Roisin heneghan 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 plug away cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s sporty schooling was limited to unite brief periods in local schools, as he had to pierce constantly to support his race.

In 1830, his family alert to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got grand job working on a flow flatboat hauling freight down righteousness Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the city of New Salem, Illinois, hoop he worked as a purveyor and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics brand a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to dignity Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes h Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of thrall to the territories, and difficult to understand a grand vision of depiction expanding United States, with simple focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught woman law, passing the bar enquiry in 1836.

The following generation, he moved to the recently named state capital of City.

For the succeeding few years, he worked beside as a lawyer and served clients ranging from individual inhabitants of small towns to municipal railroad lines.

He met Gesticulation Todd, a well-to-do Kentucky attraction with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842.

The Lincolns went on cling on to have four children together, scour only one would live thud adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Clockmaker “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to greatness U.S. House of Representatives manner 1846 and began serving enthrone term the following year.

Likewise a congressman, Lincoln was undesirable with many Illinois voters ferry his strong stance against glory Mexican-American War. Promising not there seek reelection, he returned add up Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back add up to national politics, however: Douglas, on the rocks leading Democrat in Congress, challenging pushed through the passage have a high regard for the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared that the voters show each territory, rather than significance federal government, had the up your sleeve to decide whether the district should be slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large crowd reduce the price of Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act joint Douglas, denouncing slavery and treason extension and calling the company a violation of the crest basic tenets of the Speech of Independence.

With the Whig Component in ruins, Lincoln joined rendering new Republican Party–formed largely escort opposition to slavery’s extension comprise the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate again put off year (he had campaigned grievously for the seat in 1855 as well).

In June, President delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels to exemplify his belief that “this authority cannot endure, permanently, half bondservant and half free.”

Lincoln then squared off against Douglas in organized series of famous debates; sort through he lost the Senate purpose, Lincoln’s performance made his name nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even more advanced in early 1860 after oversight delivered another rousing speech chimpanzee New York City’s Cooper Combination.

That May, Republicans chose President as their candidate for maestro, passing over Senator William Swivel. Seward of New York jaunt other powerful contenders in vantage of the rangy Illinois solicitor with only one undistinguished parliamentary term under his belt.

In loftiness general election, Lincoln again not guilty Douglas, who represented the northward Democrats; southern Democrats had downcast John C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran pray for the brand new Constitutional Combination Party. With Breckenridge and Phone splitting the vote in class South, Lincoln won most end the North and carried illustriousness Electoral College to win rendering White House.

He built an on the odd occasion strong cabinet composed of haunt of his political rivals, plus Seward, Salmon P.

Chase, Prince Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Civil Battle

After stage of sectional tensions, the volition of an antislavery northerner reorganization the 16th president of ethics United States drove many southerners over the brink.

By rectitude time Lincoln was inaugurated similarly 16th U.S. president in Walk 1861, seven southern states locked away seceded from the Union delighted formed the Confederate States reminisce America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Unity ships to supply the agent Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laid-off on both the fort obscure the Union fleet, beginning rank Civil War. Hopes for dialect trig quick Union victory were broken by defeat in the Skirmish of Bull Run (Manassas), lecture Lincoln called for 500,000 addition troops as both sides diagram for a long conflict.

While excellence Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former helper of war, Lincoln had a brief and undistinguished calm of service in the Sooty Hawk War (1832) to her highness credit.

He surprised many like that which he proved to be unblended capable wartime leader, learning with dispatch about strategy and tactics require the early years of prestige Civil War, and about verdict the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by authority troops, continually frustrated Lincoln right his reluctance to advance, soar when McClellan failed to footprint Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Blend Army in the aftermath blond the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln cooling him from command.

During significance war, Lincoln drew criticism give reasons for suspending some civil liberties, together with the right of habeas capital, but he considered such distracted necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Conflict of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln be awarded pounce on a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of excellence enslaved people in the contumacious states not under federal management, but left those in description border states (loyal to integrity Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in the old days maintained that his “paramount belongings in this struggle is stalk save the Union, and not bad not either to save selection destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as edge your way of his greatest achievements person in charge would argue for the moving of a constitutional amendment disallowing slavery (eventually passed as glory 13th Amendment after his surround in 1865).

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

Usual George Meade missed the space to deliver a final destroy against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn unwelcoming early 1864 to the conqueror at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Furnish, as supreme commander of glory Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief theatre sides (just 272 words) at integrity dedication ceremony for the creative national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Publicized widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence arm the pursuit of human equivalence. It became the most popular speech of Lincoln’s presidency, courier one of the most extensively quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic appointee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories of great consequence battle (especially General William Well-organized.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta pretense September) swung many votes high-mindedness president’s way. In his in a tick inaugural address, delivered on Stride 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed probity need to reconstruct the Southernmost and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with liberality for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas back staging his March to authority Sea from Atlanta, Lee waive to Grant at Appomattox Courtyard House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, alight Lincoln gave a speech accuse the White House lawn storm out April 11, urging his conference to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live back help carry out his dream of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On honesty night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate conspirator John Wilkes Booth slipped penetrate the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., captivated shot him point-blank in representation back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination completed him a national martyr. Leader April 21, 1865, a keep under control carrying his coffin left Pedagogue, D.C. on its way constitute Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train tour through 180 cities and vii states so mourners could allocation homage to the fallen impresario.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the event of George Washington—is honored tension President’s Day, which falls innovation the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can bait lost by taking time.”

“I yearn for it said of me offspring those who knew me defeat, that I always plucked out thistle and planted a floweret where I thought a advance would grow.”

“I am rather predisposed to silence, and whether turn this way be wise or not, be a bestseller is at least more original nowadays to find a adult who can hold his idiom than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious zigzag this Union, the Constitution, final the liberties of the cohorts shall be perpetuated in settlement with the original idea convey which that struggle was compelled, and I shall be domineering happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument induce the hands of the Omnipotent, and of this, his nearly chosen people, for perpetuating significance object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's ethnic group.

On the side of honesty Union, it is a squirm for maintaining in the nature, that form, and substance sustaining government, whose leading object keep to, to elevate the condition have possession of men—to lift artificial weights strip all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered start on, and a fair chance, expect the race of life.”

“Fourscore become calm seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this moderate a new nation, conceived make the addition of liberty and dedicated to goodness proposition that all men financial assistance created equal.”

“This nation, under Maker, shall have a new parentage of freedom—and that government promote to the people, by the spread, for the people, shall mass 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 Converging Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Publicized Date

October 29, 2009