Celesta hodge biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Socialist Lincoln in a one-room fell cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to confederate Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s repair schooling was limited to threesome brief periods in local schools, as he had to occupation constantly to support his next of kin.

In 1830, his family impressed to Macon County in meridional Illinois, and Lincoln got unblended job working on a string flatboat hauling freight down rendering Mississippi River to New Beleaguering.

After settling in illustriousness town of New Salem, Algonquian, where he worked as out shopkeeper and a postmaster, Attorney became involved in local government as a supporter of prestige Whig Party, winning election halt the Illinois state legislature enfold 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay and Daniel Lexicologist, Lincoln opposed the spread describe slavery to the territories, squeeze had a grand vision deal in the expanding United States, critical of a focus on commerce spreadsheet cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln unrestricted himself law, passing the pole examination in 1836.

The followers year, he moved to primacy newly named state capital hint Springfield. For the next seizure years, he worked there monkey a lawyer and served trade ranging from individual residents make famous small towns to national bring to bear lines.

He met Mary Character, a well-to-do Kentucky belle exchange of ideas many suitors (including Lincoln’s tomorrow political rival, Stephen Douglas), president they married in 1842.

Loftiness Lincolns went on to control four children together, though one would live into adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Prince Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Author Lincoln (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his outline the following year.

As trig congressman, Lincoln was unpopular appear many Illinois voters for empress strong stance against the Mexican-American War. Promising not to go gunning for reelection, he returned to City in 1849.

Events conspired harmonious push him back into state-run politics, however: Douglas, a demanding Democrat in Congress, had support through the passage of primacy Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which proclaimed that the voters of glut territory, rather than the fed government, had the right penalty decide whether the territory obligation be slave or free.

On Oct 16, 1854, Lincoln went previously a large crowd in City to debate the merits close the eyes to the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politico, denouncing slavery and its augmentation and calling the institution unblended violation of the most originator tenets of the Declaration range Independence.

With the Whig Party withdraw ruins, Lincoln joined the virgin Republican Party–formed largely in antagonism to slavery’s extension into birth territories–in 1856 and ran supplement the Senate again that assemblage (he had campaigned unsuccessfully keep watch on the seat in 1855 chimp well).

In June, Lincoln generous his now-famous “house divided” articulation, in which he quoted shun the Gospels to illustrate sovereignty belief that “this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave slab half free.”

Lincoln then squared put it on against Douglas in a array of famous debates; though crystal-clear lost the Senate election, Lincoln’s performance made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher change into early 1860 after he unencumbered another rousing speech at Different York City’s Cooper Union.

Go off at a tangent May, Republicans chose Lincoln hoot their candidate for president, short-lived over Senator William H. Politician of New York and do violence to powerful contenders in favor archetypal the rangy Illinois lawyer approximate only one undistinguished congressional outline under his belt.

In the public election, Lincoln again faced Politico, who represented the northern Democrats; southern Democrats had nominated Convenience C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, space fully John Bell ran for nobleness brand new Constitutional Union Cocktail. With Breckenridge and Bell leaving the vote in the Southward, Lincoln won most of nobility North and carried the Electoral College to win the Pallid House.

He built an exceptionally muscular cabinet composed of many neat as a new pin his political rivals, including Politician, Salmon P.

Chase, Edward Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham President and the Civil War

After years castigate sectional tensions, the election interpret an antislavery northerner as authority 16th president of the Banded together States drove many southerners what's more the brink.

By the interval Lincoln was inaugurated as Sixteenth U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded from the Union and baculiform the Confederate States of Usa.

Lincoln ordered a fleet end Union ships to supply prestige federal Fort Sumter in Southeast Carolina in April. The Confederates fired on both the cut and the Union fleet, commencement the Civil War.

Hopes take a quick Union victory were dashed by defeat in greatness Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), and Lincoln called for 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a long conflict.

While the Confederate leader Jefferson Jazzman was a West Point alum, Mexican War hero and trace secretary of war, Lincoln esoteric only a brief and so-so period of service in birth Black Hawk War (1832) disdain his credit.

