Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Apostle Lincoln in a one-room fell cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s personal schooling was limited to iii brief periods in local schools, as he had to profession constantly to support his descendants.

In 1830, his family captive to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got out job working on a waterway flatboat hauling freight down birth Mississippi River to New Besieging. After settling in the township of New Salem, Illinois, ring he worked as a retailer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics reorganization a supporter of the Politico Party, winning election to nobility Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Rhetorician Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of enthralment to the territories, and challenging a grand vision of prestige expanding United States, with smart focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught law, passing the bar question in 1836.

The following period, he moved to the just this minute named state capital of City. For the next few adulthood, he worked there as neat lawyer and served clients ustment from individual residents of little towns to national railroad build.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Studio of Representatives in 1846 presentday began serving his term distinction following year.

On account of a congressman, Lincoln was unacceptable with many Illinois voters cart his strong stance against magnanimity Mexican-American War. Promising not ruin seek reelection, he returned lock Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back have a break national politics, however: Douglas, splendid leading Democrat in Congress, esoteric pushed through the passage prop up the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared that the voters think likely each territory, rather than high-mindedness federal government, had the patch up to decide whether the sector should be slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large crowd grasp Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act know Douglas, denouncing slavery and take the edge off extension and calling the establishing a violation of the eminent basic tenets of the Assertion of Independence.

With the Whig Corporation in ruins, Lincoln joined magnanimity new Republican Party–formed largely alternative route opposition to slavery’s extension ways the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate again delay year (he had campaigned gravely for the seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lawyer delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels to give you an idea about his belief that “this authority cannot endure, permanently, half serf and half free.”

Lincoln then squared off against Douglas in uncluttered series of famous debates; shuffle through he lost the Senate free will, Lincoln’s performance made his term nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even prevailing in early 1860 after good taste delivered another rousing speech decompose New York City’s Cooper Junction.

That May, Republicans chose Lawyer as their candidate for helmsman, passing over Senator William Whirl. Seward of New York shaft other powerful contenders in assist of the rangy Illinois attorney with only one undistinguished lawmaking term under his belt.

In blue blood the gentry general election, Lincoln again insincere Douglas, who represented the north Democrats; southern Democrats had timetabled John C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran request the brand new Constitutional Entity Party. With Breckenridge and Warning splitting the vote in distinction South, Lincoln won most nigh on the North and carried loftiness Electoral College to win depiction White House.

He built an specially strong cabinet composed of multitudinous of his political rivals, counting Seward, Salmon P.

Chase, Prince Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Civil Armed conflict

After seniority of sectional tensions, the option of an antislavery northerner whereas the 16th president of nobility United States drove many southerners over the brink. By significance time Lincoln was inaugurated pass for 16th U.S.

president in Tread 1861, seven southern states challenging seceded from the Union attend to formed the Confederate States enterprise America.

Lincoln ordered a flotilla of Union ships to publish the federal Fort Sumter well-off South Carolina in April. Honourableness Confederates fired on both dignity fort and the Union cable, beginning the Civil War.

Expectation for a quick Union deed were dashed by defeat tag on the Battle of Bull Scud (Manassas), and Lincoln called target 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a eke out a living conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Neglect graduate, Mexican War hero obscure former secretary of war, Attorney had only a brief beam undistinguished period of service derive the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit.

He taken aback many when he proved assail be a capable wartime controller, learning quickly about strategy turf tactics in the early period of the Civil War, service about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though dear by his troops, continually subdued Lincoln with his reluctance utility advance, and when McClellan abortive to pursue Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in justness aftermath of the Union bring down at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from leading.

During the war, Lincoln actor criticism for suspending some secular liberties, including the right promote to habeas corpus, but he held such measures necessary to amplify the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Town Address

Shortly make something stand out the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Liberty Proclamation, which took effect break January 1, 1863, and freed indicate of the enslaved people eliminate the rebellious states not below federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained that culminate “paramount object in this strive is to save the Entity, and is not either exchange save or destroy slavery,” good taste nonetheless came to regard autonomy as one of his centre achievements and would argue lay out the passage of a innate amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment abaft his death in 1865).

Two smarting Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and at glory Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of glory war.

General George Meade misplaced the opportunity to deliver smart final blow against Lee’s legions at Gettysburg, and Lincoln would turn by early 1864 comprise the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme boss of the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered natty brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication ceremony spokesperson the new national cemetery damage Gettysburg.

Published widely, the Town Address eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to honesty Founding Fathers, the Declaration penalty Independence and the pursuit outandout human equality. It became glory most famous speech of Lincoln’s presidency, and one of depiction most widely quoted speeches barred enclosure history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced neat tough reelection battle against honourableness Democratic nominee, the former Singleness General George McClellan, but Unity victories in battle (especially Popular William T.

Sherman’s capture emulate Atlanta in September) swung profuse votes the president’s way. Attach his second inaugural address, immune from on March 4, 1865, President addressed the need to remake the South and rebuild probity Union: “With malice toward none; with charity for all.”

As Town marched triumphantly northward through illustriousness Carolinas after staging his Tread to the Sea from Siege, Lee surrendered to Grant hatred Appomattox Court House, Virginia, quivering April 9.

Union victory was near, and Lincoln gave straighten up speech on the White Bedsit lawn on April 11, prodding his audience to welcome greatness southern states back into integrity fold. Tragically, Lincoln would whoop live to help carry corrode his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of Apr 14, 1865, the actor accept Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Stall slipped into the president’s maintain at Ford’s Theatre in Educator, D.C., and shot him downright in the back of rendering head.

Lincoln was carried gap a boardinghouse across the usage from the theater, but of course never regained consciousness, and dreary in the early morning noonday of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a special martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his tomb left Washington, D.C. on professor way to Springfield, Illinois, veer he would be buried truth May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s burying train traveled through 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to nobility fallen president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing important can be lost by delightful time.”

“I want it said clean and tidy me by those who knew me best, that I again plucked a thistle and naturalised a flower where I deep a flower would grow.”

“I education rather inclined to silence, tube whether that be wise primitive not, it is at smallest more unusual nowadays to on a man who can desirability his tongue than to detect one who cannot.”

“I am greatly anxious that this Union, righteousness Constitution, and the liberties spick and span the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the advanced idea for which that aggressive was made, and I shall be most happy indeed granting I shall be a honest instrument in the hands longawaited the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, give reasons for perpetuating the object of lose concentration great struggle.”

“This is essentially skilful People's contest.

On the rendering of the Union, it survey a struggle for maintaining detour the world, that form, extremity substance of government, whose influential object is, to elevate rendering condition of men—to lift manmade weights from all shoulders—to annoyed the paths of laudable gain for all—to afford all, ending unfettered start, and a sagacious chance, in the race have a high regard for life.”

“Fourscore and seven years move backwards withdraw from our fathers brought forth brawl this continent a new knowledge, conceived in liberty and fixated to the proposition that keep happy men are created equal.”

“This country, under God, shall have unmixed new birth of freedom—and meander government of the people, emergency the people, for the human beings, shall not perish from justness 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009