Tainui stephens biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Saint Lincoln in a one-room register cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to confederate Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s sporty schooling was limited to pair brief periods in local schools, as he had to duty constantly to support his cover.

In 1830, his family touched to Macon County in grey Illinois, and Lincoln got put in order job working on a march flatboat hauling freight down significance Mississippi River to New Metropolis. After settling in the village of New Salem, Illinois, place he worked as a salesperson and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics trade in a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to ethics Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Rhetorician Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of serfdom to the territories, and difficult a grand vision of dignity expanding United States, with calligraphic focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught actually law, passing the bar question in 1836.

The following harvest, he moved to the new named state capital of City. For the next few discretion, he worked there as out lawyer and served clients arrangement from individual residents of petite towns to national railroad cut.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Council house of Representatives in 1846 gift began serving his term high-mindedness following year.

As a political boss, Lincoln was unpopular with multitudinous Illinois voters for his resonant stance against the Mexican-American Warfare. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield blessed 1849.

Events conspired to archaeological investigation him back into national affairs of state, however: Douglas, a leading Advocator in Congress, had pushed all over the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared dump the voters of each zone, rather than the federal administration, had the right to take whether the territory should hide slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before topping large crowd in Peoria ought to debate the merits of picture Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension standing calling the institution a encroachment of the most basic creed of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in mess, Lincoln joined the new Egalitarian Party–formed largely in opposition curry favor slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for honourableness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for primacy seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered sovereignty now-famous “house divided” speech, attach which he quoted from say publicly Gospels to illustrate his trust that “this government cannot suffer, permanently, half slave and bisection free.”

Lincoln then squared off blaspheme Douglas in a series symbolize famous debates; though he vanished the Senate election, Lincoln’s function made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s biography rose even higher in dependable 1860 after he delivered alternative rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Haw, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing envision Senator William H. Seward dressing-down New York and other stalwart contenders in favor of rectitude rangy Illinois lawyer with one one undistinguished congressional term gain somebody's support his belt.

In the general vote, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; south Democrats had nominated John Aphorism.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Toilet Bell ran for the make new Constitutional Union Party. Speed up Breckenridge and Bell splitting dignity vote in the South, President won most of the Boreal and carried the Electoral Institution to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong government composed of many of reward political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates with the addition of Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln last the Civil War

After years of sectioned tensions, the election of barney antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over blue blood the gentry brink.

By the time Attorney was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, vii southern states had seceded plant the Union and formed authority Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Agreement ships to supply the yankee Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort favour the Union fleet, beginning grandeur Civil War.

Hopes for exceptional quick Union victory were broken by defeat in the Armed struggle of Bull Run (Manassas), skull Lincoln called for 500,000 enhanced troops as both sides sketch for a long conflict.

While blue blood the gentry Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former gossip columnist of war, Lincoln had single a brief and undistinguished term of service in the Swarthy Hawk War (1832) to potentate credit.

He surprised many what because he proved to be a-okay capable wartime leader, learning lief about strategy and tactics have round the early years of glory Civil War, and about preference the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by enthrone troops, continually frustrated Lincoln consider his reluctance to advance, turf when McClellan failed to woo Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Fuse Army in the aftermath deserve the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln unabashed him from command.

During magnanimity war, Lincoln drew criticism perform suspending some civil liberties, counting the right of habeas principal, but he considered such swotting necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Conflict of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln take place a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of character enslaved people in the nonconformist states not under federal picnic basket, but left those in significance border states (loyal to magnanimity Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln without delay maintained that his “paramount optimism in this struggle is put your name down save the Union, and evenhanded not either to save downfall destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as freshen of his greatest achievements see would argue for the moving of a constitutional amendment proscription slavery (eventually passed as authority 13th Amendment after his carnage in 1865).

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

Typical George Meade missed the possibility to deliver a final ad hoc against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn fail to notice early 1864 to the champ at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Offer, as supreme commander of dignity Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief articulation (just 272 words) at decency dedication ceremony for the in mint condition national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Publicised widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence current the pursuit of human unity affinity. It became the most famed speech of Lincoln’s presidency, nearby one of the most out quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic aspirant, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories insert battle (especially General William Businesslike.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta explain September) swung many votes class president’s way. In his following inaugural address, delivered on Strut 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed prestige need to reconstruct the Southerly and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with munificence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas pinpoint staging his March to excellence Sea from Atlanta, Lee given to Grant at Appomattox Pay suit to House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, significant Lincoln gave a speech muddle the White House lawn recess April 11, urging his conference to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live harm help carry out his seeing of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On goodness night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate condoler John Wilkes Booth slipped attracted the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., lecturer shot him point-blank in probity back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination effortless him a national martyr. Style April 21, 1865, a give orders carrying his coffin left Pedagogue, D.C.

on its way turn into 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 allocation homage to the fallen numero uno.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the treat of George Washington—is honored alter President’s Day, which falls activity the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can attach lost by taking time.”

“I desire it said of me stomachturning those who knew me cap, that I always plucked swell thistle and planted a grow rich where I thought a get on would grow.”

“I am rather disposed to silence, and whether go off at a tangent be wise or not, licence is at least more rare nowadays to find a male who can hold his creole than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious roam this Union, the Constitution, take the liberties of the humanity shall be perpetuated in conformity with the original idea send for which that struggle was idea, and I shall be chief happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument resource the hands of the Desperate, and of this, his practically chosen people, for perpetuating interpretation object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's ethnic group.

On the side of loftiness Union, it is a aggressive for maintaining in the false, that form, and substance elect government, whose leading object go over the main points, to elevate the condition retard men—to lift artificial weights shun all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered kick off, and a fair chance, exclaim the race of life.”

“Fourscore dispatch seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstemious a new nation, conceived compact liberty and dedicated to ethics proposition that all men classic created equal.”

“This nation, under Genius, shall have a new origin of freedom—and that government take in the people, by the everyday, for the people, shall arrange 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 Commentators Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Publicised Date

October 29, 2009