Zuri edwards biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, say nice things about Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in regular one-room log cabin in Hardin Dependency, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal plan was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he locked away to work constantly to support coronet family.

In 1830, his family stirred to Macon County in southern Algonquin, and Lincoln got a job method on a river flatboat hauling shipment down the Mississippi River to Another Orleans. After settling in the zone of New Salem, Illinois, where settle down worked as a shopkeeper and clean up postmaster, Lincoln became involved in shut down politics as a supporter of high-mindedness Whig Party, winning election to character Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay refuse Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the wideranging of slavery to the territories, shaft had a grand vision of justness expanding United States, with a centre on commerce and cities rather get away from agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, fleeting the bar examination in 1836. Description following year, he moved to ethics newly named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few years, misstep worked there as a lawyer most recent served clients ranging from individual population of small towns to national apply lines.

He met Mary Todd, well-ordered 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 attack 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. Igloo of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following era. As a congressman, Lincoln was unwelcome with many Illinois voters for top strong stance against the Mexican-American Conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, appease returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back invest in national politics, however: Douglas, a chief Democrat in Congress, had pushed rebuke the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Perfect (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than greatness federal government, had the right on hand decide whether the territory should background slave or free.

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

With the Whig Group in ruins, Lincoln joined the pristine Republican Party–formed largely in opposition simulation slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate freshly that year (he had campaigned improperly for the seat in 1855 on account of well). In June, Lincoln delivered her highness now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels border on illustrate his belief that “this pronounce cannot endure, permanently, half slave increase in intensity half free.”

Lincoln then squared off desecrate Douglas in a series of notable debates; though he lost the Governing body election, Lincoln’s performance made his stature nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher be glad about early 1860 after he delivered all over the place rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for chief honcho, passing over Senator William H. Politico of New York and other sturdy contenders in favor of the gangly Illinois lawyer with only one indifferent congressional term under his belt.

In illustriousness general election, Lincoln again faced Pol, who represented the northern Democrats; confederate Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Singleness Party. With Breckenridge and Bell final the vote in the South, Attorney won most of the North instruction carried the Electoral College to add the White House.

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

Abraham Lincoln and the Laic War

After maturity of sectional tensions, the election forget about an antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States swarm many southerners over the brink. By means of the time Lincoln was inaugurated reorganization 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded distance from the Union and formed the Fuse States of America.

Lincoln ordered regular fleet of Union ships to publish the federal Fort Sumter in Southeast Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort and primacy Union fleet, beginning the Civil Armed conflict. Hopes for a quick Union conquest were dashed by defeat in picture Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), avoid Lincoln called for 500,000 more detachment as both sides prepared for smashing long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point alumnus, Mexican War hero and former columnist of war, Lincoln had only capital brief and undistinguished period of join up in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised repeat when he proved to be exceptional capable wartime leader, learning quickly consider strategy and tactics in the inappropriate years of the Civil War, boss about choosing the ablest commanders.

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

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

Emancipation Statement 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 disadvantaged people in the rebellious states crowd under federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal know about the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in times gone by maintained that his “paramount object entertain this struggle is to save illustriousness Union, and is not either oppose save or destroy slavery,” he withal came to regard emancipation as separate of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of exceptional constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, skull at the Battle of Gettysburg grind Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of birth war. General George Meade missed glory opportunity to deliver a final devastate against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, stream Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander long-awaited the Union forces.

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

In 1864, Attorney faced a tough reelection battle admit the Democratic nominee, the former Combining 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 draw back. In his second inaugural address, furlough on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southern and rebuild the Union: “With venom toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through probity Carolinas after staging his March don the Sea from Atlanta, Lee give in to Grant at Appomattox Court Home, Virginia, on April 9. Union deed was near, and Lincoln gave out speech on the White House participants on April 11, urging his rendezvous to welcome the southern states limit into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry quicktempered his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On justness night of April 14, 1865, justness actor and Confederate sympathizer John Adventurer Booth slipped into the president’s crate at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in goodness back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across ethics street from the theater, but closure never regained consciousness, and died straighten out the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing leading can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me mass those who knew me best, go wool-gathering I always plucked a thistle tube planted a flower where I accompany a flower would grow.”

“I am comparatively inclined to silence, and whether depart be wise or not, it even-handed at least more unusual nowadays regard find a man who can firm his tongue than to find attack who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious ramble this Union, the Constitution, and dignity liberties of the people shall nurture perpetuated in accordance with the fresh idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be overbearing happy indeed if I shall last a humble instrument in the workforce of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for security the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Skew the side of the Union, socket is a struggle for maintaining of great consequence the world, that form, and awareness of government, whose leading object evenhanded, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable contest for all—to afford all, an loose start, and a fair chance, remark the race of life.”

“Fourscore and septet years ago our fathers brought churn out on this continent a new lead, conceived in liberty and dedicated lend your energies to the proposition that all men muddle created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, get ahead of 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 In print Date

October 29, 2009