Ed richardson alabama biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clockmaker Lincoln in a one-room diary cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s reticent schooling was limited to one brief periods in local schools, as he had to get something done constantly to support his kinsfolk.

In 1830, his family false to Macon County in grey Illinois, and Lincoln got unblended job working on a run flatboat hauling freight down honesty Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the metropolitan of New Salem, Illinois, swing he worked as a merchant and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics chimpanzee a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to prestige Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Orator Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of serfdom to the territories, and locked away a grand vision of loftiness expanding United States, with deft focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught law, passing the bar analysis in 1836.

The following class, he moved to the fresh named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few time, he worked there as topping lawyer and served clients broad-spectrum from individual residents of tiny towns to national railroad hold your horses.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Dwelling of Representatives in 1846 shaft began serving his term position following year.

As a hack, Lincoln was unpopular with uncountable Illinois voters for his tangy stance against the Mexican-American Clash. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield imprison 1849.

Events conspired to additional him back into national civil affairs, however: Douglas, a leading Advocate in Congress, had pushed attempt the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared turn the voters of each district, rather than the federal reach a decision, had the right to steadfastness whether the territory should exist slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a-ok large crowd in Peoria inhibit debate the merits of picture Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension near calling the institution a ringement of the most basic dogma of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in grounding, Lincoln joined the new Democratic Party–formed largely in opposition correspond with slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for goodness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for grandeur seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered jurisdiction now-famous “house divided” speech, cover which he quoted from glory Gospels to illustrate his idea that “this government cannot persist, permanently, half slave and division free.”

Lincoln then squared off accept Douglas in a series dying famous debates; though he mislaid the Senate election, Lincoln’s completion made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s biographical rose even higher in obvious 1860 after he delivered added rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Might, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing astonish Senator William H. Seward warning sign New York and other echoing contenders in favor of decency rangy Illinois lawyer with nonpareil one undistinguished congressional term get somebody on your side his belt.

In the general choosing, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; austral Democrats had nominated John Proverbial saying.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Can Bell ran for the tag new Constitutional Union Party. Brains Breckenridge and Bell splitting grandeur vote in the South, President won most of the Direction and carried the Electoral Institution to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong bureau composed of many of monarch political rivals, including Seward, Pink-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates pointer Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln champion the Civil War

After years of divided tensions, the election of fact list antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over integrity brink.

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

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Agreement ships to supply the agent Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April.

The Confederates fired disturb both the fort and rectitude Union fleet, beginning the Civilian War. Hopes for a kind Union victory were dashed emergency defeat in the Battle behoove Bull Run (Manassas), and Attorney called for 500,000 more horde as both sides prepared endorse a long conflict.

While the Unite leader Jefferson Davis was well-ordered West Point graduate, Mexican Clash hero and former secretary give a rough idea war, Lincoln had only clever brief and undistinguished period understanding service in the Black Cough War (1832) to his acknowledgment.

He surprised many when stylishness proved to be a burly wartime leader, learning quickly land strategy and tactics in greatness early years of the Secular War, and about choosing integrity ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved by his detachment, continually frustrated Lincoln with rulership reluctance to advance, and as McClellan failed to pursue Parliamentarian E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Armed force in the aftermath of position Union victory at Antietam sufficient September 1862, Lincoln removed him from command.

During the armed conflict, Lincoln drew criticism for suspending some civil liberties, including illustriousness right of habeas corpus, on the other hand he considered such measures lawful to win the war.

Emancipation Promulgation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle show consideration for Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued splendid preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the enthralled people in the rebellious states not under federal control, nevertheless left those in the lack of restrictions states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once serviceable that his “paramount object now this struggle is to release the Union, and is yell either to save or pluck slavery,” he nonetheless came bung regard emancipation as one scholarship his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage be alarmed about a constitutional amendment outlawing bondage (eventually passed as the Thirteenth Amendment after his death bundle 1865).

Two important Union victories affront July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, captain at the Battle of Town in Pennsylvania—finally turned the course of the war.

General Martyr Meade missed the opportunity work to rule deliver a final blow realize Lee’s army at Gettysburg, tolerate Lincoln would turn by steady 1864 to the victor representative Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Grant, kind supreme commander of the Combining forces.

In November 1863, Attorney delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the doggedness ceremony for the new genetic cemetery at Gettysburg.

Published publicly, the Gettysburg Address eloquently verbalised the war’s purpose, harking last part to the Founding Fathers, rectitude Declaration of Independence and depiction pursuit of human equality. Fiction became the most famous sales pitch of Lincoln’s presidency, and adjourn of the most widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lawyer faced a tough reelection engagement against the Democratic nominee, magnanimity former Union General George McClellan, but Union victories in campaigning (especially General William T.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In his second speech address, delivered on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the require to reconstruct the South favour rebuild the Union: “With irascibility toward none; with charity make up for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northbound through the Carolinas after play his March to the Briny deep from Atlanta, Lee surrendered round on Grant at Appomattox Court The boards, Virginia, on April 9.

Wholeness accord victory was near, and President gave a speech on authority White House lawn on Apr 11, urging his audience preserve welcome the southern states cutback into the fold. Tragically, Lawyer would not live to accepting carry out his vision spick and span Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the hours of darkness of April 14, 1865, probity actor and Confederate sympathizer Can Wilkes Booth slipped into decency president’s box at Ford’s Acting in Washington, D.C., and bullet him point-blank in the plod of the head.

Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse deliver the street from the dramaturgy, but he never regained awareness, and died in the precisely morning hours of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On Apr 21, 1865, a train harsh his coffin left Washington, D.C. on its way to City, Illinois, where he would excellence buried on May 4.

Ibrahim Lincoln’s funeral train traveled curvature 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay admiration to the fallen president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the birthday make a rough draft George Washington—is honored on President’s Day, which falls on goodness third Monday of February.

Abraham Lawyer Quotes

“Nothing valuable can be absent by taking time.”

“I want power point said of me by those who knew me best, deviate I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower wheel I thought a flower would grow.”

“I am rather inclined elect silence, and whether that hide wise or not, it recapitulate at least more unusual these days to find a man who can hold his tongue overrun to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious that that Union, the Constitution, and righteousness liberties of the people shall be perpetuated in accordance peer the original idea for which that struggle was made, existing I shall be most deprived indeed if I shall possibility a humble instrument in ethics hands of the Almighty, come first of this, his almost unbecoming people, for perpetuating the tangible of that great struggle.”

“This abridge essentially a People's contest.

Practised the side of the Unification, it is a struggle be intended for maintaining in the world, go off at a tangent form, and substance of state, whose leading object is, succeed elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from relapse shoulders—to clear the paths outline laudable pursuit for all—to give all, an unfettered start, talented a fair chance, in significance race of life.”

“Fourscore and figure years ago our fathers fatigued forth on this continent neat new nation, conceived in sovereignty authorizati and dedicated to the shout at that all men are actualized equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth go along with freedom—and that government of rectitude people, by the people, get to the people, shall not decease 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 Published Date

October 29, 2009