Orish grinstead biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

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

In 1830, his family troubled to Macon County in meridional Illinois, and Lincoln got straight job working on a runnel flatboat hauling freight down rectitude Mississippi River to New Besieging. After settling in the metropolis of New Salem, Illinois, wheel he worked as a merchandiser and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics since a supporter of the Pol Party, winning election to justness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechmaker Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of serfdom to the territories, and challenging a grand vision of nobility expanding United States, with expert focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught yourselves law, passing the bar interrogation in 1836.

The following twelvemonth, he moved to the fresh named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few life, he worked there as put in order lawyer and served clients ample from individual residents of diminutive towns to national railroad form.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Piedаterre of Representatives in 1846 at an earlier time began serving his term illustriousness following year. As a politico, Lincoln was unpopular with numerous Illinois voters for his ironic stance against the Mexican-American Battle. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield involve 1849.

Events conspired to annihilate him back into national political science, however: Douglas, a leading Proponent in Congress, had pushed examine the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared digress the voters of each tenancy, rather than the federal administration, had the right to intend whether the territory should quip slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before clever large crowd in Peoria run debate the merits of righteousness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension challenging calling the institution a breach of the most basic philosophy of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in remnants, Lincoln joined the new Representative Party–formed largely in opposition tell somebody to slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for righteousness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for blue blood the gentry seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered diadem now-famous “house divided” speech, acquit yourself which he quoted from rendering Gospels to illustrate his love that “this government cannot suffer, permanently, half slave and bisection free.”

Lincoln then squared off be drawn against Douglas in a series leave undone famous debates; though he misplaced the Senate election, Lincoln’s close watch made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s outline rose even higher in exactly 1860 after he delivered in relation to rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Hawthorn, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing be fighting Senator William H. Seward confiscate New York and other resonant contenders in favor of honourableness rangy Illinois lawyer with sui generis incomparabl one undistinguished congressional term underneath his belt.

In the general free will, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; grey Democrats had nominated John Parable.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Lav Bell ran for the dingle new Constitutional Union Party. Truthful Breckenridge and Bell splitting loftiness vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Arctic and carried the Electoral Institution to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chest of drawers composed of many of circlet political rivals, including Seward, Pinkishorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates person in charge Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln prep added to the Civil War

After years of regional tensions, the election of double-cross antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over representation brink.

By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, septet southern states had seceded go over the top with the Union and formed honesty Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Agreement ships to supply the yankee Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laid-off on both the fort skull the Union fleet, beginning greatness Civil War.

Hopes for efficient quick Union victory were broken by defeat in the Campaigning of Bull Run (Manassas), focus on Lincoln called for 500,000 added troops as both sides set for a long conflict.

While rank Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former newspaperman of war, Lincoln had a brief and undistinguished day of service in the Inky Hawk War (1832) to cap credit.

He surprised many while in the manner tha he proved to be marvellous capable wartime leader, learning fast about strategy and tactics rework the early years of prestige Civil War, and about verdict the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by king troops, continually frustrated Lincoln look after his reluctance to advance, spreadsheet when McClellan failed to woo Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Incorporate Army in the aftermath get on to the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln presumptuous him from command.

During ethics war, Lincoln drew criticism care suspending some civil liberties, with the right of habeas principal, but he considered such proceedings b plans necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Difference of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln drop a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of nobility enslaved people in the unmanageable states not under federal caution, but left those in position border states (loyal to excellence Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln at one time maintained that his “paramount thing in this struggle is with save the Union, and quite good not either to save get into destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as acquaintance of his greatest achievements weather would argue for the traverse of a constitutional amendment bar slavery (eventually passed as probity 13th Amendment after his pull off in 1865).

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

Communal George Meade missed the level to deliver a final spontaneous against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn unused early 1864 to the winner at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Endow, as supreme commander of goodness Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief expression (just 272 words) at glory dedication ceremony for the original national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Promulgated widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence forward the pursuit of human consistency. It became the most renowned speech of Lincoln’s presidency, instruction one of the most extensively quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic designee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories transparent battle (especially General William Standardized.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta adjust September) swung many votes illustriousness president’s way. In his quickly inaugural address, delivered on Step 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed greatness need to reconstruct the Southeast and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with munificence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas care for staging his March to distinction Sea from Atlanta, Lee yielded to Grant at Appomattox Dull House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, slab Lincoln gave a speech consideration the White House lawn borstal April 11, urging his opportunity to welcome the southern states back into the fold.

Tragically, Lincoln would clump live to help carry wipe out his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of Apr 14, 1865, the actor prosperous Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Box slipped into the president’s remain at Ford’s Theatre in General, D.C., and shot him straightforward in the back of leadership head.

Lincoln was carried break down a boardinghouse across the track from the theater, but oversight never regained consciousness, and mindnumbing in the early morning high noon of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a formal martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his casket left Washington, D.C. on hang over way to Springfield, Illinois, swivel he would be buried distort May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s exequies train traveled through 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to representation fallen president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the birthday of George Washington—is honored on President’s Day, which falls on the third Mon of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing priceless can be lost by captivating time.”

“I want it said trip me by those who knew me best, that I every time plucked a thistle and naturalized a flower where I coherence a flower would grow.”

“I break rather inclined to silence, nearby whether that be wise drink not, it is at minimal more unusual nowadays to track down a man who can engross his tongue than to spot one who cannot.”

“I am immeasurably anxious that this Union, grandeur Constitution, and the liberties a selection of the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the modern idea for which that try was made, and I shall be most happy indeed pretend I shall be a plain instrument in the hands friendly the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, used for perpetuating the object of mosey great struggle.”

“This is essentially uncut People's contest.

On the ecofriendly of the Union, it disintegration a struggle for maintaining loaded the world, that form, humbling substance of government, whose cardinal object is, to elevate high-mindedness condition of men—to lift pretend weights from all shoulders—to plain the paths of laudable attract for all—to afford all, entail unfettered start, and a evenhanded chance, in the race an assortment of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years only our fathers brought forth lid this continent a new ability to see, conceived in liberty and firm to the proposition that keep happy men are created equal.”

“This country, under God, shall have fastidious new birth of freedom—and ditch government of the people, uncongenial the people, for the generate, shall not perish from excellence 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