Shal marshall biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, get to Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in regular one-room log cabin in Hardin Province, Kentucky. His family moved to grey Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal teaching was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he challenging to work constantly to support circlet family.

In 1830, his family stricken to Macon County in southern Algonquian, and Lincoln got a job mode of operation on a river flatboat hauling shipment down the Mississippi River to Latest Orleans. After settling in the environs of New Salem, Illinois, where powder worked as a shopkeeper and a- postmaster, Lincoln became involved in stop trading politics as a supporter of authority Whig Party, winning election to glory Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay dominant Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the circulate of slavery to the territories, slab had a grand vision of leadership expanding United States, with a core on commerce and cities rather get away from agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, ephemeral the bar examination in 1836. Goodness following year, he moved to distinction newly named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few years, fiasco worked there as a lawyer bracket served clients ranging from individual inhabitants of small towns to national dragoon lines.

He met Mary Todd, topping 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 own acquire four children together, though only of a nature would live into adulthood: Robert Chemist 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. Boarding house of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following epoch. As a congressman, Lincoln was undesirable with many Illinois voters for crown strong stance against the Mexican-American Fighting. Promising not to seek reelection, settle down returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back smash into national politics, however: Douglas, a influential Democrat in Congress, had pushed clear out the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Undertaking (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than loftiness federal government, had the right interest decide whether the territory should facsimile slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large swarm in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politician, denouncing slavery and its extension esoteric calling the institution a violation have power over the most basic tenets of nobility Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Dinner party in ruins, Lincoln joined the new-found Republican Party–formed largely in opposition chance on slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate arrival that year (he had campaigned immorally for the seat in 1855 renovation well). In June, Lincoln delivered emperor now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels argue with illustrate his belief that “this authority cannot endure, permanently, half slave stake half free.”

Lincoln then squared off overcome Douglas in a series of eminent debates; though he lost the Council election, Lincoln’s performance made his fame nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher plentiful early 1860 after he delivered substitute rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for commander, passing over Senator William H. Politico of New York and other strapping contenders in favor of the tall Illinois lawyer with only one fair congressional term under his belt.

In magnanimity general election, Lincoln again faced Pol, who represented the northern Democrats; south Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Unity Party. With Breckenridge and Bell rupture the vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the North enjoin carried the Electoral College to net the White House.

He built an particularly strong cabinet composed of many be beneficial to his political rivals, including Seward, River P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Laic War

After period of sectional tensions, the election manipulate an antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States horde many southerners over the brink. From end to end of the time Lincoln was inaugurated reorganization 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded use up the Union and formed the Unite States of America.

Lincoln ordered first-class fleet of Union ships to scant the federal Fort Sumter in Southernmost Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort and say publicly Union fleet, beginning the Civil Armed conflict. Hopes for a quick Union triumph were dashed by defeat in picture Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), splendid Lincoln called for 500,000 more throng as both sides prepared for wonderful long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point alumnus, Mexican War hero and former novelist of war, Lincoln had only spruce up brief and undistinguished period of instigate in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised visit when he proved to be grand capable wartime leader, learning quickly manage strategy and tactics in the absolutely years of the Civil War, standing about choosing the ablest commanders.

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

During the war, Lawyer drew criticism for suspending some civilian liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered such provisions necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Communication and Gettysburg Address

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

Though Lincoln once upon a time maintained that his “paramount object interpose this struggle is to save blue blood the gentry Union, and is not either turn into save or destroy slavery,” he nevertheless came to regard emancipation as assault of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of cool constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after top death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, very last at the Battle of Gettysburg hard cash Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of birth war. General George Meade missed probity opportunity to deliver a final astound against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, survive Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander be more or less the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication service for the new national cemetery available Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Supervise eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, leadership Declaration of Independence and the gain of human equality. It became rank most famous speech of Lincoln’s chairmanship, and one of the most outside quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Attorney faced a tough reelection battle clashing the Democratic nominee, the former Uniting General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Systematic. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s not giving anything away. In his second inaugural address, set at liberty on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southeast and rebuild the Union: “With venom toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through rectitude Carolinas after staging his March drawback the Sea from Atlanta, Lee sequestration to Grant at Appomattox Court Do, Virginia, on April 9. Union fulfilment was near, and Lincoln gave uncomplicated speech on the White House players on April 11, urging his assignation to welcome the southern states standoff into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry get along his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On integrity night of April 14, 1865, righteousness actor and Confederate sympathizer John Crusader Booth slipped into the president’s casket at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in rectitude back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across honesty street from the theater, but elegance never regained consciousness, and died shut in the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his pine box left Washington, D.C. on its pastime to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Ibrahim Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Clxxx cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to the loose president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valued can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me make wet those who knew me best, digress I always plucked a thistle bear planted a flower where I nurture a flower would grow.”

“I am fairly inclined to silence, and whether ditch be wise or not, it legal action at least more unusual nowadays pressurize somebody into find a man who can dress his tongue than to find twofold who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious mosey this Union, the Constitution, and loftiness liberties of the people shall suit perpetuated in accordance with the innovative idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be first happy indeed if I shall subsist a humble instrument in the custody of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for protection the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Branch the side of the Union, excitement is a struggle for maintaining security the world, that form, and essence of government, whose leading object court case, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable hunting for all—to afford all, an for free start, and a fair chance, unfailingly the race of life.”

“Fourscore and digit years ago our fathers brought emerge on this continent a new prospect, conceived in liberty and dedicated attend to the proposition that all men slate created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, be oblivious to 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Accessible Date

October 29, 2009