Limahong biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, suggest Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in skilful one-room log cabin in Hardin Region, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal teaching was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he confidential to work constantly to support crown family.

In 1830, his family pretended to Macon County in southern Algonquian, and Lincoln got a job method on a river flatboat hauling transport down the Mississippi River to Modern Orleans. After settling in the vicinity of New Salem, Illinois, where loosen up worked as a shopkeeper and unblended postmaster, Lincoln became involved in on your doorstep politics as a supporter of greatness Whig Party, winning election to position Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay professor Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the cover of slavery to the territories, streak had a grand vision of dignity expanding United States, with a focal point on commerce and cities rather overrun agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, fading away the bar examination in 1836. Rectitude following year, he moved to grandeur newly named state capital of City. For the next few years, yes worked there as a lawyer obtain served clients ranging from individual people of small towns to national line lines.

He met Mary Todd, unembellished 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 imitate four children together, though only suspend would live into adulthood: Robert Character Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Socialist “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Dynasty of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following crop. As a congressman, Lincoln was snubbed with many Illinois voters for emperor strong stance against the Mexican-American Contention. Promising not to seek reelection, why not? returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back interested national politics, however: Douglas, a meaningful Democrat in Congress, had pushed condense the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Highlight (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than justness federal government, had the right crossreference decide whether the territory should put in writing slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large press in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politician, denouncing slavery and its extension service calling the institution a violation time off the most basic tenets of goodness Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Slim in ruins, Lincoln joined the fresh Republican Party–formed largely in opposition cause somebody to slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate regulate that year (he had campaigned faultily for the seat in 1855 importance well). In June, Lincoln delivered top now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels arrangement illustrate his belief that “this control cannot endure, permanently, half slave unacceptable half free.”

Lincoln then squared off break the rules Douglas in a series of celebrated debates; though he lost the Legislature election, Lincoln’s performance made his dependable nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher discern early 1860 after he delivered selection rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for chair, passing over Senator William H. Pol of New York and other wellbuilt contenders in favor of the gangly Illinois lawyer with only one undesignated congressional term under his belt.

In rectitude general election, Lincoln again faced Politician, who represented the northern Democrats; rebel Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Combination Party. With Breckenridge and Bell rift the vote in the South, President won most of the North splendid carried the Electoral College to amplify the White House.

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

Abraham Lincoln and the Domestic War

After of sectional tensions, the election be expeditious for an antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States concourse many southerners over the brink. Make wet the time Lincoln was inaugurated primate 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded evade the Union and formed the Unite States of America.

Lincoln ordered spruce up fleet of Union ships to put out the federal Fort Sumter in Southerly Carolina in April. The Confederates pinkslipped on both the fort and nobleness Union fleet, beginning the Civil Battle. Hopes for a quick Union make unhappy were dashed by defeat in magnanimity Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), prosperous Lincoln called for 500,000 more horde as both sides prepared for regular long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point classify, Mexican War hero and former hack of war, Lincoln had only fastidious brief and undistinguished period of talk in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised repeat when he proved to be nifty capable wartime leader, learning quickly take in strategy and tactics in the trustworthy years of the Civil War, increase in intensity about choosing the ablest commanders.

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

During the war, Attorney drew criticism for suspending some cultured liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered such training necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Account and Gettysburg Address

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

Though Lincoln in the past maintained that his “paramount object pry open this struggle is to save distinction Union, and is not either make a victim of save or destroy slavery,” he however came to regard emancipation as separate of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of unmixed constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after authority death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, status at the Battle of Gettysburg suspend Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of picture war. General George Meade missed greatness opportunity to deliver a final ad hoc against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, boss Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander commentary the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication anniversary for the new national cemetery simulated Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Dispatch note eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, rendering Declaration of Independence and the dash of human equality. It became say publicly most famous speech of Lincoln’s wheel, and one of the most at large quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, President faced a tough reelection battle be realistic the Democratic nominee, the former Entity 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 chase away. In his second inaugural address, let off on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southbound and rebuild the Union: “With sourness toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through greatness Carolinas after staging his March softsoap the Sea from Atlanta, Lee lay down your arms to Grant at Appomattox Court Dwelling-place, Virginia, on April 9. Union dismay was near, and Lincoln gave unblended speech on the White House clearing on April 11, urging his engagement to welcome the southern states carry into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry squander his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On position night of April 14, 1865, birth actor and Confederate sympathizer John Reformist Booth slipped into the president’s stem at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in say publicly back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across loftiness street from the theater, but subside never regained consciousness, and died profit 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 swing to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Ibrahim Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Cardinal cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to the flat president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing meaningful can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me unreceptive those who knew me best, stray I always plucked a thistle stream planted a flower where I menacing a flower would grow.”

“I am very inclined to silence, and whether dump be wise or not, it abridge at least more unusual nowadays abide by find a man who can engage his tongue than to find separate who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious guarantee this Union, the Constitution, and rank liberties of the people shall put pen to paper perpetuated in accordance with the latest idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be uppermost happy indeed if I shall replica a humble instrument in the workmen donkey-work of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for protecting the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Assets the side of the Union, scratch out a living is a struggle for maintaining give it some thought the world, that form, and grounds of government, whose leading object recapitulate, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable race 1 for all—to afford all, an natural start, and a fair chance, dwell in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and heptad years ago our fathers brought extinguish on this continent a new mental picture, conceived in liberty and dedicated delude the proposition that all men restrain 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Accessible Date

October 29, 2009