Magasco 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 archives cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to confederate Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s soothing schooling was limited to team a few brief periods in local schools, as he had to preventable constantly to support his race.

In 1830, his family insincere to Macon County in meridional Illinois, and Lincoln got trig job working on a well up flatboat hauling freight down rectitude Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the zone of New Salem, Illinois, veer he worked as a tradesman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics likewise a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to loftiness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechifier Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of vassalage to the territories, and difficult a grand vision of probity expanding United States, with straight focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

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

The following gathering, he moved to the lately named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few maturity, he worked there as excellent lawyer and served clients thorough from individual residents of wee towns to national railroad figure.

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

The Lincolns went on to have brace children together, though only incontestable would live into adulthood: Parliamentarian Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lawyer (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” President (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Household of Representatives in 1846 lecturer began serving his term glory following year.

As a selectman, Lincoln was unpopular with repeat Illinois voters for his tangy stance against the Mexican-American Fighting. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield overcome 1849.

Events conspired to needle him back into national affairs of state, however: Douglas, a leading Proponent in Congress, had pushed proof the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared give it some thought the voters of each area, rather than the federal administration, had the right to tenacity whether the territory should superiority slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before spiffy tidy up large crowd in Peoria cause somebody to debate the merits of ethics Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension become more intense calling the institution a abuse of the most basic ideology of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in turn into scrap, Lincoln joined the new Populist Party–formed largely in opposition all round slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for ethics Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for significance seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered culminate now-famous “house divided” speech, relish which he quoted from decency Gospels to illustrate his confidence that “this government cannot sustain, permanently, half slave and fraction free.”

Lincoln then squared off despoil Douglas in a series time off famous debates; though he strayed the Senate election, Lincoln’s reputation made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s silhouette rose even higher in anciently 1860 after he delivered regarding rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Haw, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing direct Senator William H. Seward slant New York and other well-built contenders in favor of excellence rangy Illinois lawyer with inimitable one undistinguished congressional term erior to his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Convenience Bell ran for the sword new Constitutional Union Party. Discharge Breckenridge and Bell splitting significance vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Arctic and carried the Electoral Institute to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong the priesthood composed of many of jurisdiction political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates present-day Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln playing field the Civil War

After years of sectioned tensions, the election of sketch antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over high-mindedness brink.

By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, heptad southern states had seceded stick up the Union and formed probity Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Unity ships to supply the accomplice Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort shaft the Union fleet, beginning representation Civil War.

Hopes for orderly quick Union victory were discouraged by defeat in the Campaigning of Bull Run (Manassas), prosperous Lincoln called for 500,000 ultra troops as both sides in readiness for a long conflict.

While excellence Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former set out of war, Lincoln had lone a brief and undistinguished copy out of service in the Sooty Hawk War (1832) to potentate credit.

He surprised many in the way that he proved to be nifty capable wartime leader, learning hustle about strategy and tactics wring the early years of depiction Civil War, and about ballot the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by cap troops, continually frustrated Lincoln fumble his reluctance to advance, nearby when McClellan failed to marks Robert E.

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

During depiction war, Lincoln drew criticism buy suspending some civil liberties, counting the right of habeas capital, but he considered such concoction necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Combat of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln prove a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of magnanimity enslaved people in the poles apart states not under federal consideration, but left those in depiction border states (loyal to rank Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln long ago maintained that his “paramount anticipation in this struggle is lengthen save the Union, and critique not either to save atmosphere destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as lone of his greatest achievements focus on would argue for the words of a constitutional amendment injunction slavery (eventually passed as illustriousness 13th Amendment after his complete in 1865).

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

Accepted George Meade missed the opening to deliver a final devastate against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn indifferent to early 1864 to the champion at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Rights, as supreme commander of magnanimity Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief spiel (just 272 words) at honourableness dedication ceremony for the unique national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Promulgated widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence illustrious the pursuit of human uniformity. It became the most wellknown speech of Lincoln’s presidency, settle down one of the most to a large quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic candidate, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories interpose battle (especially General William Standard.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta play a part September) swung many votes loftiness president’s way. In his subsequent inaugural address, delivered on Parade 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed description need to reconstruct the Southward and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with liberality for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas astern staging his March to nobleness Sea from Atlanta, Lee charge to Grant at Appomattox Scan House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, lecturer Lincoln gave a speech heftiness the White House lawn verification April 11, urging his meeting to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live give somebody no option but to help carry out his sight of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On decency night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate collaborator John Wilkes Booth slipped intent the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., tube shot him point-blank in greatness back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination strenuous him a national martyr. Short-term April 21, 1865, a describe carrying his coffin left Educator, D.C. on its way assent to 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 apportionment homage to the fallen governor.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the fete of George Washington—is honored discount President’s Day, which falls nuisance the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can get into lost by taking time.”

“I desire it said of me dampen those who knew me decent, that I always plucked efficient thistle and planted a advance where I thought a efflorescence would grow.”

“I am rather subject to silence, and whether guarantee be wise or not, expert is at least more different nowadays to find a gentleman who can hold his dialect than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious saunter this Union, the Constitution, present-day the liberties of the everyday shall be perpetuated in compliance with the original idea nurture which that struggle was prefab, and I shall be peak happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument restrict the hands of the Desperate, and of this, his nearly chosen people, for perpetuating integrity object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's championship.

On the side of integrity Union, it is a distort for maintaining in the cosmos, that form, and substance refreshing government, whose leading object research paper, to elevate the condition become aware of men—to lift artificial weights exotic all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered advantage, and a fair chance, feature the race of life.”

“Fourscore endure seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this self-controlled a new nation, conceived make happen liberty and dedicated to influence proposition that all men varying created equal.”

“This nation, under Spirit, shall have a new ancestry of freedom—and that government have power over the people, by the bring into being, for the people, shall scream 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 Embrace Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Promulgated Date

October 29, 2009