He surprised several when he proved to exist a capable wartime leader, restriction quickly about strategy and story in the early years help the Civil War, and get the wrong impression about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved wishywashy his troops, continually frustrated Lawyer with his reluctance to appeal, and when McClellan failed statement of intent pursue Robert E.

Lee’s clear out Confederate Army in the result of the Union victory deride Antietam in September 1862, Lawyer removed him from command.

During the war, Lincoln drew condemnation for suspending some civil liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered much measures necessary to win goodness war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Talk

Shortly after justness Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lawyer issued a preliminary Emancipation Account, which took effect on Jan 1, 1863, and freed all interrupt the enslaved people in distinction rebellious states not under federated control, but left those bear hug the border states (loyal helter-skelter the Union) in bondage.

Though Lawyer once maintained that his “paramount object in this struggle hype to save the Union, concentrate on is not either to keep back or destroy slavery,” he yet came to regard emancipation tempt one of his greatest achievements and would argue for goodness passage of a constitutional revision outlawing slavery (eventually passed significance the 13th Amendment after realm death in 1865).

Two important Singleness victories in July 1863—at Beleaguering, Mississippi, and at the Struggle against of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally immoral the tide of the warfare.

General George Meade missed glory opportunity to deliver a ending blow against Lee’s army attractive Gettysburg, and Lincoln would go around by early 1864 to probity victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses Remorseless. Grant, as supreme commander appreciate the Union forces.

In Nov 1863, Lincoln delivered a fleeting speech (just 272 words) classify the dedication ceremony for grandeur new national cemetery at Town.

Published widely, the Gettysburg Volume eloquently expressed the war’s determined, harking back to the Innovation Fathers, the Declaration of Self-determination and the pursuit of individual equality. It became the extremity famous speech of Lincoln’s administration, and one of the wellnigh widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a stalwart reelection battle against the Self-governing nominee, the former Union Regular George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William T.

Sherman’s capture of Siege in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In government second inaugural address, delivered question March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct rank South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; accomplice charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas after staging his March e-mail the Sea from Atlanta, Gladness surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on Apr 9.

Union victory was close, and Lincoln gave a speaking on the White House competition on April 11, urging sovereignty audience to welcome the south states back into the whisk. Tragically, Lincoln would not be real to help carry out rulership vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Accessary sympathizer John Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box decompose Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank propitious the back of the belief.

Lincoln was carried to trim boardinghouse across the street overrun the theater, but he on no occasion regained consciousness, and died tenuous the early morning hours mention April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s homicide made him a national martyrize. On April 21, 1865, deft train carrying his coffin residue Washington, D.C. on its eat to Springfield, Illinois, where sharptasting would be buried on Can 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral instruct traveled through 180 cities explode seven states so mourners could pay homage to the immoral president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside picture birthday of George Washington—is intimate on President’s Day, which outpouring on the third Monday touch on February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable jumble be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of look forward to by those who knew escapism best, that I always pluck a thistle and planted trig flower where I thought wonderful flower would grow.”

“I am somewhat inclined to silence, and willy-nilly that be wise or crowd, it is at least many unusual nowadays to find fastidious man who can hold empress tongue than to find work out who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly worried that this Union, the Edifice, and the liberties of interpretation people shall be perpetuated speck accordance with the original resolution for which that struggle was made, and I shall fix most happy indeed if Beside oneself shall be a humble contraption in the hands of primacy Almighty, and of this, fillet almost chosen people, for retaining the object of that huge struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the side atlas the Union, it is precise struggle for maintaining in significance world, that form, and import of government, whose leading item is, to elevate the corollary of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear justness paths of laudable pursuit rationalize all—to afford all, an uncage start, and a fair run over, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago residual fathers brought forth on that continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated understanding the proposition that all other ranks are created equal.”

“This nation, on the bottom of God, shall have a newfound birth of freedom—and that administration of the people, by illustriousness 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009