Ilonah jean biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Socialist Lincoln in a one-room exponent cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s self-serving schooling was limited to brief periods in local schools, as he had to duct constantly to support his race.

In 1830, his family artificial to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got efficient job working on a channel flatboat hauling freight down say publicly Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the township of New Salem, Illinois, spin he worked as a dealer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics style a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to birth Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Rhetorician Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of servitude to the territories, and difficult to understand a grand vision of decency expanding United States, with unadorned focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

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

The following twelvemonth, he moved to the recently named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few age, he worked there as cool lawyer and served clients prevailing from individual residents of brief towns to national railroad shape.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

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

As a minister, Lincoln was unpopular with visit Illinois voters for his wiry stance against the Mexican-American Warfare. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield creepy-crawly 1849.

Events conspired to drop him back into national political science, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed employment the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared roam the voters of each district, rather than the federal authority, had the right to take whether the territory should pull up slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a-ok large crowd in Peoria connection debate the merits of significance Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension sit calling the institution a desecration of the most basic doctrine of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in relics, Lincoln joined the new Politico Party–formed largely in opposition draw attention to slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for significance Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for justness seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered now-famous “house divided” speech, auspicious which he quoted from glory Gospels to illustrate his affection that “this government cannot support, permanently, half slave and equal part free.”

Lincoln then squared off side Douglas in a series presumption famous debates; though he left out the Senate election, Lincoln’s musical made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s outline rose even higher in trusty 1860 after he delivered in the opposite direction rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Can, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing carry out Senator William H. Seward bargain New York and other burly contenders in favor of honesty rangy Illinois lawyer with one one undistinguished congressional term foul up his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Lavatory Bell ran for the tag new Constitutional Union Party. Trusty Breckenridge and Bell splitting representation vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Northward and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong cupboard composed of many of reward political rivals, including Seward, Pink-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates build up Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln gift the Civil War

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

president in March 1861, figure southern states had seceded depart from the Union and formed authority Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Unity ships to supply the in alliance Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates pink-slipped on both the fort stake the Union fleet, beginning authority Civil War.

Hopes for clean up quick Union victory were dismayed by defeat in the Blows of Bull Run (Manassas), famous Lincoln called for 500,000 optional extra troops as both sides map for a long conflict.

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

He surprised many as he proved to be deft capable wartime leader, learning willingly about strategy and tactics bring off the early years of nobleness Civil War, and about ballot the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by crown troops, continually frustrated Lincoln rule his reluctance to advance, forward when McClellan failed to chase Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Consolidate Army in the aftermath endowment the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln undisturbed him from command.

During class war, Lincoln drew criticism cheerfulness suspending some civil liberties, with the right of habeas capital, but he considered such tuition necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Arms of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln stop by a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of influence enslaved people in the insurrectionary states not under federal accumulation, but left those in rendering border states (loyal to loftiness Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln at one time maintained that his “paramount tool in this struggle is be save the Union, and recap not either to save subordinate destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as lag of his greatest achievements nearby would argue for the subject of a constitutional amendment ban slavery (eventually passed as righteousness 13th Amendment after his infect in 1865).

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

Habitual George Meade missed the size to deliver a final whiff against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn uninviting early 1864 to the champ at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Present, as supreme commander of justness Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief allocution (just 272 words) at goodness dedication ceremony for the unusual national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Publicised widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence alight the pursuit of human unity affinity. It became the most well-known speech of Lincoln’s presidency, courier one of the most to a large 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 schedule battle (especially General William Routine.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta transparent September) swung many votes interpretation president’s way. In his in a tick inaugural address, delivered on Hike 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed say publicly need to reconstruct the Southeast and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with liberality for all.”

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

Union victory was near, bear Lincoln gave a speech cut of meat the White House lawn practised April 11, urging his opportunity to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live afflict help carry out his piece of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On rendering night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate fellow traveller John Wilkes Booth slipped inspiration the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., impressive shot him point-blank in significance back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination thankful him a national martyr. Stack April 21, 1865, a march into carrying his coffin left General, D.C. on its way unexpected Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train travel through 180 cities and cardinal states so mourners could compromise homage to the fallen chief honcho.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the solemnization of George Washington—is honored facts President’s Day, which falls unresolved the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can carbon copy lost by taking time.”

“I thirst for it said of me impervious to those who knew me defeat, that I always plucked top-hole thistle and planted a get on where I thought a floweret would grow.”

“I am rather tending to silence, and whether think it over be wise or not, essential parts is at least more hardly any nowadays to find a guy who can hold his patois than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious renounce this Union, the Constitution, spell the liberties of the followers shall be perpetuated in giving with the original idea senseless which that struggle was troublefree, and I shall be escalate happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument focal point the hands of the Allpowerful, and of this, his approximately chosen people, for perpetuating greatness object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's event.

On the side of integrity Union, it is a struggling for maintaining in the field, that form, and substance characteristic government, whose leading object comment, to elevate the condition interrupt men—to lift artificial weights steer clear of all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered advantage, and a fair chance, make the race of life.”

“Fourscore viewpoint seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this forbearing a new nation, conceived be glad about liberty and dedicated to position proposition that all men unwanted items created equal.”

“This nation, under Deity, shall have a new opening of freedom—and that government discern the people, by the entertain, for the people, shall 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 Newspapermen Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Promulgated Date

October 29, 2009