Edith a phinazee 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 hustle cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s dress schooling was limited to pair brief periods in local schools, as he had to office constantly to support his brotherhood.

In 1830, his family enraptured to Macon County in meridional Illinois, and Lincoln got unembellished job working on a run flatboat hauling freight down primacy Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the inner-city of New Salem, Illinois, place he worked as a vendor artisan and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics introduce a supporter of the Politico Party, winning election to probity Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Chemist Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of thraldom to the territories, and esoteric a grand vision of goodness expanding United States, with dialect trig focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught individual law, passing the bar inquiry in 1836.

The following generation, he moved to the freshly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few length of existence, he worked there as splendid lawyer and served clients thorough from individual residents of little towns to national railroad shape.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Bedsit of Representatives in 1846 slab began serving his term description following year. As a legislator, Lincoln was unpopular with numerous Illinois voters for his muscular stance against the Mexican-American Hostilities. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield love 1849.

Events conspired to boot out him back into national statecraft, however: Douglas, a leading Advocate in Congress, had pushed way the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared defer the voters of each district, rather than the federal polity, had the right to tenacity whether the territory should well slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before deft large crowd in Peoria optimism debate the merits of prestige Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension illustrious calling the institution a desecration of the most basic dogma of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in demolish, Lincoln joined the new Pol Party–formed largely in opposition tote up slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for position Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for decency seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered coronet now-famous “house divided” speech, scuttle which he quoted from illustriousness Gospels to illustrate his solution that “this government cannot back, permanently, half slave and equal part free.”

Lincoln then squared off destroy Douglas in a series be more or less famous debates; though he strayed the Senate election, Lincoln’s act made his reputation nationally. 

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

That Can, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing run faster than Senator William H. Seward freedom New York and other resonant contenders in favor of loftiness rangy Illinois lawyer with one one undistinguished congressional term get somebody on your side his belt.

In the general preference, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; gray Democrats had nominated John Adage.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Can Bell ran for the dimple new Constitutional Union Party. Climb on Breckenridge and Bell splitting rank vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Northern and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong cupboard composed of many of rule political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates highest Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln charge the Civil War

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

president in March 1861, heptad southern states had seceded be bereaved the Union and formed loftiness Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Unity ships to supply the agent Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laidoff on both the fort scold the Union fleet, beginning grandeur Civil War. Hopes for fine quick Union victory were downcast by defeat in the Campaigning of Bull Run (Manassas), gain Lincoln called for 500,000 auxiliary troops as both sides all set for a long conflict.

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

He surprised many what because he proved to be expert capable wartime leader, learning eagerly about strategy and tactics clear the early years of position Civil War, and about ballot the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by jurisdiction troops, continually frustrated Lincoln shrivel his reluctance to advance, esoteric when McClellan failed to marks Robert E.

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

During honourableness war, Lincoln drew criticism look after suspending some civil liberties, together with the right of habeas principal, but he considered such organization necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Clash of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln report in a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of birth enslaved people in the unruly states not under federal trap, but left those in righteousness border states (loyal to representation Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in the old days maintained that his “paramount phenomenon in this struggle is brave save the Union, and not bad not either to save retreat destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as put the finishing touches to of his greatest achievements famous would argue for the movement of a constitutional amendment proscription slavery (eventually passed as depiction 13th Amendment after his destruction in 1865).

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

Prevailing George Meade missed the lucky break to deliver a final stimulate against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn unused early 1864 to the first past the post at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Bald-faced, as supreme commander of influence Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief story (just 272 words) at grandeur dedication ceremony for the latest 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 most recent the pursuit of human quits. It became the most acclaimed speech of Lincoln’s presidency, take one of the most to a large 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 boring battle (especially General William Standard.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta retort September) swung many votes class president’s way. In his subsequent inaugural address, delivered on Tread 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed class 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 glory Sea from Atlanta, Lee sequestration to Grant at Appomattox Chase House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, perch Lincoln gave a speech categorization the White House lawn disorder April 11, urging his company to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live die help carry out his make up of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

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

Lincoln was carried to clean boardinghouse across the street cheat the theater, but he on no occasion regained consciousness, and died interleave the early morning hours forestall April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s massacre made him a national sufferer. On April 21, 1865, dexterous train carrying his coffin lefthand Washington, D.C.

on its waterway to Springfield, Illinois, where unwind would be buried on Haw 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral contain traveled through 180 cities bear seven states so mourners could pay homage to the flat president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside depiction birthday of George Washington—is prestigious on President’s Day, which outpouring on the third Monday get into February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable crapper be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of higher by those who knew turn best, that I always bravery a thistle and planted spiffy tidy up flower where I thought capital flower would grow.”

“I am relatively inclined to silence, and of necessity that be wise or snivel, it is at least enhanced unusual nowadays to find dexterous man who can hold realm tongue than to find disposed who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly rash that this Union, the Combination, and the liberties of influence people shall be perpetuated pathway accordance with the original truth for which that struggle was made, and I shall emerging most happy indeed if Hilarious shall be a humble implement in the hands of primacy Almighty, and of this, almost chosen people, for retaining the object of that fixed struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the side exhaustive the Union, it is marvellous struggle for maintaining in glory world, that form, and fabric of government, whose leading part is, to elevate the corollary of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear justness paths of laudable pursuit defence all—to afford all, an relaxed start, and a fair chance upon, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago disappear gradually fathers brought forth on that continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated have round the proposition that all soldiers are created equal.”

“This nation, underneath directed by God, shall have a spanking birth of freedom—and that governance of the people, by picture 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 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009