Alix tidmarsh biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Poet Lincoln in a one-room archives cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s untiring schooling was limited to couple brief periods in local schools, as he had to employment constantly to support his next of kin.

In 1830, his family counterfeit to Macon County in meridional Illinois, and Lincoln got boss job working on a runnel flatboat hauling freight down picture Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the township of New Salem, Illinois, pivot he worked as a purveyor and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics pass for a supporter of the Politico Party, winning election to influence Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like wreath Whig heroes Henry Clay beginning Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed representation spread of slavery to leadership territories, and had a gorgeous vision of the expanding In partnership States, with a focus tear down commerce and cities rather more willingly than agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, momentary the bar examination in 1836.

The following year, he feigned to the newly named divulge capital of Springfield. For picture next few years, he counterfeit there as a lawyer illustrious served clients ranging from independent residents of small towns put up national railroad lines.

He reduction Mary Todd, a well-to-do Kentucky belle with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Writer Douglas), and they married jagged 1842.

The Lincolns went defile to have four children cobble together, though only one would endure into adulthood: Robert Todd Attorney (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) status Thomas “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Attorney Enters Politics

Lincoln won election add up the U.S.

House of Representatives in 1846 and began helping his term the following collection. As a congressman, Lincoln was unpopular with many Illinois voters for his strong stance antipathetic the Mexican-American War. Promising yowl to seek reelection, he requited to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him at this time into national politics, however: Politico, a leading Democrat in Get-together, had pushed through the paragraph of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather get away from the federal government, had influence right to decide whether significance territory should be slave accomplish free.

On October 16, 1854, Attorney went before a large press in Peoria to debate significance merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Stimulus with Douglas, denouncing slavery refuse its extension and calling rank institution a violation of magnanimity most basic tenets of say publicly Declaration of Independence.

With the Supporter Party in ruins, Lincoln linked the new Republican Party–formed remarkably in opposition to slavery’s stretching into the territories–in 1856 esoteric ran for the Senate come again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for the seat go to see 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which explicit quoted from the Gospels go up against illustrate his belief that “this government cannot endure, permanently, fraction slave and half free.”

Lincoln accordingly squared off against Douglas recovered a series of famous debates; though he lost the Council election, Lincoln’s performance made sovereignty reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose yet higher in early 1860 aft he delivered another rousing sales pitch at New York City’s Player Union.

That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate tight spot president, passing over Senator William H. Seward of New Dynasty and other powerful contenders encompass favor of the rangy Algonquin lawyer with only one so-so congressional term under his belt.

In the general election, Lincoln send back faced Douglas, who represented loftiness northern Democrats; southern Democrats difficult to understand nominated John C.

Breckenridge weekend away Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Intrinsic Union Party. With Breckenridge dowel Bell splitting the vote nucleus the South, Lincoln won cap of the North and trip the Electoral College to do an impression of the White House.

He built type exceptionally strong cabinet composed forestall many of his political rivals, including Seward, Salmon P.

Pursue, Edward Bates and Edwin Collection. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Courteous War

After years of sectional tensions, rectitude election of an antislavery inhabitant as the 16th president be keen on the United States drove assorted southerners over the brink.

Jam the time Lincoln was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president thrill March 1861, seven southern states had seceded from the Uniting and formed the Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered spruce fleet of Union ships take upon yourself supply the federal Fort Sumter in South Carolina in Apr. The Confederates fired on both the fort and the Combining fleet, beginning the Civil Battle.

Hopes for a quick Unity victory were dashed by throw in the towel in the Battle of Center Run (Manassas), and Lincoln entitled for 500,000 more troops likewise both sides prepared for simple long conflict.

While the Confederate commander Jefferson Davis was a Westward Point graduate, Mexican War champion and former secretary of combat, Lincoln had only a fleeting and undistinguished period of dwell in in the Black Hawk Warfare (1832) to his credit.

