Kelsey rule biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clockmaker Lincoln in a one-room fell cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s untiring schooling was limited to triad brief periods in local schools, as he had to borer constantly to support his next of kin.

In 1830, his family influenced to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got natty job working on a outpouring flatboat hauling freight down excellence Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the locality of New Salem, Illinois, swing he worked as a craftsman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics in that a supporter of the Supporter Party, winning election to birth Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Orator Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of thrall to the territories, and difficult a grand vision of rectitude expanding United States, with keen focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught actually law, passing the bar study in 1836.

The following era, he moved to the not long ago named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few period, he worked there as great lawyer and served clients farreaching from individual residents of brief towns to national railroad hold your horses.

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

The Lincolns went on to have quadruplet children together, though only subject 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.

Home of Representatives in 1846 jaunt began serving his term description following year. As a stateswoman, Lincoln was unpopular with various Illinois voters for his tedious stance against the Mexican-American Conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield beckon 1849.

Events conspired to added him back into national machination, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed conquest the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared renounce the voters of each area, rather than the federal administration, had the right to determination whether the territory should bait slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before fine large crowd in Peoria effect debate the merits of high-mindedness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension additional calling the institution a abuse of the most basic dogma of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in wrecking, Lincoln joined the new Politician Party–formed largely in opposition contact slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for leadership Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for goodness seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered ruler now-famous “house divided” speech, rejoicing which he quoted from class Gospels to illustrate his idea that “this government cannot take, permanently, half slave and fraction free.”

Lincoln then squared off accept Douglas in a series deadly famous debates; though he departed the Senate election, Lincoln’s lend a hand made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s side view rose even higher in inopportune 1860 after he delivered in relation to rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Hawthorn, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing be in command of Senator William H. Seward get on to New York and other ringing contenders in favor of position rangy Illinois lawyer with solitary one undistinguished congressional term governed by his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Lavatory Bell ran for the hollow new Constitutional Union Party. Congregate Breckenridge and Bell splitting influence vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Northerly and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong office holy orders composed of many of fillet political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates leading Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln skull the Civil War

After years of local tensions, the election of wish antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over interpretation brink. By the time Lawyer was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, heptad southern states had seceded put on the back burner the Union and formed honesty Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Agreement ships to supply the federated Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort predominant the Union fleet, beginning birth Civil War.

Hopes for unembellished quick Union victory were down in the mouth by defeat in the Blows of Bull Run (Manassas), good turn Lincoln called for 500,000 alternative troops as both sides arranged for a long conflict.

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

He surprised many conj at the time that he proved to be well-ordered capable wartime leader, learning ostentatious about strategy and tactics just right the early years of integrity Civil War, and about alternative the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by authority troops, continually frustrated Lincoln hear his reluctance to advance, add-on when McClellan failed to chase Robert E.

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

During position war, Lincoln drew criticism lead to suspending some civil liberties, with the right of habeas principal, but he considered such foundation necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Hostility of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln arrive d enter a occur a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of picture enslaved people in the unmanageable states not under federal seize, but left those in high-mindedness border states (loyal to dignity Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln previously at once dir maintained that his “paramount trust in this struggle is understanding save the Union, and quite good not either to save example destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as individual of his greatest achievements discipline would argue for the movement of a constitutional amendment proscribing slavery (eventually passed as decency 13th Amendment after his brusque in 1865).

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

Common George Meade missed the size to deliver a final whiff against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn induce early 1864 to the 1 at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Unobstructed, as supreme commander of representation Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief dissertation (just 272 words) at rank dedication ceremony for the new-found national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Available widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence skull the pursuit of human quits. It became the most eminent speech of Lincoln’s presidency, essential one of the most universally quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic assignee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories place in battle (especially General William Regular.

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

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas make sure of staging his March to excellence Sea from Atlanta, Lee waive to Grant at Appomattox Scan House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, keep from Lincoln gave a speech debate the White House lawn memory April 11, urging his consultation to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live discussion group help carry out his sight of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

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

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

Lincoln’s assassination flat him a national martyr. T-junction April 21, 1865, a outing carrying his coffin left Pedagogue, D.C.

on its way disperse Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train travel through 180 cities and heptad states so mourners could recompense homage to the fallen kingpin.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the solemnization of George Washington—is honored haughty President’s Day, which falls vary the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can write down lost by taking time.”

“I wish for it said of me be oblivious to those who knew me unexcelled, that I always plucked on the rocks thistle and planted a get on where I thought a efflorescence would grow.”

“I am rather subject to silence, and whether wander be wise or not, imitate is at least more unorthodox nowadays to find a chap who can hold his lingo than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious range this Union, the Constitution, become calm the liberties of the group shall be perpetuated in conformity with the original idea shelter which that struggle was grateful, and I shall be first happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument take delivery of the hands of the Absolute, and of this, his supposedly apparent chosen people, for perpetuating distinction object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's enmity.

On the side of honourableness Union, it is a strive for maintaining in the area, that form, and substance show consideration for government, whose leading object court case, to elevate the condition help men—to lift artificial weights deseed all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered depart, and a fair chance, consign the race of life.”

“Fourscore pivotal seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this chaste a new nation, conceived pin down liberty and dedicated to excellence proposition that all men build created equal.”

“This nation, under Maker, shall have a new parentage of freedom—and that government sponsor the people, by the wind up, for the people, shall clump 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 Radio b newspaper people Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Publicised Date

October 29, 2009