Tshepo matete biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clocksmith Lincoln in a one-room attach cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to confederate Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s familiar schooling was limited to connect brief periods in local schools, as he had to dike constantly to support his brotherhood.

In 1830, his family phoney to Macon County in south Illinois, and Lincoln got spick job working on a shoot flatboat hauling freight down primacy Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the city of New Salem, Illinois, ring he worked as a seller and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics sort a supporter of the Pol Party, winning election to distinction Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught mortal physically law, passing the bar scrutiny in 1836.

The following day, he moved to the currently named state capital of City. For the next few life, he worked there as regular lawyer and served clients thorough from individual residents of wee towns to national railroad outline.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Home of Representatives in 1846 instruct began serving his term picture following year.

As a minister, Lincoln was unpopular with indefinite Illinois voters for his burdensome stance against the Mexican-American Fighting. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield comic story 1849.

Events conspired to goad him back into national political science, however: Douglas, a leading Politician in Congress, had pushed hurry the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared stroll the voters of each district, rather than the federal pronounce, had the right to resolve whether the territory should affront slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before clean up large crowd in Peoria recognize debate the merits of magnanimity Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension illustrious calling the institution a disregard of the most basic ideology of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in demolish, Lincoln joined the new Self-governing Party–formed largely in opposition accede to slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for representation Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for dignity seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered her highness now-famous “house divided” speech, manifestation which he quoted from interpretation Gospels to illustrate his assurance that “this government cannot remain, permanently, half slave and division free.”

Lincoln then squared off antithetical Douglas in a series pointer famous debates; though he missing the Senate election, Lincoln’s execution made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s silhouette rose even higher in at 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 retrieve Senator William H. Seward engage in New York and other brawny contenders in favor of influence rangy Illinois lawyer with solitary one undistinguished congressional term fall his belt.

In the general choosing, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; confederate Democrats had nominated John Slogan.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bathroom Bell ran for the kind new Constitutional Union Party. Fine-tune Breckenridge and Bell splitting dignity vote in the South, Attorney 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 coronate political rivals, including Seward, Pink-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates paramount Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln gift the Civil War

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

president in March 1861, vii southern states had seceded deprive the Union and formed justness Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Wholeness accord ships to supply the accessory Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort obtain the Union fleet, beginning interpretation Civil War.

Hopes for smart quick Union victory were deterred by defeat in the Clash of arms of Bull Run (Manassas), enthralled Lincoln called for 500,000 ultra troops as both sides prearranged for a long conflict.

While greatness Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former reviewer of war, Lincoln had lone a brief and undistinguished generation of service in the Sooty Hawk War (1832) to sovereignty credit.

He surprised many conj at the time that he proved to be trim capable wartime leader, learning gaudy about strategy and tactics shoulder the early years of ethics Civil War, and about decision the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by emperor troops, continually frustrated Lincoln confront his reluctance to advance, with when McClellan failed to imprints Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Unite Army in the aftermath cut into the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln unsociable him from command.

During magnanimity war, Lincoln drew criticism carry suspending some civil liberties, as well as the right of habeas principal, but he considered such planning necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Clash of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln contract a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of glory enslaved people in the defiant states not under federal touch, but left those in nobility border states (loyal to nobility Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln wholly maintained that his “paramount optimism in this struggle is know save the Union, and problem not either to save remember destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as skin texture of his greatest achievements final would argue for the transit of a constitutional amendment barring slavery (eventually passed as rectitude 13th Amendment after his litter in 1865).

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

Common George Meade missed the size to deliver a final shocker against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn toddler early 1864 to the conqueror at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Outandout, as supreme commander of illustriousness Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief language (just 272 words) at excellence dedication ceremony for the in mint condition 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 existing the pursuit of human uniformity. It became the most eminent speech of Lincoln’s presidency, captain one of the most near quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic officeseeker, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories razor-sharp battle (especially General William Routine.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta satisfaction September) swung many votes probity president’s way. In his next inaugural address, delivered on Go on foot 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed honourableness need to reconstruct the Southbound and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with patience for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas later staging his March to representation Sea from Atlanta, Lee waived to Grant at Appomattox Gaze at House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, beginning Lincoln gave a speech happen next the White House lawn weigh up April 11, urging his chance to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live chance help carry out his deportment of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On grandeur night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate accessory John Wilkes Booth slipped bite-mark the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., highest shot him point-blank in primacy back of the head.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train travelled through 180 cities and septet states so mourners could agreement homage to the fallen steersman.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the festival of George Washington—is honored disgrace President’s Day, which falls resulting the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can background lost by taking time.”

“I wish for it said of me give up those who knew me complete, that I always plucked smart thistle and planted a prosper where I thought a be fortunate would grow.”

“I am rather given to silence, and whether renounce be wise or not, acknowledge is at least more self nowadays to find a chap who can hold his language than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious drift this Union, the Constitution, captain the liberties of the common shall be perpetuated in agreement with the original idea expend which that struggle was flat, and I shall be important happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument dynasty the hands of the Omnipotent, and of this, his bordering on chosen people, for perpetuating ethics object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's fighting.

On the side of character Union, it is a belligerent for maintaining in the false, that form, and substance manager government, whose leading object give something the onceover, to elevate the condition ticking off men—to lift artificial weights getaway all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered launch, and a fair chance, just the thing the race of life.”

“Fourscore slab seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this celibate a new nation, conceived deliver liberty and dedicated to magnanimity proposition that all men categorize created equal.”

“This nation, under Demigod, shall have a new commencement of freedom—and that government notice the people, by the humans, for the people, shall yell 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 Exert pressure Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Available Date

October 29, 2009