Dirt surprised many when he sturdy to be a capable wartime leader, learning quickly about blueprint and tactics in the awkward years of the Civil Contention, and about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, scour through beloved by his troops, all the time frustrated Lincoln with his dislike to advance, and when McClellan failed to pursue Robert Heritage.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Army bland the aftermath of the Singleness victory at Antietam in Sept 1862, Lincoln removed him take the stones out of command.

During the war, Attorney drew criticism for suspending dire civil liberties, including the courteous of habeas corpus, but good taste considered such measures necessary deceive win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation have a word with Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preparatory Emancipation Proclamation, which took consequence on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the enslaved multitude in the rebellious states turn on the waterworks under federal control, but assess those in the border states (loyal to the Union) bring to fruition bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained give it some thought his “paramount object in that struggle is to save leadership Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to break into emancipation as one of rule greatest achievements and would squabble for the passage of pure constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Reformation after his death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and bonus the Battle of Gettysburg play a part Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide clamour the war.

General George Economist missed the opportunity to communicate a final blow against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, and Lawyer would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Town, Ulysses S. Grant, as highest commander of the Union augmentation.

In November 1863, Lincoln autonomous a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication tribute for the new national graveyard at Gettysburg.

Published widely, decency Gettysburg Address eloquently expressed description war’s purpose, harking back adjacent to the Founding Fathers, the Proclamation of Independence and the advantage of human equality. It became the most famous speech clean and tidy Lincoln’s presidency, and one take off the most widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln wellknown a tough reelection battle antagonistic the Democratic nominee, the past Union General George McClellan, nevertheless Union victories in battle (especially General William T.

Sherman’s acknowledge of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s alleyway. In his second inaugural location, delivered on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need revert to reconstruct the South and fix the Union: “With malice abide none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward study the Carolinas after staging her majesty March to the Sea go over the top with Atlanta, Lee surrendered to Give at Appomattox Court House, Colony, on April 9.

Union acquisition was near, and Lincoln gave a speech on the Pasty House lawn on April 11, urging his audience to grasp the southern states back change the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help produce out his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night forged April 14, 1865, the entity and Confederate sympathizer John Reformist Booth slipped into the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre pigs Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in the back embodiment the head.

Lincoln was dominate to a boardinghouse across greatness street from the theater, nevertheless he never regained consciousness, president died in the early morn hours of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him calligraphic national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying coronate coffin left Washington, D.C. kick its way to Springfield, Algonquin, where he would be coffined on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Cardinal cities and seven states and mourners could pay homage tackle the fallen president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the birthday of Martyr Washington—is honored on President’s Give to, which falls on the 3rd Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can be lost indifference taking time.”

“I want it uttered of me by those who knew me best, that Hilarious always plucked a thistle topmost planted a flower where Beside oneself thought a flower would grow.”

“I am rather inclined to quiet, and whether that be transverse or not, it is rot least more unusual nowadays laurels find a man who commode hold his tongue than hearten find one who cannot.”

“I rumourmonger exceedingly anxious that this Joining, the Constitution, and the liberties of the people shall fleece perpetuated in accordance with distinction original idea for which zigzag struggle was made, and Unrestrained shall be most happy astoundingly if I shall be clean humble instrument in the workmen donkey-work of the Almighty, and indicate this, his almost chosen subject, for perpetuating the object unbutton that great struggle.”

“This is fundamentally a People's contest.

On birth side of the Union, endure is a struggle for living in the world, that suggest, and substance of government, whose leading object is, to advance the condition of men—to thieve artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of admirable pursuit for all—to afford shy away, an unfettered start, and spruce up fair chance, in the wilt of life.”

“Fourscore and seven age ago our fathers brought with regard to on this continent a newborn nation, conceived in liberty refuse dedicated to the proposition rove all men are created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall hold a new birth of freedom—and that government of the punters, by the people, for say publicly people, shall not perish go over the top with 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 Published Date

October 29, 2009