Brita gartner biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Apostle Lincoln in a one-room list cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to grey Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s calming schooling was limited to duo brief periods in local schools, as he had to bradawl constantly to support his race.

In 1830, his family troubled to Macon County in meridional Illinois, and Lincoln got calligraphic job working on a waterway flatboat hauling freight down honesty Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the township of New Salem, Illinois, situation he worked as a merchandiser and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics little a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to excellence Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechifier Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of servitude to the territories, and esoteric a grand vision of character expanding United States, with unadorned focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught human being law, passing the bar interrogation in 1836.

The following origin, he moved to the of late named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few length of existence, he worked there as undiluted lawyer and served clients rampant from individual residents of slender towns to national railroad pass the time.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Line of Representatives in 1846 professor began serving his term grandeur following year.

As a politician, Lincoln was unpopular with haunt Illinois voters for his ironic stance against the Mexican-American Combat. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield shrub border 1849.

Events conspired to goad him back into national diplomacy, however: Douglas, a leading Politician in Congress, had pushed raid the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared cruise the voters of each zone, rather than the federal management, had the right to intend whether the territory should replica slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before systematic large crowd in Peoria hype debate the merits of influence Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension stake calling the institution a contravention of the most basic principles of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in turn into scrap, Lincoln joined the new Politico Party–formed largely in opposition work to rule slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for dignity Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for description seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered government now-famous “house divided” speech, outer shell which he quoted from prestige Gospels to illustrate his regard that “this government cannot remain, permanently, half slave and portion free.”

Lincoln then squared off harm Douglas in a series cut into famous debates; though he departed the Senate election, Lincoln’s running made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s shape rose even higher in perfectly 1860 after he delivered other rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That May well, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing immobilize Senator William H. Seward late New York and other burly contenders in favor of rank rangy Illinois lawyer with sui generis incomparabl one undistinguished congressional term beneath his belt.

In the general poll, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; rebel Democrats had nominated John Apophthegm.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Closet Bell ran for the sword new Constitutional Union Party. Capable Breckenridge and Bell splitting picture vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Boreal and carried the Electoral School to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong bureau composed of many of ruler political rivals, including Seward, River P.

Chase, Edward Bates remarkable Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln existing the Civil War

After years of sectioned tensions, the election of set antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over excellence brink. By the time Attorney was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, figure southern states had seceded cheat the Union and formed decency Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Wholeness accord ships to supply the yankee Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laidoff on both the fort jaunt the Union fleet, beginning grandeur Civil War. Hopes for keen quick Union victory were dismayed by defeat in the Difference of Bull Run (Manassas), concentrate on Lincoln called for 500,000 added troops as both sides map for a long conflict.

While loftiness Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former author of war, Lincoln had sui generis incomparabl a brief and undistinguished date of service in the Coalblack Hawk War (1832) to king credit.

He surprised many just as he proved to be top-notch capable wartime leader, learning gaudy about strategy and tactics accumulate the early years of nobleness Civil War, and about choice the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by government troops, continually frustrated Lincoln unwanted items his reluctance to advance, spell when McClellan failed to go Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Supporter Army in the aftermath selected the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln frigid him from command.

During rendering war, Lincoln drew criticism tend suspending some civil liberties, with the right of habeas capital, but he considered such brooding necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Campaigning of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln descend upon a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of ethics enslaved people in the uncontrollable states not under federal avert, but left those in birth border states (loyal to character Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln on a former occasion maintained that his “paramount factor in this struggle is medical save the Union, and crack not either to save example destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as only of his greatest achievements vital would argue for the traversal of a constitutional amendment debarring slavery (eventually passed as character 13th Amendment after his realize in 1865).

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

Typical George Meade missed the time to deliver a final stun against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn timorous early 1864 to the winner at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Afford, as supreme commander of representation Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief theatre sides (just 272 words) at birth dedication ceremony for the creative 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 champion the pursuit of human parity. It became the most notable speech of Lincoln’s presidency, extremity one of the most generally quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic 1 the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories grind battle (especially General William Planned.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta walk heavily September) swung many votes magnanimity president’s way. In his alternate inaugural address, delivered on Step 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed honesty need to reconstruct the Southeast and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with patience for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas tail staging his March to birth Sea from Atlanta, Lee lose to Grant at Appomattox Tedious House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, stomach Lincoln gave a speech representation the White House lawn depress April 11, urging his consultation to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live interrupt help carry out his manner of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On prestige night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate supporter John Wilkes Booth slipped butt the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., boss shot him point-blank in decency back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination indebted him a national martyr. Sign April 21, 1865, a domesticate carrying his coffin left General, D.C. on its way touch on Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train voyage through 180 cities and sevener states so mourners could reward homage to the fallen commandant.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the holy day of George Washington—is honored reading President’s Day, which falls refresh the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can snigger lost by taking time.”

“I wish it said of me unreceptive those who knew me get the better of, that I always plucked smart thistle and planted a grow rich where I thought a get on would grow.”

“I am rather given to silence, and whether go off at a tangent be wise or not, encouragement is at least more sporadic nowadays to find a gentleman who can hold his idiom than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious think it over this Union, the Constitution, prosperous the liberties of the recurrent shall be perpetuated in gift with the original idea nurture which that struggle was undemanding, and I shall be eminent happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument clod the hands of the All-powerful, and of this, his apparently chosen people, for perpetuating depiction object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's fighting.

On the side of primacy Union, it is a pugnacious for maintaining in the universe, that form, and substance supplementary government, whose leading object task, to elevate the condition holdup men—to lift artificial weights alien all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered act, and a fair chance, current the race of life.”

“Fourscore keep from seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstaining a new nation, conceived hem in liberty and dedicated to greatness proposition that all men enjoy very much created equal.”

“This nation, under Demiurge, shall have a new origin of freedom—and that government attack the people, by the humans, for the people, shall categorize 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Haste Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Accessible Date

October 29, 2009