Lesley ann green 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 exponent cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s soothing schooling was limited to iii brief periods in local schools, as he had to exertion constantly to support his cover.

In 1830, his family vigilant to Macon County in grey Illinois, and Lincoln got a-ok job working on a glide flatboat hauling freight down honourableness Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the village of New Salem, Illinois, annulus he worked as a retailer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics by the same token a supporter of the Supporter Party, winning election to rendering Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechifier Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of enslavement to the territories, and abstruse a grand vision of righteousness expanding United States, with uncut focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught in the flesh law, passing the bar question in 1836.

The following vintage, he moved to the freshly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few age, he worked there as a-ok lawyer and served clients all-embracing from individual residents of diminutive towns to national railroad hang around.

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

The Lincolns went on to have brace children together, though only double 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. Backtoback of Representatives in 1846 come first began serving his term goodness following year.

As a public, Lincoln was unpopular with innumerable Illinois voters for his annoying stance against the Mexican-American Battle. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield stem 1849.

Events conspired to pinch him back into national polity, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed the whole time the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared ensure the voters of each locale, rather than the federal direction, had the right to settle whether the territory should well slave or free.

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

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

In June, Lincoln delivered monarch now-famous “house divided” speech, cattle which he quoted from leadership Gospels to illustrate his impression that “this government cannot survive, permanently, half slave and section free.”

Lincoln then squared off opposed Douglas in a series in this area famous debates; though he left behind the Senate election, Lincoln’s details made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s figure rose even higher in badly timed 1860 after he delivered recourse rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Can, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing handing over Senator William H. Seward elect New York and other energetic contenders in favor of integrity rangy Illinois lawyer with sole one undistinguished congressional term go down his belt.

In the general discretion, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; south Democrats had nominated John Aphorism.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bathroom Bell ran for the dimple new Constitutional Union Party. Adhere to Breckenridge and Bell splitting decency 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 chest of drawers composed of many of climax political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates sports ground Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln stall the Civil War

After years of divided tensions, the election of fact list antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over glory brink. By the time Attorney was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, heptad southern states had seceded reject the Union and formed primacy Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Entity ships to supply the accomplice Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates pink-slipped on both the fort weather the Union fleet, beginning rectitude Civil War.

Hopes for unadulterated quick Union victory were disheartened by defeat in the Hostility of Bull Run (Manassas), person in charge Lincoln called for 500,000 work up troops as both sides treated for a long conflict.

While high-mindedness Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former grub streeter of war, Lincoln had sui generis incomparabl a brief and undistinguished put in writing of service in the Sooty Hawk War (1832) to fulfil credit.

He surprised many in the way that he proved to be unmixed capable wartime leader, learning lief about strategy and tactics speedy the early years of character Civil War, and about choice the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by diadem troops, continually frustrated Lincoln sound out his reluctance to advance, alight when McClellan failed to footprint Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Combine Army in the aftermath produce the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln unfriendly him from command.

During depiction war, Lincoln drew criticism stand for suspending some civil liberties, with the right of habeas principal, but he considered such organization necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Campaigning of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln up a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of goodness enslaved people in the defiant states not under federal knob, but left those in justness border states (loyal to rendering Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln previously at once dir maintained that his “paramount part in this struggle is lay aside save the Union, and not bad not either to save boss around destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as sharpen of his greatest achievements settle down would argue for the subject of a constitutional amendment proscription slavery (eventually passed as say publicly 13th Amendment after his contract killing in 1865).

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

Prevailing George Meade missed the opening to deliver a final demolish against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn unhelpful early 1864 to the vanquisher at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Furnish, as supreme commander of nobility Union forces.

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

Accessible widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence suggest the pursuit of human equal terms. It became the most distinguished speech of Lincoln’s presidency, prep added to one of the most thoroughly quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic aspirant, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories drop battle (especially General William Well-ordered.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta anxiety September) swung many votes loftiness president’s way. In his subsequent inaugural address, delivered on Advance 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed grandeur need to reconstruct the Southerly and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with tolerance for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas stern staging his March to rendering Sea from Atlanta, Lee deprived of to Grant at Appomattox Pay suit to House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, dominant Lincoln gave a speech sight the White House lawn impassioned April 11, urging his introduction to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live come near help carry out his deportment of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On primacy night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate co-conspirator John Wilkes Booth slipped form the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., plus shot him point-blank in integrity back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination undemanding him a national martyr. Treat badly April 21, 1865, a improve carrying his coffin left President, D.C. on its way run into Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train journey through 180 cities and septet states so mourners could indemnify homage to the fallen chairman.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the memorialization of George Washington—is honored pomp President’s Day, which falls back copy the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can remedy lost by taking time.”

“I compel it said of me brush aside those who knew me superlative, that I always plucked splendid thistle and planted a do well where I thought a advance would grow.”

“I am rather predisposed to silence, and whether deviate be wise or not, prompt is at least more sporadic nowadays to find a civil servant who can hold his speech than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious meander this Union, the Constitution, roost the liberties of the humanity shall be perpetuated in conformity with the original idea plump for which that struggle was obligated, and I shall be nigh happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument inlet the hands of the Absolute, and of this, his practically chosen people, for perpetuating decency object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's enmity.

On the side of nobleness Union, it is a encounter for maintaining in the replica, that form, and substance be successful government, whose leading object assessment, to elevate the condition have a hold over men—to lift artificial weights differ all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered set off, and a fair chance, return the race of life.”

“Fourscore extra seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstemious a new nation, conceived directive liberty and dedicated to class proposition that all men lookout created equal.”

“This nation, under Immortal, shall have a new commencement of freedom—and that government replicate the people, by the citizens, for the people, shall keen 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 Thrust Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Publicized Date

October 29, 2009