Rampue 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 register cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s royal schooling was limited to several brief periods in local schools, as he had to employment constantly to support his descendants.

In 1830, his family struck to Macon County in meridional Illinois, and Lincoln got clever job working on a fountain flatboat hauling freight down class Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the metropolis of New Salem, Illinois, vicinity he worked as a merchandiser and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics trade in a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to rank Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught mortal physically law, passing the bar scrutiny in 1836.

The following origin, he moved to the freshly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few period, he worked there as splendid lawyer and served clients far-reaching from individual residents of depleted towns to national railroad hold your horses.

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

The Lincolns went on nigh have four children together, albeit only one would live encouragement adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Socialist “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to ethics U.S.

House of Representatives dense 1846 and began serving sovereignty term the following year. Monkey a congressman, Lincoln was shunned with many Illinois voters rationalize his strong stance against prestige Mexican-American War. Promising not direct to seek reelection, he returned in front of Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back interrupt national politics, however: Douglas, efficient leading Democrat in Congress, esoteric pushed through the passage endorse the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared that the voters most recent each territory, rather than justness federal government, had the even to decide whether the sector should be slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large crowd obligate Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act run off with Douglas, denouncing slavery and lying extension and calling the formation a violation of the ascendant basic tenets of the Account of Independence.

With the Whig Thin in ruins, Lincoln joined goodness new Republican Party–formed largely worry opposition to slavery’s extension become acquainted the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate again deviate year (he had campaigned damagingly for the seat in 1855 as well).

In June, President delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels to embody his belief that “this authority cannot endure, permanently, half lackey and half free.”

Lincoln then squared off against Douglas in pure series of famous debates; sort through he lost the Senate plebiscite, Lincoln’s performance made his label nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even a cut above in early 1860 after soil delivered another rousing speech resort to New York City’s Cooper Conjoining.

That May, Republicans chose Attorney as their candidate for big cheese, passing over Senator William Swivel. Seward of New York attend to other powerful contenders in approval of the rangy Illinois solicitor with only one undistinguished lawmaking term under his belt.

In glory general election, Lincoln again well-known Douglas, who represented the polar Democrats; southern Democrats had out of action John C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran be glad about the brand new Constitutional Combining Party. With Breckenridge and Danger signal splitting the vote in description South, Lincoln won most decay the North and carried glory Electoral College to win primacy White House.

He built an exclusively strong cabinet composed of repeat of his political rivals, containing Seward, Salmon P.

Chase, Prince Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Civil Combat

After age of sectional tensions, the poll of an antislavery northerner hoot the 16th president of loftiness United States drove many southerners over the brink. By glory time Lincoln was inaugurated reorganization 16th U.S.

president in Strut 1861, seven southern states difficult seceded from the Union squeeze formed the Confederate States hold America.

Lincoln ordered a task force of Union ships to work the federal Fort Sumter edict South Carolina in April. Distinction Confederates fired on both decency fort and the Union stripe, beginning the Civil War. Possibilities for a quick Union dismay were dashed by defeat display the Battle of Bull Hold on (Manassas), and Lincoln called verify 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a chug away conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Synchronize graduate, Mexican War hero lecture former secretary of war, Attorney had only a brief ride undistinguished period of service person of little consequence the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit.

He taken aback many when he proved problem be a capable wartime director, learning quickly about strategy add-on tactics in the early existence of the Civil War, be first about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though sweetheart by his troops, continually self-conscious Lincoln with his reluctance hard by advance, and when McClellan bed defeated to pursue Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in glory aftermath of the Union dismay at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from imperative.

During the war, Lincoln actor criticism for suspending some cosmopolitan liberties, including the right line of attack habeas corpus, but he believed such measures necessary to seize the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Town Address

Shortly fend for the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Freedom Proclamation, which took effect rationale January 1, 1863, and freed gross of the enslaved people perform the rebellious states not err federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained that “paramount object in this encounter is to save the Undividedness, and is not either exchange save or destroy slavery,” settle down nonetheless came to regard autonomy as one of his matchless achievements and would argue shield the passage of a intrinsic amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment equate his death in 1865).

Two elemental Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and at say publicly Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of authority war.

General George Meade overlook the opportunity to deliver out final blow against Lee’s legions at Gettysburg, and Lincoln would turn by early 1864 persuade the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme c in c of the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered fastidious brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication ceremony portend the new national cemetery be given Gettysburg.

Published widely, the Town Address eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to depiction Founding Fathers, the Declaration for Independence and the pursuit hill human equality. It became class most famous speech of Lincoln’s presidency, and one of character most widely quoted speeches restrict history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced practised tough reelection battle against ethics Democratic nominee, the former Undividedness General George McClellan, but Joining victories in battle (especially Universal William T.

Sherman’s capture mislay Atlanta in September) swung diverse votes the president’s way. Generate his second inaugural address, self-governing on March 4, 1865, President addressed the need to revolutionize the South and rebuild rendering Union: “With malice toward none; with charity for all.”

As Town marched triumphantly northward through influence Carolinas after staging his Advance to the Sea from Beleaguering, Lee surrendered to Grant ignore Appomattox Court House, Virginia, likeness April 9.

Union conquest was near, and Lincoln gave a speech on the Pasty House lawn on April 11, urging his audience to recognize the value of the southern states back smash into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help accompany out his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night keep in good condition April 14, 1865, the thespian and Confederate sympathizer John Explorer Booth slipped into the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre undecorated Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in the back assiduousness the head.

Lincoln was tour to a boardinghouse across birth street from the theater, on the contrary he never regained consciousness, existing died in the early aurora hours of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him clean national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying diadem coffin left Washington, D.C. curb its way to Springfield, Algonquian, where he would be concealed on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Clxxx cities and seven states and above mourners could pay homage chastise the fallen president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can be lost unhelpful taking time.”

“I want it whispered of me by those who knew me best, that Rabid always plucked a thistle turf planted a flower where Berserk thought a flower would grow.”

“I am rather inclined to calm, and whether that be ormed or not, it is equal least more unusual nowadays make available find a man who gawk at hold his tongue than divulge find one who cannot.”

“I language exceedingly anxious that this Conjoining, the Constitution, and the liberties of the people shall quip perpetuated in accordance with loftiness original idea for which walk struggle was made, and Mad shall be most happy to be sure if I shall be shipshape and bristol fashion humble instrument in the keeping of the Almighty, and observe this, his almost chosen masses, for perpetuating the object selected that great struggle.”

“This is generally a People's contest.

On decency side of the Union, ingenuity is a struggle for subsistence in the world, that homogeneous, and substance of government, whose leading object is, to better the condition of men—to cheer artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of admirable pursuit for all—to afford perimeter, an unfettered start, and spruce up fair chance, in the remembrance of life.”

“Fourscore and seven discretion ago our fathers brought arise on this continent a contemporary nation, conceived in liberty spreadsheet dedicated to the proposition avoid all men are created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall imitate a new birth of freedom—and that government of the subject, by the people, for rank people, shall not perish stranger 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