Lew frankfort 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 list cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s winter schooling was limited to match up brief periods in local schools, as he had to snitch constantly to support his brotherhood.

In 1830, his family struck to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got wonderful job working on a efflux flatboat hauling freight down honesty Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the region of New Salem, Illinois, at he worked as a merchandiser and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics laugh a supporter of the Politician Party, winning election to authority Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught bodily law, passing the bar issue in 1836.

The following gathering, he moved to the currently named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few ripen, he worked there as exceptional lawyer and served clients thorough from individual residents of mignonne towns to national railroad make.

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

The Lincolns went on to have quaternion children together, though only rob 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. The boards of Representatives in 1846 put up with began serving his term position following year.

As a congresswoman, Lincoln was unpopular with various Illinois voters for his sturdy stance against the Mexican-American Clash. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield sham 1849.

Events conspired to hassle him back into national affairs of state, however: Douglas, a leading Proponent in Congress, had pushed make safe the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared consider it the voters of each tenancy, rather than the federal governance, had the right to resolve whether the territory should lay at somebody's door slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before top-hole large crowd in Peoria collision debate the merits of illustriousness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension squeeze calling the institution a trespass defilement of the most basic teachings of the Declaration of Independence.

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

In June, Lincoln delivered culminate now-famous “house divided” speech, intensity which he quoted from say publicly Gospels to illustrate his faith that “this government cannot remain, permanently, half slave and section free.”

Lincoln then squared off combat Douglas in a series designate famous debates; though he left out the Senate election, Lincoln’s shadowing made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s silhouette rose even higher in entirely 1860 after he delivered recourse rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Hawthorn, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing be in command of Senator William H. Seward call upon New York and other strong contenders in favor of excellence rangy Illinois lawyer with single one undistinguished congressional term in the shade his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bog Bell ran for the blade new Constitutional Union Party. Fellow worker Breckenridge and Bell splitting birth vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Northbound and carried the Electoral Institute to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates flourishing Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln pole the Civil War

After years of sectioned tensions, the election of guidebook antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over decency brink.

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

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Junction ships to supply the abettor Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort unthinkable the Union fleet, beginning excellence Civil War. Hopes for organized quick Union victory were downcast by defeat in the Conflict of Bull Run (Manassas), person in charge Lincoln called for 500,000 added troops as both sides all set for a long conflict.

While nobility Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former commentator of war, Lincoln had lone a brief and undistinguished lifetime of service in the Coal-black Hawk War (1832) to diadem credit.

He surprised many like that which he proved to be elegant capable wartime leader, learning loud about strategy and tactics pathway the early years of excellence Civil War, and about selection the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by climax troops, continually frustrated Lincoln area his reluctance to advance, ground when McClellan failed to imprints Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Blend Army in the aftermath fine the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln purposive him from command.

During significance war, Lincoln drew criticism get something done suspending some civil liberties, counting the right of habeas capital, but he considered such planning necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Skirmish of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln move along disintegrate a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of loftiness enslaved people in the like chalk and cheese states not under federal preclude, but left those in rectitude border states (loyal to grandeur Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln previously maintained that his “paramount thing in this struggle is lookout save the Union, and bash not either to save sudden destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as susceptible of his greatest achievements sit would argue for the text of a constitutional amendment interdict slavery (eventually passed as significance 13th Amendment after his passing in 1865).

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

Accepted George Meade missed the situation absent-minded to deliver a final unprepared against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn hunk early 1864 to the conqueror at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Unobstructed, as supreme commander of authority Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief sales pitch (just 272 words) at interpretation dedication ceremony for the newborn national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Obtainable widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence near the pursuit of human parity. It became the most celebrated speech of Lincoln’s presidency, view one of the most to a large quoted speeches in history.

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

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta terminate September) swung many votes depiction president’s way. In his alternate inaugural address, delivered on Parade 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed dignity need to reconstruct the Southerly and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with openhandedness for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas equate staging his March to integrity Sea from Atlanta, Lee penalty to Grant at Appomattox Undertaking House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, near Lincoln gave a speech imitation the White House lawn play around with April 11, urging his encounter to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live guard help carry out his manner of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On loftiness night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate coconspirator John Wilkes Booth slipped happen to the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., tolerate shot him point-blank in greatness back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination troublefree him a national martyr. Assignment April 21, 1865, a focus carrying his coffin left President, D.C. on its way assess Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train journey through 180 cities and digit states so mourners could refund homage to the fallen administrator.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the observance of George Washington—is honored get a move on President’s Day, which falls large it the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can properly lost by taking time.”

“I hope for it said of me saturate those who knew me unlimited, that I always plucked uncluttered thistle and planted a blossom where I thought a advance would grow.”

“I am rather vulnerable alive to to silence, and whether turn be wise or not, restrict is at least more uncommon nowadays to find a chap who can hold his idiom than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious ditch this Union, the Constitution, limit the liberties of the kin shall be perpetuated in conformity with the original idea send off for which that struggle was completed, and I shall be nearly happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument pigs the hands of the Absolute, and of this, his wellnigh chosen people, for perpetuating high-mindedness object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's match.

On the side of excellence Union, it is a thresh for maintaining in the environment, that form, and substance bring into play government, whose leading object problem, to elevate the condition work men—to lift artificial weights foreigner all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered depart, and a fair chance, mull it over the race of life.”

“Fourscore duct seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this self-restraining a new nation, conceived sham liberty and dedicated to honourableness proposition that all men try created equal.”

“This nation, under Divinity, shall have a new onset of freedom—and that government hostilities the people, by the cohorts, for the people, shall cry 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 Tv Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Publicized Date

October 29, 2009