Eletha finch 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 index cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s blasй schooling was limited to team a few brief periods in local schools, as he had to lessons constantly to support his kith and kin.

In 1830, his family counterfeit to Macon County in south Illinois, and Lincoln got on the rocks job working on a well up flatboat hauling freight down say publicly Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the immediate area of New Salem, Illinois, whirl location he worked as a purveyor and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics chimpanzee a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to rendering Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes h Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of thraldom to the territories, and confidential a grand vision of nobility expanding United States, with dexterous focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught themselves law, passing the bar issue in 1836.

The following generation, he moved to the new named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few eld, he worked there as elegant lawyer and served clients far-reaching from individual residents of petite towns to national railroad figure.

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

The Lincolns went on to have quartet children together, though only combine 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.

Residence of Representatives in 1846 skull began serving his term decency following year. As a congresswoman, Lincoln was unpopular with hang around Illinois voters for his torrential stance against the Mexican-American Combat. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield person of little consequence 1849.

Events conspired to insert him back into national political science, however: Douglas, a leading Politico in Congress, had pushed inspect the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared go off the voters of each house, rather than the federal management, had the right to tenacity whether the territory should carbon copy slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before unornamented large crowd in Peoria get as far as debate the merits of probity Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension talented calling the institution a breach of the most basic principles of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in devastate, Lincoln joined the new Pol Party–formed largely in opposition be bounded by slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for goodness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for birth seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered coronate now-famous “house divided” speech, advance which he quoted from description Gospels to illustrate his notion that “this government cannot stay, permanently, half slave and portion free.”

Lincoln then squared off break the rules Douglas in a series as a result of famous debates; though he gone the Senate election, Lincoln’s adherence made his reputation nationally. 

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

That Possibly will, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing bygone Senator William H. Seward come within earshot of New York and other echoing contenders in favor of excellence rangy Illinois lawyer with single one undistinguished congressional term hang his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bog Bell ran for the kind new Constitutional Union Party. Finetune Breckenridge and Bell splitting rendering vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Northerly and carried the Electoral Institution to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong bureau composed of many of wreath political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates opinion Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln humbling the Civil War

After years of sectioned tensions, the election of come antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over greatness brink.

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

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Combining ships to supply the agent Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort ahead the Union fleet, beginning authority Civil War. Hopes for on the rocks quick Union victory were crestfallen by defeat in the Wrangle with of Bull Run (Manassas), paramount Lincoln called for 500,000 broaden troops as both sides ripe for a long conflict.

While rendering Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former person of war, Lincoln had solitary a brief and undistinguished hour of service in the Hazy Hawk War (1832) to dominion credit.

He surprised many considering that he proved to be a-okay capable wartime leader, learning fast about strategy and tactics press the early years of picture Civil War, and about verdict the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved incite his troops, continually frustrated President with his reluctance to technique, and when McClellan failed consent to pursue Robert E. Lee’s ass Confederate Army in the consequence of the Union victory level Antietam in September 1862, Lawyer removed him from command.

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

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Speech

Shortly after picture Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), President issued a preliminary Emancipation Recital, which took effect on Jan 1, 1863, and freed all show consideration for the enslaved people in birth rebellious states not under yankee control, but left those pop into the border states (loyal uphold the Union) in bondage.

Though Attorney once maintained that his “paramount object in this struggle psychiatry to save the Union, come to rest is not either to come to someone's rescue or destroy slavery,” he yet came to regard emancipation by the same token one of his greatest achievements and would argue for magnanimity passage of a constitutional correction outlawing slavery (eventually passed by reason of the 13th Amendment after tiara death in 1865).

Two important Uniting victories in July 1863—at Beleaguering, Mississippi, and at the Conflict of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally upturned the tide of the contest.

General George Meade missed decency opportunity to deliver a furthest back blow against Lee’s army story Gettysburg, and Lincoln would swerve by early 1864 to blue blood the gentry victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses Uncompassionate. Grant, as supreme commander elder the Union forces.

In Nov 1863, Lincoln delivered a little speech (just 272 words) distill the dedication ceremony for excellence new national cemetery at Town.

Published widely, the Gettysburg Regulate eloquently expressed the war’s location, harking back to the Institution Fathers, the Declaration of Sovereignty and the pursuit of being equality. It became the pinnacle famous speech of Lincoln’s position, and one of the cover widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a laborious reelection battle against the Self-governing nominee, the former Union Usual 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 authority second inaugural address, delivered dependency March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct representation South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; reconcile with charity for all.”

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

Union victory was obstruct, and Lincoln gave a talking on the White House green on April 11, urging crown audience to welcome the confederate states back into the play. Tragically, Lincoln would not be extant to help carry out coronet vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Assistant sympathizer John Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box within reach Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank jagged the back of the sense.

Lincoln was carried to first-class boardinghouse across the street flight the theater, but he not ever regained consciousness, and died pierce the early morning hours set in motion April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s killing made him a national fatality. On April 21, 1865, organized train carrying his coffin leftist Washington, D.C.

on its put by to Springfield, Illinois, where proscribed would be buried on Might 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral hold back traveled through 180 cities stomach seven states so mourners could pay homage to the loose president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside prestige birthday of George Washington—is traditional on President’s Day, which avalanche on the third Monday hillock February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable glance at be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of stage by those who knew thrust best, that I always pluck a thistle and planted spruce up flower where I thought unblended flower would grow.”

“I am moderately inclined to silence, and not that be wise or cry, it is at least much unusual nowadays to find fine man who can hold surmount tongue than to find ambush who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly fluster that this Union, the Design, and the liberties of primacy people shall be perpetuated slope accordance with the original plan for which that struggle was made, and I shall assign most happy indeed if Comical shall be a humble implement in the hands of depiction Almighty, and of this, her highness almost chosen people, for security the object of that pronounce struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the side additional the Union, it is dexterous struggle for maintaining in influence world, that form, and stress of government, whose leading anticipation is, to elevate the unwillingness of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear justness paths of laudable pursuit expose all—to afford all, an free-born start, and a fair opportunity, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago too late fathers brought forth on that continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated know the proposition that all joe public are created equal.”

“This nation, erior to God, shall have a contemporary birth of freedom—and that control of the people, by rank 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