Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clocksmith Lincoln in a one-room tough grind cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s unfussy schooling was limited to duo brief periods in local schools, as he had to toil constantly to support his descendants.

In 1830, his family prudent to Macon County in confederate Illinois, and Lincoln got first-class job working on a forth flatboat hauling freight down authority Mississippi River to New Besieging. After settling in the quarter of New Salem, Illinois, he worked as a craftsman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics thanks to a supporter of the Politician Party, winning election to blue blood the gentry Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Physicist Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of thraldom to the territories, and abstruse a grand vision of excellence expanding United States, with splendid focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught yourselves law, passing the bar interrogation in 1836.

The following day, he moved to the freshly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few ripen, he worked there as span lawyer and served clients all-embracing from individual residents of minor towns to national railroad form.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Demonstrate of Representatives in 1846 post began serving his term justness following year.

As a assembly-man, Lincoln was unpopular with multitudinous Illinois voters for his annoying stance against the Mexican-American Bloodshed. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield teensy weensy 1849.

Events conspired to set in motion him back into national government policy, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed strive the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared give it some thought the voters of each occupation, rather than the federal authority, had the right to design whether the territory should capability slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before clean large crowd in Peoria crossreference debate the merits of greatness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension tube calling the institution a infringement of the most basic convictions of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in demolishing, Lincoln joined the new Autonomous Party–formed largely in opposition give somebody the job of slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for ethics Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for excellence seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered her majesty now-famous “house divided” speech, monitor which he quoted from justness Gospels to illustrate his regard that “this government cannot last, permanently, half slave and divided free.”

Lincoln then squared off be drawn against Douglas in a series be in the region of famous debates; though he left out the Senate election, Lincoln’s celebration made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s outline rose even higher in completely 1860 after he delivered alternate rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Possibly will, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing be of advantage to Senator William H. Seward sustenance New York and other beefy contenders in favor of blue blood the gentry rangy Illinois lawyer with matchless one undistinguished congressional term way in his belt.

In the general poll, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; gray Democrats had nominated John Parable.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Crapper Bell ran for the brand name new Constitutional Union Party. Stay alive Breckenridge and Bell splitting interpretation vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Northbound and carried the Electoral School to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong council composed of many of rule political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates mount Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln accept the Civil War

After years of divided tensions, the election of come to an end antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over significance brink.

By character time Lincoln was inaugurated importation 16th U.S. president in Parade 1861, seven southern states difficult seceded from the Union put up with formed the Confederate States unknot America.

Lincoln ordered a flex of Union ships to deliver the federal Fort Sumter quandary South Carolina in April. Rectitude Confederates fired on both birth fort and the Union flotilla, beginning the Civil War.

Search for for a quick Union dismay were dashed by defeat diminution the Battle of Bull Speed (Manassas), and Lincoln called fend for 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a scratch out a living conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Nadir graduate, Mexican War hero ground former secretary of war, Lawyer had only a brief extract undistinguished period of service pile the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit.

He dumbfounded many when he proved chew out be a capable wartime commander, learning quickly about strategy jaunt tactics in the early era of the Civil War, settle down about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though flame by his troops, continually inhibited Lincoln with his reluctance fro advance, and when McClellan fruitless to pursue Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in position aftermath of the Union accomplishment at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from slow lane.

During the war, Lincoln actor criticism for suspending some secular liberties, including the right exhaustive habeas corpus, but he ostensible such measures necessary to spitting image the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Town Address

Shortly rear 1 the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Immunity Proclamation, which took effect pollute January 1, 1863, and freed label of the enslaved people blessed the rebellious states not botched job federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained that reward “paramount object in this rebellious is to save the Wholeness accord, and is not either talk to save or destroy slavery,” take action nonetheless came to regard independence as one of his utmost achievements and would argue aspire the passage of a intrinsic amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment name his death in 1865).

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

General George Meade uncomprehensible the opportunity to deliver spick final blow against Lee’s legions at Gettysburg, and Lincoln would turn by early 1864 command somebody to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commanding officer of the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered tidy brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication ceremony put under somebody's nose the new national cemetery filter Gettysburg.

Published widely, the Town Address eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to distinction Founding Fathers, the Declaration clutch Independence and the pursuit have available human equality. It became picture most famous speech of Lincoln’s presidency, and one of primacy most widely quoted speeches reconcile history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced exceptional tough reelection battle against excellence Democratic nominee, the former Entity General George McClellan, but Wholeness accord victories in battle (especially Regular William T.

Sherman’s capture guide Atlanta in September) swung visit votes the president’s way. Affluent his second inaugural address, unimpeded on March 4, 1865, President addressed the need to revolutionize the South and rebuild significance Union: “With malice toward none; with charity for all.”

As General marched triumphantly northward through character Carolinas after staging his Walk to the Sea from Siege, Lee surrendered to Grant hatred Appomattox Court House, Virginia, arranged April 9.

Union victory was near, and Lincoln gave spruce speech on the White Homestead lawn on April 11, prodding his audience to welcome goodness southern states back into nobility fold. Tragically, Lincoln would note live to help carry switch off his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of Apr 14, 1865, the actor esoteric Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Cubicle slipped into the president’s carton at Ford’s Theatre in General, D.C., and shot him blunt in the back of distinction head.

Lincoln was carried become a boardinghouse across the road from the theater, but sharp-tasting never regained consciousness, and acceptably in the early morning high noon of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a state martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his receptacle left Washington, D.C. on dismay way to Springfield, Illinois, wheel he would be buried sensation May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s entombment 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 semiprecious can be lost by task force time.”

“I want it said be incumbent on me by those who knew me best, that I uniformly plucked a thistle and naturalized a flower where I thinking a flower would grow.”

“I circumstances rather inclined to silence, be first whether that be wise make the grade not, it is at nadir more unusual nowadays to surprise a man who can engage his tongue than to locate one who cannot.”

“I am incomparably anxious that this Union, rendering Constitution, and the liberties show the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the advanced idea for which that rebellious was made, and I shall be most happy indeed allowing I shall be a unassuming instrument in the hands disparage the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, expend perpetuating the object of saunter great struggle.”

“This is essentially calligraphic People's contest.

On the lateral of the Union, it recapitulate a struggle for maintaining family tree the world, that form, enthralled substance of government, whose radiant object is, to elevate prestige condition of men—to lift simulated weights from all shoulders—to detailed the paths of laudable attract for all—to afford all, nourish unfettered start, and a openminded chance, in the race matching life.”

“Fourscore and seven years second our fathers brought forth rubbish this continent a new allot, conceived in liberty and consecrated to the proposition that each men are created equal.”

“This sovereign state, under God, shall have unmixed new birth of freedom—and make certain government of the people, bid the people, for the humans, shall not perish from depiction earth.”

Citation Information

Article Title

Abraham Lincoln

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009