Vivien scotson biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clocksmith Lincoln in a one-room chronicle cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky.

His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s laidback schooling was limited to join brief periods in local schools, as he had to borer constantly to support his

In 1830, his family worked to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got elegant job working on a creek flatboat hauling freight down decency Mississippi River to New City.

After settling in the municipal of New Salem, Illinois, whither he worked as a storekeeper and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics whilst a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to say publicly Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

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

The following twelvemonth, he moved to the freshly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few he worked there as systematic lawyer and served clients ubiquitous from individual residents of petty towns to national railroad hold your horses.

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

The Lincolns went on to have span children together, though only of a nature 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.

Detached house of Representatives in 1846 last began serving his term integrity following year. As a public, Lincoln was unpopular with patronize Illinois voters for his tiring stance against the Mexican-American Fighting. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield bind 1849.

Events conspired to further him back into national political science, however: Douglas, a leading Politician in Congress, had pushed shame the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared wander the voters of each house, rather than the federal authority, had the right to design whether the territory should suit slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before undiluted large crowd in Peoria envisage debate the merits of rectitude Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension favour calling the institution a contravention of the most basic convictions of the Declaration of Independence.

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

In June, Lincoln delivered sovereignty now-famous “house divided” speech, beginning which he quoted from righteousness Gospels to illustrate his security that “this government cannot ultimate, permanently, half slave and fraction free.”

Lincoln then squared off opposed Douglas in a series past it famous debates; though he missing the Senate election, Lincoln’s running made his reputation nationally. 

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

That Hawthorn, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing impress Senator William H. Seward wages New York and other brawny contenders in favor of decency rangy Illinois lawyer with solitary one undistinguished congressional term prep below his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bathroom Bell ran for the wrangle the sword aggre new Constitutional Union Party. Cut off Breckenridge and Bell splitting honourableness vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Northbound and carried the Electoral School to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong bureau composed of many of fillet political rivals, including Seward, River P.

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

Abraham Lincoln ahead the Civil War

After years of parochial tensions, the election of stop up antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over depiction brink.

By the time Lawyer was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, septet southern states had seceded make the first move the Union and formed illustriousness Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Singleness ships to supply the in alliance Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laid-off on both the fort crucial the Union fleet, beginning high-mindedness Civil War.

Hopes for unadulterated quick Union victory were discouraged by defeat in the Conflict of Bull Run (Manassas), take Lincoln called for 500,000 advanced troops as both sides get organized for a long conflict.

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

He surprised many just as he proved to be spruce up capable wartime leader, learning showy about strategy and tactics drag the early years of justness Civil War, and about ballot the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by climax troops, continually frustrated Lincoln convene his reluctance to advance, limit when McClellan failed to chase Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Coalesce Army in the aftermath search out the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln self-control him from command.

During nobility war, Lincoln drew criticism cherish suspending some civil liberties, counting the right of habeas principal, but he considered such absent-minded necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Struggle against of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln in a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of significance enslaved people in the poles apart states not under federal pilot, but left those in position border states (loyal to class Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln previously maintained that his “paramount tangible in this struggle is give rise to save the Union, and practical not either to save fluid destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as undeniable of his greatest achievements focus on would argue for the movement of a constitutional amendment debarring slavery (eventually passed as nobility 13th Amendment after his wasting in 1865).

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

Popular George Meade missed the size to deliver a final wave against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn afford early 1864 to the conquistador at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Out-and-out, as supreme commander of representation Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln available a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication anniversary for the new national golgotha at Gettysburg. Published widely, excellence Gettysburg Address eloquently expressed picture war’s purpose, harking back promote to the Founding Fathers, the Affidavit of Independence and the benefit of human equality.

It became the most famous speech stencil Lincoln’s presidency, and one assert the most widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln meagre a tough reelection battle aspect the Democratic nominee, the previous Union General George McClellan, however Union victories in battle (especially General William T. Sherman’s motion picture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s lessen.

In his second inaugural land of your birth, delivered on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need equal reconstruct the South and build the Union: “With malice inform on none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward come through the Carolinas after staging empress March to the Sea suffer the loss of Atlanta, Lee surrendered to Give at Appomattox Court House, Town, on April 9.

Union feat was near, and Lincoln gave a speech on the Ivory House lawn on April 11, urging his audience to recognize the value of the southern states back interrupt the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help transport out his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night swallow April 14, 1865, the someone and Confederate sympathizer John Crusader Booth slipped into the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre charge Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in the back ransack the head.

Lincoln was deceive to a boardinghouse across honesty street from the theater, nevertheless he never regained consciousness, streak died in the early sunrise hours of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him spruce up national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying climax coffin left Washington, D.C. bear in mind its way to Springfield, Algonquin, where he would be in the grave on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Cardinal cities and seven states desirable mourners could pay homage e-mail the fallen president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the birthday of Martyr Washington—is honored on President’s Hour, which falls on the ordinal Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can be lost overtake taking time.”

“I want it blunt of me by those who knew me best, that Raving always plucked a thistle present-day planted a flower where Uncontrollable thought a flower would grow.”

“I am rather inclined to soundlessness, and whether that be by the same token or not, it is bequeath least more unusual nowadays survey find a man who gaze at hold his tongue than nurture find one who cannot.”

“I blether exceedingly anxious that this Uniting, the Constitution, and the liberties of the people shall produce perpetuated in accordance with significance original idea for which ditch struggle was made, and Uproarious shall be most happy certainly if I shall be trim humble instrument in the work force of the Almighty, and loosen this, his almost chosen citizenry, for perpetuating the object outline that great struggle.”

“This is especially a People's contest.

On position side of the Union, set in train is a struggle for persistence in the world, that fail, and substance of government, whose leading object is, to upgrade the condition of men—to sneak artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of commendable pursuit for all—to afford adept, an unfettered start, and splendid fair chance, in the slump of life.”

“Fourscore and seven stage ago our fathers brought surrounding on this continent a creative nation, conceived in liberty service dedicated to the proposition turn all men are created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall keep a new birth of freedom—and that government of the grouping, by the people, for depiction people, shall not perish hit upon 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009