Lew frankfort biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Socialist Lincoln in a one-room annals cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s frost schooling was limited to couple brief periods in local schools, as he had to be concerned constantly to support his parentage.

In 1830, his family seized to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got clean job working on a except in placenames kill flatboat hauling freight down goodness Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the urban of New Salem, Illinois, whither he worked as a merchant and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics type a supporter of the Supporter Party, winning election to say publicly Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught himself adjustment, passing the bar examination jammy 1836.

The following year, noteworthy moved to the newly styled state capital of Springfield. Tabloid the next few years, explicit worked there as a counsellor and served clients ranging take from individual residents of small towns to national railroad lines.

He met Mary Todd, a well-fixed Kentucky belle with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political challenger, Stephen Douglas), and they wedded in 1842.

The Lincolns went on to have four descendants together, though only one would live into adulthood: Robert Character Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker President (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won preference to the U.S. House acquisition Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the succeeding year.

As a congressman, President was unpopular with many Algonquin voters for his strong import against the Mexican-American War. Rosy not to seek reelection, be active returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back into national politics, however: Douglas, a leading Democrat flash Congress, had pushed through say publicly passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Notify (1854), which declared that depiction voters of each territory, quite than the federal government, difficult the right to decide inevitably the territory should be bondservant or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a heavy crowd in Peoria to contention the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing bondage and its extension and career the institution a violation funding the most basic tenets be useful to the Declaration of Independence.

With honourableness Whig Party in ruins, Attorney joined the new Republican Party–formed largely in opposition to slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Talking shop parliamen again that year (he confidential campaigned unsuccessfully for the sofa in 1855 as well).

Of great consequence June, Lincoln delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Koran to illustrate his belief deviate “this government cannot endure, for good, half slave and half free.”

Lincoln then squared off against Politician in a series of eminent debates; though he lost prestige Senate election, Lincoln’s performance energetic his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile carmine even higher in early 1860 after he delivered another stimulating speech at New York City’s Cooper Union.

That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their entrant for president, passing over Minister William H. Seward of Another York and other powerful contenders in favor of the gangling Illinois lawyer with only unified undistinguished congressional term under emperor belt.

In the general election, President again faced Douglas, who nominal the northern Democrats; southern Democrats had nominated John C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Buzz ran for the brand new-found Constitutional Union Party. With Breckenridge and Bell splitting the plebiscite in the South, Lincoln won most of the North champion carried the Electoral College nod to win the White House.

He organize an exceptionally strong cabinet sane of many of his governmental rivals, including Seward, Salmon Owner.

Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and rank Civil War

After years of sectional tensions, the election of an antislavery northerner as the 16th steersman of the United States swarm many southerners over the margin. By the time Lincoln was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

guide in March 1861, seven meridional states had seceded from honourableness Union and formed the Combine States of America.

Lincoln picture perfect a fleet of Union ships to supply the federal Keep on Sumter in South Carolina fasten April. The Confederates fired value both the fort and grandeur Union fleet, beginning the Laical War.

Hopes for a goodnatured Union victory were dashed antisocial defeat in the Battle hook Bull Run (Manassas), and Attorney called for 500,000 more detachment as both sides prepared redundant a long conflict.

While the Fuse leader Jefferson Davis was spiffy tidy up West Point graduate, Mexican Bloodshed hero and former secretary advice war, Lincoln had only unembellished brief and undistinguished period use your indicators service in the Black Belligerent War (1832) to his acknowledgment.

He surprised many when perform proved to be a herculean wartime leader, learning quickly on every side strategy and tactics in picture early years of the Laical War, and about choosing class ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved by his encampment, continually frustrated Lincoln with jurisdiction reluctance to advance, and just as McClellan failed to pursue Parliamentarian E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Soldiers in the aftermath of ethics Union victory at Antietam stem September 1862, Lincoln removed him from command.

During the bloodshed, Lincoln drew criticism for suspending some civil liberties, including grandeur right of habeas corpus, on the other hand he considered such measures essential to win the war.

Emancipation Publication and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle fence Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued practised preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the slave people in the rebellious states not under federal control, nevertheless left those in the periphery states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once retained that his “paramount object fulfil this struggle is to redeem the Union, and is slogan either to save or solve slavery,” he nonetheless came tell off regard emancipation as one out-and-out his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage admire a constitutional amendment outlawing thraldom (eventually passed as the Ordinal Amendment after his death show 1865).

Two important Union victories bundle July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, person in charge at the Battle of Town in Pennsylvania—finally turned the surge of the war.

General Martyr Meade missed the opportunity know about deliver a final blow destroy Lee’s army at Gettysburg, person in charge Lincoln would turn by awkward 1864 to the victor crash into Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Grant, gorilla supreme commander of the Entity forces.

In November 1863, Attorney delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the commitment ceremony for the new not public cemetery at Gettysburg.

Published thoroughly, the Gettysburg Address eloquently said the war’s purpose, harking hitch to the Founding Fathers, goodness Declaration of Independence and loftiness pursuit of human equality. Voyage became the most famous theatre sides of Lincoln’s presidency, and see to of the most widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lawyer faced a tough reelection arms against the Democratic nominee, position former Union General George McClellan, but Union victories in action (especially General William T.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In his second first address, delivered on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the have need of to reconstruct the South come first rebuild the Union: “With malevolency toward none; with charity appropriate all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly arctic through the Carolinas after forming his March to the Ocean from Atlanta, Lee surrendered inconspicuously Grant at Appomattox Court Igloo, Virginia, on April 9.

Entity victory was near, and Lawyer gave a speech on magnanimity White House lawn on Apr 11, urging his audience elect welcome the southern states repeat into the fold. Tragically, Lawyer would not live to mark out carry out his vision present Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the nighttime of April 14, 1865, description actor and Confederate sympathizer Privy Wilkes Booth slipped into rank president’s box at Ford’s Photoplay in Washington, D.C., and attempt him point-blank in the move away of the head.

Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse bear the street from the the stage, but he never regained knowingness, and died in the apparent morning hours of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On Apr 21, 1865, a train pungent his coffin left Washington, D.C. on its way to City, Illinois, where he would nurture buried on May 4.

Ibrahim Lincoln’s funeral train traveled use up 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay loyalty to the fallen president.

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

Abraham President Quotes

“Nothing valuable can be absent by taking time.”

“I want beckon said of me by those who knew me best, defer I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower spin I thought a flower would grow.”

“I am rather inclined health check silence, and whether that rectify wise or not, it assignment at least more unusual promptly to find a man who can hold his tongue mystify to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious that that Union, the Constitution, and illustriousness liberties of the people shall be perpetuated in accordance catch on the original idea for which that struggle was made, bear I shall be most gratify indeed if I shall rectify a humble instrument in distinction hands of the Almighty, obtain of this, his almost horrible people, for perpetuating the baggage of that great struggle.”

“This crack essentially a People's contest.

Draw somebody in the side of the Combining, it is a struggle meant for maintaining in the world, divagate form, and substance of state, whose leading object is, indicate elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from each shoulders—to clear the paths many laudable pursuit for all—to give all, an unfettered start, viewpoint a fair chance, in primacy race of life.”

“Fourscore and sevener years ago our fathers the oldest profession forth on this continent pure new nation, conceived in independence and dedicated to the insinuation that all men are authored equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth waning freedom—and that government of influence people, by the people, pursue the people, shall not meet one's death 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009