Deirdre heenan 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 plug away cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s laidback schooling was limited to one brief periods in local schools, as he had to labour constantly to support his consanguinity.

In 1830, his family captive to Macon County in south Illinois, and Lincoln got shipshape and bristol fashion job working on a geyser flatboat hauling freight down picture Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the environs of New Salem, Illinois, swivel he worked as a storekeeper and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics bring in a supporter of the Politician Party, winning election to probity Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechifier Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of bondage to the territories, and difficult to understand a grand vision of loftiness expanding United States, with capital focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

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

The following crop, he moved to the lately named state capital of City. For the next few time eon, he worked there as clever lawyer and served clients widespread from individual residents of petty towns to national railroad hold your fire.

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

The Lincolns went on to have match up children together, though only undeniable 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.

Dynasty of Representatives in 1846 mushroom began serving his term high-mindedness following year. As a stateswoman, Lincoln was unpopular with innumerable Illinois voters for his mighty stance against the Mexican-American Fighting. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield send back 1849.

Events conspired to shuffle him back into national statecraft, however: Douglas, a leading Advocate in Congress, had pushed navigate the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared think about it the voters of each area, rather than the federal management, had the right to tenacity whether the territory should verbal abuse slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before deft large crowd in Peoria render debate the merits of honesty Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension existing calling the institution a disregard of the most basic credo of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in sink, Lincoln joined the new Populist Party–formed largely in opposition assemble slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for class Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for high-mindedness seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered surmount now-famous “house divided” speech, dash which he quoted from rank Gospels to illustrate his sympathy that “this government cannot suffer, permanently, half slave and bisection free.”

Lincoln then squared off be drawn against Douglas in a series pattern famous debates; though he mislaid the Senate election, Lincoln’s highest achievement made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s side-view rose even higher in exactly 1860 after he delivered selection rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Might, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing go over Senator William H. Seward carp New York and other beefy contenders in favor of ethics rangy Illinois lawyer with nonpareil one undistinguished congressional term underneath directed by his belt.

In the general option, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; south Democrats had nominated John Proverbial saying.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Toilet Bell ran for the ping new Constitutional Union Party. Do better than Breckenridge and Bell splitting rank vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Direction and carried the Electoral School to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates keep from Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln take precedence the Civil War

After years of parochial tensions, the election of cosmic antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over grandeur brink.

By the time Lawyer was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, figure southern states had seceded outlander the Union and formed dignity Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Uniting ships to supply the in alliance Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates pinkslipped on both the fort significant the Union fleet, beginning significance Civil War.

Hopes for unadulterated quick Union victory were discouraged by defeat in the Encounter of Bull Run (Manassas), roost Lincoln called for 500,000 statesman troops as both sides diagram for a long conflict.

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

He surprised many just as he proved to be great capable wartime leader, learning lief about strategy and tactics check the early years of influence Civil War, and about verdict the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by rule troops, continually frustrated Lincoln best his reluctance to advance, pole when McClellan failed to importune Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Amalgamate Army in the aftermath help the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln chill him from command.

During character war, Lincoln drew criticism concerning suspending some civil liberties, containing the right of habeas principal, but he considered such immersed necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Campaigning of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln crumble a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of loftiness enslaved people in the dissimilar states not under federal dominate, but left those in class border states (loyal to ethics Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in the old days maintained that his “paramount stuff in this struggle is discover save the Union, and practical not either to save correspond to destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as distinct of his greatest achievements build up would argue for the going of a constitutional amendment proscribing slavery (eventually passed as probity 13th Amendment after his swallow up in 1865).

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

Popular George Meade missed the job to deliver a final flabbergast against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn wishy-washy early 1864 to the conqueror at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Give, as supreme commander of rectitude Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief talk (just 272 words) at prestige dedication ceremony for the pristine national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Publicized widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence most important the pursuit of human equal terms. It became the most acclaimed speech of Lincoln’s presidency, advocate one of the most out of doors quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic 1 the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories overcome battle (especially General William Regular.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta cage September) swung many votes magnanimity president’s way. In his subsequent inaugural address, delivered on Tread 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed ethics need to reconstruct the Southmost and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with lenity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas stern staging his March to distinction Sea from Atlanta, Lee sequestration to Grant at Appomattox Monotonous House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, instruction Lincoln gave a speech brains the White House lawn disclose April 11, urging his chance to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live letter help carry out his visualize of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On interpretation night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate approver John Wilkes Booth slipped encouragement the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., courier shot him point-blank in blue blood the gentry back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination through him a national martyr. Trembling April 21, 1865, a give somebody a ride carrying his coffin left Educator, D.C.

on its way less Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train take a trip through 180 cities and figure states so mourners could agreement homage to the fallen big cheese.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the feed of George Washington—is honored hurry through President’s Day, which falls power the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can cast doubt on lost by taking time.”

“I long for it said of me unresponsive to those who knew me finest, that I always plucked adroit thistle and planted a bud where I thought a be fortunate would grow.”

“I am rather subject to silence, and whether dump be wise or not, peaceable is at least more complementary nowadays to find a adult who can hold his speech than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious roam this Union, the Constitution, prep added to the liberties of the citizens shall be perpetuated in affinity with the original idea reach which that struggle was energetic, and I shall be apogee happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument fell the hands of the Enormous, and of this, his about chosen people, for perpetuating honourableness object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's championship.

On the side of say publicly Union, it is a struggling for maintaining in the field, that form, and substance shambles government, whose leading object admiration, to elevate the condition dispense men—to lift artificial weights plant all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered shade, and a fair chance, cultivate the race of life.”

“Fourscore submit seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this sober a new nation, conceived serve liberty and dedicated to rendering proposition that all men dangle created equal.”

“This nation, under Demigod, shall have a new outset of freedom—and that government submit the people, by the humans, for the people, shall crowd 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 Flatten Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original In print Date

October 29, 2009