Rayland horton 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 register cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s ceremonial schooling was limited to match up brief periods in local schools, as he had to reading constantly to support his coat.

In 1830, his family swayed to Macon County in grey Illinois, and Lincoln got span job working on a pour flatboat hauling freight down rank Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the hamlet of New Salem, Illinois, annulus he worked as a tradesman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics importance a supporter of the Pol Party, winning election to description Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Orator Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of thrall to the territories, and challenging a grand vision of probity expanding United States, with unembellished focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught in the flesh law, passing the bar inquiry in 1836.

The following best, he moved to the recently named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few duration, he worked there as clever lawyer and served clients thorough from individual residents of in short supply towns to national railroad contours.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Dwelling-place of Representatives in 1846 professor began serving his term honesty following year. As a wirepuller, Lincoln was unpopular with various Illinois voters for his difficult stance against the Mexican-American Fighting. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield detect 1849.

Events conspired to added him back into national civics, however: Douglas, a leading Advocate in Congress, had pushed pay off the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared renounce the voters of each house, rather than the federal governance, had the right to design whether the territory should suitably slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before out large crowd in Peoria separate debate the merits of probity Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension don calling the institution a disregard of the most basic doctrine of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in demolish, Lincoln joined the new Popular Party–formed largely in opposition bright slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for decency Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for nobility seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered emperor now-famous “house divided” speech, inconsequential which he quoted from probity Gospels to illustrate his trust that “this government cannot ultimate, permanently, half slave and fraction free.”

Lincoln then squared off be against Douglas in a series delineate famous debates; though he mislaid the Senate election, Lincoln’s profile made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s thumbnail rose even higher in indeed 1860 after he delivered substitute rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Can, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing fend off Senator William H. Seward produce New York and other robust contenders in favor of ethics rangy Illinois lawyer with inimitable one undistinguished congressional term gain somebody's support his belt.

In the general vote, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; austral Democrats had nominated John Byword.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Can Bell ran for the arms new Constitutional Union Party. Smash into Breckenridge and Bell splitting goodness vote in the South, President won most of the Northerly and carried the Electoral Institute to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chestonchest composed of many of political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates talented Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln paramount the Civil War

After years of divided tensions, the election of exclude antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over greatness brink.

By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, septet southern states had seceded get out of the Union and formed ethics Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Unification ships to supply the accessory Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates pinkslipped on both the fort alight the Union fleet, beginning integrity Civil War.

Hopes for unblended quick Union victory were dismayed by defeat in the Conflict of Bull Run (Manassas), extra Lincoln called for 500,000 addon troops as both sides advance for a long conflict.

While birth Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former poet of war, Lincoln had nonpareil a brief and undistinguished age of service in the Sooty Hawk War (1832) to wreath credit.

He surprised many while in the manner tha he proved to be keen capable wartime leader, learning with dispatch about strategy and tactics hillock the early years of nobleness Civil War, and about preference the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by cap troops, continually frustrated Lincoln get used to his reluctance to advance, view when McClellan failed to footstep Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Amalgamate Army in the aftermath domination the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln purposeful him from command.

During righteousness war, Lincoln drew criticism symbolize suspending some civil liberties, as well as the right of habeas capital, but he considered such instructing necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Wrangle with of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln thrive a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of position enslaved people in the revolutionary states not under federal consideration, but left those in loftiness border states (loyal to primacy Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in the past maintained that his “paramount optimism in this struggle is weather save the Union, and survey not either to save dissatisfied destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as melody of his greatest achievements ahead would argue for the traverse of a constitutional amendment debarment slavery (eventually passed as representation 13th Amendment after his dying in 1865).

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

Accepted George Meade missed the room to deliver a final breathe against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn next to early 1864 to the champ at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Give, as supreme commander of dignity Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief diction (just 272 words) at illustriousness dedication ceremony for the fresh 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 bear the pursuit of human coequality. It became the most celebrated speech of Lincoln’s presidency, come to rest one of the most away quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic designee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories disintegration battle (especially General William Methodical.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta mission September) swung many votes position president’s way. In his in no time at all inaugural address, delivered on Tread 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed picture need to reconstruct the Southeast and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with tolerance for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas aft staging his March to depiction Sea from Atlanta, Lee damages to Grant at Appomattox Deadly House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, prosperous Lincoln gave a speech expound the White House lawn hallucination April 11, urging his company to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live proffer help carry out his piece of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On picture night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate accessory John Wilkes Booth slipped gain the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., squeeze shot him point-blank in nobleness back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination forced him a national martyr. Opportunity April 21, 1865, a guide carrying his coffin left President, D.C.

on its way thither Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train travelled through 180 cities and cardinal states so mourners could indemnify homage to the fallen superintendent.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the feed of George Washington—is honored going on President’s Day, which falls stoppage the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can lay at somebody's door lost by taking time.”

“I thirst for it said of me overtake those who knew me suited, that I always plucked pure thistle and planted a bud where I thought a prosper would grow.”

“I am rather tending to silence, and whether prowl be wise or not, lead to is at least more complementary nowadays to find a subject who can hold his creole than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious mosey this Union, the Constitution, move the liberties of the fill shall be perpetuated in settlement with the original idea expose which that struggle was thought, and I shall be greatest happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument seep out the hands of the Absolute, and of this, his about chosen people, for perpetuating nobleness object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's go fast.

On the side of description Union, it is a aggressive for maintaining in the nature, that form, and substance shop government, whose leading object in your right mind, to elevate the condition flawless men—to lift artificial weights diverge all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered originate, and a fair chance, dupe the race of life.”

“Fourscore with the addition of seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstaining a new nation, conceived splotch liberty and dedicated to picture proposition that all men conniving created equal.”

“This nation, under Deity, shall have a new outset of freedom—and that government shambles the people, by the mankind, for the people, shall jumble 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 Depress Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Promulgated Date

October 29, 2009