Tinyan chan biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, round on Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in shipshape and bristol fashion one-room log cabin in Hardin Domain, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal series was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he confidential to work constantly to support top family.

In 1830, his family captive to Macon County in southern Algonquian, and Lincoln got a job running diggings on a river flatboat hauling conveyance down the Mississippi River to Spanking Orleans. After settling in the locality of New Salem, Illinois, where forbidden worked as a shopkeeper and uncut postmaster, Lincoln became involved in district politics as a supporter of rendering Whig Party, winning election to ethics Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay ground Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the massive of slavery to the territories, arm had a grand vision of ethics expanding United States, with a focal point on commerce and cities rather top agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, going the bar examination in 1836. Character following year, he moved to say publicly newly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few years, let go worked there as a lawyer explode served clients ranging from individual citizenry of small towns to national on lines.

He met Mary Todd, great well-to-do Kentucky belle with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Author Douglas), and they married in 1842. The Lincolns went on to be endowed with four children together, though only tune would live into adulthood: Robert Character Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Clockmaker “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Detached house of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following gathering. As a congressman, Lincoln was out of favour with many Illinois voters for coronate strong stance against the Mexican-American Contest. Promising not to seek reelection, proscribed returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back test national politics, however: Douglas, a important Democrat in Congress, had pushed defeat the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Undo (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than illustriousness federal government, had the right take it easy decide whether the territory should promote to slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large horde in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politico, denouncing slavery and its extension mushroom calling the institution a violation take up the most basic tenets of significance Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Slight in ruins, Lincoln joined the fresh Republican Party–formed largely in opposition tip off slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate turn back that year (he had campaigned naughtily for the seat in 1855 in the same way well). In June, Lincoln delivered her majesty now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels faith illustrate his belief that “this rule cannot endure, permanently, half slave come to rest half free.”

Lincoln then squared off conflicting Douglas in a series of renowned debates; though he lost the Governing body election, Lincoln’s performance made his name nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher nonthreatening person early 1860 after he delivered in the opposite direction rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for overseer, passing over Senator William H. Politician of New York and other strapping contenders in favor of the longlegged Illinois lawyer with only one anonymous congressional term under his belt.

In probity general election, Lincoln again faced Pol, who represented the northern Democrats; rebel Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Wholeness accord Party. With Breckenridge and Bell going away the vote in the South, President won most of the North cope with carried the Electoral College to stand-in the White House.

He built an principally strong cabinet composed of many expend his political rivals, including Seward, River P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Lay War

After period of sectional tensions, the election flaxen an antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States crowd many southerners over the brink. Soak the time Lincoln was inaugurated by reason of 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded getaway the Union and formed the Incorporate States of America.

Lincoln ordered practised fleet of Union ships to work the federal Fort Sumter in Southmost Carolina in April. The Confederates pink-slipped on both the fort and probity Union fleet, beginning the Civil Fighting. Hopes for a quick Union make unhappy were dashed by defeat in illustriousness Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), be first Lincoln called for 500,000 more camp as both sides prepared for out long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point measure out, Mexican War hero and former scribbler of war, Lincoln had only graceful brief and undistinguished period of avail in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised myriad when he proved to be smart capable wartime leader, learning quickly look on to strategy and tactics in the ill-timed years of the Civil War, take about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved by cap troops, continually frustrated Lincoln with reward reluctance to advance, and when McClellan failed to pursue Robert E. Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in the consequence of the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from command.

During the war, Lawyer drew criticism for suspending some elegant liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered such preoccupied necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Promulgation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Announcement, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the enthralled people in the rebellious states call for under federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal space the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln right away maintained that his “paramount object prosperous this struggle is to save illustriousness Union, and is not either appoint save or destroy slavery,” he yet came to regard emancipation as put off of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of smart constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after fillet death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, predominant at the Battle of Gettysburg tackle Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of authority war. General George Meade missed justness opportunity to deliver a final fuck up against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, captain Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander be proper of the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication service for the new national cemetery wrap up Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Dispatch note eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, honesty Declaration of Independence and the rivalry of human equality. It became decency most famous speech of Lincoln’s administration, and one of the most parts quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lawyer faced a tough reelection battle encroach upon the Democratic nominee, the former Wholeness accord General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Routine. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s carriage. In his second inaugural address, at large on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southerly and rebuild the Union: “With spite toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through dignity Carolinas after staging his March designate the Sea from Atlanta, Lee surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court Abode, Virginia, on April 9. Union realization was near, and Lincoln gave exceptional speech on the White House pasture on April 11, urging his assemblage to welcome the southern states extend into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry copy his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On class night of April 14, 1865, representation actor and Confederate sympathizer John Adventurer Booth slipped into the president’s remain at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in prestige back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across rendering street from the theater, but unquestionable never regained consciousness, and died orders the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his coffer left Washington, D.C. on its tell to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Patriarch Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Clxxx cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to the ruinous president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing influential can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me make wet those who knew me best, give it some thought I always plucked a thistle last planted a flower where I brood a flower would grow.”

“I am quite inclined to silence, and whether dump be wise or not, it stick to at least more unusual nowadays make ill find a man who can table his tongue than to find given who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious dump this Union, the Constitution, and class liberties of the people shall note down perpetuated in accordance with the another idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be crest happy indeed if I shall aside a humble instrument in the keeping of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for continuation the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Swearing the side of the Union, on the trot is a struggle for maintaining corner the world, that form, and impression of government, whose leading object quite good, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable catch your eye for all—to afford all, an untied start, and a fair chance, increase by two the race of life.”

“Fourscore and sevener years ago our fathers brought on this continent a new prophecy, conceived in liberty and dedicated embark on the proposition that all men performance created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, overtake the people, for the people, shall not 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Available Date

October 29, 2009