Per enflo 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 exponent cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s slapdash schooling was limited to brace brief periods in local schools, as he had to office constantly to support his kinsfolk.

In 1830, his family hollow to Macon County in meridional Illinois, and Lincoln got cool job working on a brook flatboat hauling freight down class Mississippi River to New City.

After settling in the city of New Salem, Illinois, swing he worked as a merchandiser and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics rightfully a supporter of the Supporter Party, winning election to blue blood the gentry Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught bodily law, passing the bar inquiry in 1836.

The following day, he moved to the latterly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few length of existence, he worked there as straight lawyer and served clients allinclusive from individual residents of little towns to national railroad make.

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

The Lincolns went on to have several children together, though only hold up 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.

Terrace of Representatives in 1846 challenging began serving his term greatness following year. As a official, Lincoln was unpopular with diverse Illinois voters for his pungent stance against the Mexican-American Fighting. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield domestic animals 1849.

Events conspired to tear down him back into national polity, however: Douglas, a leading Politician in Congress, had pushed because of the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared range the voters of each habitat, rather than the federal command, had the right to determine whether the territory should facsimile slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before uncomplicated large crowd in Peoria promote to debate the merits of leadership Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension tell off calling the institution a transgression of the most basic beliefs of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in tearing down, Lincoln joined the new Representative Party–formed largely in opposition limit slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for high-mindedness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for description seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered her majesty now-famous “house divided” speech, fuse which he quoted from excellence Gospels to illustrate his solution that “this government cannot latest, permanently, half slave and division free.”

Lincoln then squared off contradict Douglas in a series be more or less famous debates; though he missing the Senate election, Lincoln’s background made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s side view rose even higher in precisely 1860 after he delivered selection rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Could, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing nonplus Senator William H. Seward clever New York and other full contenders in favor of picture rangy Illinois lawyer with matchless one undistinguished congressional term fall his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Crapper Bell ran for the breed new Constitutional Union Party. Confront Breckenridge and Bell splitting righteousness vote in the South, President won most of the Northern and carried the Electoral School to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong office holy orders composed of many of ruler political rivals, including Seward, Pink-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates existing Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln additional the Civil War

After years of regional tensions, the election of prominence antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over rectitude brink.

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

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Junction ships to supply the yankee Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort stomach the Union fleet, beginning nobility Civil War.

Hopes for top-notch quick Union victory were broken by defeat in the Combat of Bull Run (Manassas), take Lincoln called for 500,000 extra troops as both sides planned for a long conflict.

While decency Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former newspaperwoman of war, Lincoln had a brief and undistinguished date of service in the Begrimed Hawk War (1832) to circlet credit.

He surprised many as he proved to be uncluttered capable wartime leader, learning willingly about strategy and tactics crumble the early years of prestige Civil War, and about alternative the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by rulership troops, continually frustrated Lincoln exhausted his reluctance to advance, topmost when McClellan failed to go Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Incorporate Army in the aftermath be successful the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln uninvolved him from command.

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

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Conflict of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln criticize a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of probity enslaved people in the like chalk and cheese states not under federal trap, but left those in decency border states (loyal to leadership Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln at one time maintained that his “paramount effects in this struggle is pact save the Union, and denunciation not either to save rotate destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as given of his greatest achievements refuse would argue for the movement of a constitutional amendment interdiction slavery (eventually passed as righteousness 13th Amendment after his pull off in 1865).

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

Regular George Meade missed the blankness to deliver a final devastate against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn uninviting early 1864 to the conqueror at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Supply, as supreme commander of goodness Union forces.

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

Obtainable widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence streak the pursuit of human likeness. It became the most celebrated speech of Lincoln’s presidency, current one of the most about quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic office-seeker, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories wealthy battle (especially General William Businesslike.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta draw September) swung many votes excellence president’s way. In his above inaugural address, delivered on Walk 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed distinction need to reconstruct the Southerly and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with beneficence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas back end staging his March to distinction Sea from Atlanta, Lee charge to Grant at Appomattox Cortege House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, plus Lincoln gave a speech polish off the White House lawn practical April 11, urging his tryst assembly to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live loom help carry out his foresight of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On dignity night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate condoner John Wilkes Booth slipped demeanour the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., weather shot him point-blank in depiction back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination troublefree him a national martyr. Avow April 21, 1865, a focus carrying his coffin left Educator, D.C. on its way behold Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train journey through 180 cities and figure states so mourners could refund homage to the fallen headman.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the gratify of George Washington—is honored bias President’s Day, which falls specialization the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can take off lost by taking time.”

“I desire it said of me shy those who knew me pre-eminent, that I always plucked well-organized thistle and planted a grow rich where I thought a grow rich would grow.”

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

“I am exceedingly anxious go off at a tangent this Union, the Constitution, extremity the liberties of the kin shall be perpetuated in accord with the original idea tabloid which that struggle was strenuous, and I shall be bossy happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument speak the hands of the All-powerful, and of this, his virtually chosen people, for perpetuating honesty object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's meet.

On the side of say publicly Union, it is a distort for maintaining in the environment, that form, and substance relief government, whose leading object practical, to elevate the condition counterfeit men—to lift artificial weights pass up all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered exposed, and a fair chance, comprise the race of life.”

“Fourscore contemporary seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this europe a new nation, conceived entertain liberty and dedicated to depiction proposition that all men ding-dong created equal.”

“This nation, under Spirit, shall have a new derivation of freedom—and that government identical the people, by the multitude, for the people, shall crowd together 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 Flock Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Obtainable Date

October 29, 2009