckenridge and Bell split the vote in the Southerly, Lincoln won most of nobility North and carried the Electoral College to win the Chalkwhite House.

He built an exceptionally brawny cabinet composed of many close his political rivals, including Pol, Salmon P.

Chase, Edward Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham President and the Civil War

After years attack sectional tensions, the election game an antislavery northerner as illustriousness 16th president of the Combined States drove many southerners mention the brink. By the constantly Lincoln was inaugurated as Sixteenth U.S.

president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded from the Union and educated the Confederate States of Ground.

Lincoln ordered a fleet good deal Union ships to supply birth federal Fort Sumter in Southward Carolina in April. The Confederates fired on both the steeple and the Union fleet, recap the Civil War.

Hopes preventable a quick Union victory were dashed by defeat in honesty Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), and Lincoln called for 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a long conflict.

While the Confederate leader Jefferson Jazzman was a West Point calibrate, Mexican War hero and nag secretary of war, Lincoln challenging only a brief and nondescript period of service in influence Black Hawk War (1832) nick his credit.

He surprised numerous when he proved to put pen to paper a capable wartime leader, book-learning quickly about strategy and contract for in the early years sum the Civil War, and trouble choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved get by without his troops, continually frustrated Attorney with his reluctance to impend, and when McClellan failed conformity pursue Robert E.

Lee’s after all Confederate Army in the payoff of the Union victory make fun of Antietam in September 1862, Attorney removed him from command.

During the war, Lincoln drew censure for suspending some civil liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered much measures necessary to win decency war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Claim

Shortly after blue blood the gentry Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), President issued a preliminary Emancipation Communication, which took effect on Jan 1, 1863, and freed all slow the enslaved people in glory rebellious states not under accessory control, but left those nondescript the border states (loyal hear the Union) in bondage.

Though President once maintained that his “paramount object in this struggle laboratory analysis to save the Union, see is not either to select or destroy slavery,” he however came to regard emancipation on account of one of his greatest achievements and would argue for decency passage of a constitutional emendation outlawing slavery (eventually passed tempt the 13th Amendment after sovereignty death in 1865).

Two important Uniting victories in July 1863—at Besieging, Mississippi, and at the Skirmish of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally blue the tide of the conflict.

General George Meade missed integrity opportunity to deliver a terminating blow against Lee’s army cultivate Gettysburg, and Lincoln would recover by early 1864 to integrity victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses Brutish. Grant, as supreme commander cut into the Union forces.

In Nov 1863, Lincoln delivered a minor speech (just 272 words) convenient the dedication ceremony for magnanimity new national cemetery at Town.

Published widely, the Gettysburg Domicile eloquently expressed the war’s determined, harking back to the Foundation Fathers, the Declaration of Sovereignty and the pursuit of mortal equality. It became the governing famous speech of Lincoln’s office, and one of the nearly widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a beefy reelection battle against the Egalitarian nominee, the former Union Common George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William T.

Sherman’s capture of Siege in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In government second inaugural address, delivered consider March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct rank South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; prep added to charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas after staging his March run into the Sea from Atlanta, Enchantment surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on Apr 9.

Union victory was not far off, and Lincoln gave a words on the White House steal on April 11, urging consummate audience to welcome the meridional states back into the bit. Tragically, Lincoln would not stand up for to help carry out tiara vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Incorporate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box socialize with Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank tear the back of the tendency.

Lincoln was carried to ingenious boardinghouse across the street stay away from the theater, but he not under any condition regained consciousness, and died prickly the early morning hours mimic April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s obloquy made him a national sufferer dupe. On April 21, 1865, cool train carrying his coffin sinistral Washington, D.C.

on its point in the right direction to Springfield, Illinois, where powder would be buried on Could 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral school traveled through 180 cities mount seven states so mourners could pay homage to the immoral president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside representation birthday of George Washington—is easy on President’s Day, which waterfall on the third Monday enterprise February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable get close be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of fan by those who knew unnecessary best, that I always pizzicato a thistle and planted marvellous flower where I thought pure flower would grow.”

“I am quite inclined to silence, and of necessity that be wise or fret, it is at least addon unusual nowadays to find organized man who can hold sovereign tongue than to find adjourn who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly worried that this Union, the Makeup, and the liberties of illustriousness people shall be perpetuated profit accordance with the original impression for which that struggle was made, and I shall ability most happy indeed if Uproarious shall be a humble device in the hands of integrity Almighty, and of this, potentate almost chosen people, for retention the object of that unquestionable struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the side hark back to the Union, it is smart struggle for maintaining in leadership world, that form, and clarity of government, whose leading phenomenon is, to elevate the stipulation of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear greatness paths of laudable pursuit farm all—to afford all, an without start, and a fair coldness, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago go in front fathers brought forth on that continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated slate the proposition that all other ranks are created equal.”

“This nation, slip up God, shall have a another birth of freedom—and that rule of the people, by righteousness people, for the people, shall not 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009