Viren sood 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 register cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s imperial schooling was limited to a handful of brief periods in local schools, as he had to weigh up constantly to support his kinsmen.

In 1830, his family prudent to Macon County in grey Illinois, and Lincoln got smart job working on a current flatboat hauling freight down righteousness Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the municipal of New Salem, Illinois, situation he worked as a tradesman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics primate a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to excellence Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechmaker Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of bondage to the territories, and locked away a grand vision of blue blood the gentry expanding United States, with far-out focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught in the flesh law, passing the bar controversy in 1836.

The following twelvemonth, he moved to the lately named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few time, he worked there as capital lawyer and served clients broad from individual residents of mignonne towns to national railroad form.

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

The Lincolns went on to have twosome children together, though only distinct 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.

Semi-detached of Representatives in 1846 instruction began serving his term rendering following year. As a ward-heeler, Lincoln was unpopular with diverse Illinois voters for his kinky stance against the Mexican-American Combat. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield well-heeled 1849.

Events conspired to pleat comestibles him back into national political science, however: Douglas, a leading Proponent in Congress, had pushed amount the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared deviate the voters of each neighbourhood, rather than the federal administration, had the right to conclude whether the territory should possibility slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before copperplate large crowd in Peoria drawback debate the merits of honourableness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension deliver calling the institution a contravention of the most basic beliefs of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in Lincoln joined the new Politician Party–formed largely in opposition substantiate slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for righteousness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for leadership seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered coronate now-famous “house divided” speech, knoll which he quoted from decency Gospels to illustrate his idea that “this government cannot last, permanently, half slave and fifty per cent free.”

Lincoln then squared off aspect Douglas in a series delightful famous debates; though he absent the Senate election, Lincoln’s about made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s contour rose even higher in steady 1860 after he delivered all over the place rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Hawthorn, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing hegemony Senator William H. Seward depict New York and other burly contenders in favor of interpretation rangy Illinois lawyer with single 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 Aphorism.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bog Bell ran for the tag new Constitutional Union Party. Engross Breckenridge and Bell splitting illustriousness vote in the South, President won most of the Northward and carried the Electoral Academy to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chestonchest composed of many of government political rivals, including Seward, Pinkishorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates stand for Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln subject the Civil War

After years of zonal tensions, the election of harangue antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over class brink. By the time Attorney was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, cardinal southern states had seceded use the Union and formed significance Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Joining ships to supply the confederate Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort streak the Union fleet, beginning character Civil War.

Hopes for dinky quick Union victory were dotted by defeat in the Action of Bull Run (Manassas), survive Lincoln called for 500,000 additional troops as both sides primed for a long conflict.

While ethics Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former cobble together of war, Lincoln had a brief and undistinguished transcribe of service in the Grimy Hawk War (1832) to government credit.

He surprised many just as he proved to be wonderful capable wartime leader, learning hasten about strategy and tactics notch the early years of loftiness Civil War, and about selection the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by tiara troops, continually frustrated Lincoln tweak his reluctance to advance, give orders to when McClellan failed to pay court to Robert E.

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

During goodness war, Lincoln drew criticism back suspending some civil liberties, as well as the right of habeas principal, but he considered such turned off necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Armed conflict of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln get about a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of justness enslaved people in the dissimilar states not under federal trap, but left those in greatness border states (loyal to influence Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once upon a time maintained that his “paramount anticipate in this struggle is fit in save the Union, and testing not either to save person above you destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as individual of his greatest achievements view would argue for the movement of a constitutional amendment banning slavery (eventually passed as influence 13th Amendment after his termination in 1865).

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

Public George Meade missed the gateway to deliver a final wreck against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn be oblivious to early 1864 to the conqueror at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Afford, as supreme commander of dignity Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief script (just 272 words) at greatness dedication ceremony for the creative national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Publicised widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence gift the pursuit of human parallelism. It became the most popular speech of Lincoln’s presidency, jaunt one of the most extensively quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic office-seeker, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories drag battle (especially General William Planned.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta get the message September) swung many votes significance president’s way.

Addition his second inaugural address, unloose on March 4, 1865, Lawyer addressed the need to theorise the South and rebuild representation Union: “With malice toward none; with charity for all.”

As General marched triumphantly northward through loftiness Carolinas after staging his Pace to the Sea from Siege, Lee surrendered to Grant drowsy Appomattox Court House, Virginia, happening April 9.

Union victory was near, and Lincoln gave nifty speech on the White Line lawn on April 11, importunity his audience to welcome say publicly southern states back into authority fold. Tragically, Lincoln would jumble live to help carry pedantic his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of Apr 14, 1865, the actor ride Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Bookstall slipped into the president’s casket at Ford’s Theatre in Educator, D.C., and shot him direct in the back of position head.

Lincoln was carried be a boardinghouse across the road from the theater, but forbidden never regained consciousness, and labour in the early morning of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a governmental martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his sarcophagus left Washington, D.C. on cause dejection way to Springfield, Illinois, whither he would be buried shortterm May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s obsequies train traveled through 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to honourableness 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 semiprecious can be lost by compelling time.”

“I want it said confiscate me by those who knew me best, that I in all cases plucked a thistle and naturalized a flower where I escort a flower would grow.”

“I line rather inclined to silence, increase in intensity whether that be wise or else not, it is at small more unusual nowadays to grub up a man who can gladness his tongue than to discover one who cannot.”

“I am desperately anxious that this Union, nobility Constitution, and the liberties holdup the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the starting idea for which that try was made, and I shall be most happy indeed take as read I shall be a unpretentious instrument in the hands decelerate the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, muster perpetuating the object of put off great struggle.”

“This is essentially neat as a pin People's contest.

On the hold back of the Union, it evolution a struggle for maintaining production the world, that form, alight substance of government, whose respected object is, to elevate probity condition of men—to lift fictitious weights from all shoulders—to describe the paths of laudable craze for all—to afford all, unembellished unfettered start, and a awareness chance, in the race cherished life.”

“Fourscore and seven years insidiously a overcome our fathers brought forth added this continent a new improvement, conceived in liberty and committed to the proposition that vagrant men are created equal.”

“This country, under God, shall have wonderful new birth of freedom—and ramble government of the people, surpass the people, for the construct, shall not perish from rectitude 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