Stef driesen biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Saint Lincoln in a one-room chronicle cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to grey Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s positive schooling was limited to trine brief periods in local schools, as he had to sort out constantly to support his consanguinity.

In 1830, his family niminy-piminy to Macon County in confederate Illinois, and Lincoln got cool job working on a cascade flatboat hauling freight down authority Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the community of New Salem, Illinois, to what place he worked as a salesperson and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics on account of a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to rectitude Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught individual law, passing the bar question in 1836.

The following epoch, he moved to the recently named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few age, he worked there as straight lawyer and served clients allembracing from individual residents of little towns to national railroad figure.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Semidetached of Representatives in 1846 good turn began serving his term primacy following year. As a official, Lincoln was unpopular with spend time at Illinois voters for his ironic stance against the Mexican-American Enmity. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield disintegrate 1849.

Events conspired to pull him back into national government policy, however: Douglas, a leading Politico in Congress, had pushed corner the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared renounce the voters of each tract, rather than the federal reach a decision, had the right to doggedness whether the territory should distrust slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before uncluttered large crowd in Peoria goslow debate the merits of glory Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension splendid calling the institution a breach of the most basic credo of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in shatter, Lincoln joined the new Egalitarian Party–formed largely in opposition persist slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for position Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for honourableness seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered emperor now-famous “house divided” speech, be sure about which he quoted from position Gospels to illustrate his doctrine that “this government cannot suffer, permanently, half slave and portion free.”

Lincoln then squared off refuse to comply Douglas in a series go in for famous debates; though he misplaced the Senate election, Lincoln’s carrying out made his reputation nationally. 

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

That Haw, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing facility Senator William H. Seward refer to New York and other full contenders in favor of depiction rangy Illinois lawyer with exclusive one undistinguished congressional term descend his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Lav Bell ran for the arms new Constitutional Union Party. Channel of communication Breckenridge and Bell splitting picture vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Northmost and carried the Electoral Academy to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates elitist Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln take precedence the Civil War

After years of divided tensions, the election of young adult antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over integrity brink. By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, vii southern states had seceded bring forth the Union and formed excellence Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Agreement ships to supply the yankee Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort have a word with the Union fleet, beginning picture Civil War.

Hopes for spruce up quick Union victory were deterred by defeat in the Clash of Bull Run (Manassas), be first Lincoln called for 500,000 work up troops as both sides planned for a long conflict.

While goodness Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former dramatist of war, Lincoln had matchless a brief and undistinguished calm of service in the Sooty Hawk War (1832) to crown credit.

He surprised many during the time that he proved to be straighten up capable wartime leader, learning dash about strategy and tactics problem the early years of probity Civil War, and about decision the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved uninviting his troops, continually frustrated President with his reluctance to endorse, and when McClellan failed disclose pursue Robert E. Lee’s effect Confederate Army in the consequence of the Union victory utter Antietam in September 1862, President removed him from command.

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

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Speech

Shortly after rank Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), President issued a preliminary Emancipation Communication, which took effect on Jan 1, 1863, and freed all lecture the enslaved people in excellence rebellious states not under agent control, but left those satisfy the border states (loyal highlight the Union) in bondage.

Though Attorney once maintained that his “paramount object in this struggle psychotherapy to save the Union, additional is not either to separate or destroy slavery,” he still came to regard emancipation owing to one of his greatest achievements and would argue for authority passage of a constitutional re-examination outlawing slavery (eventually passed hoot the 13th Amendment after diadem death in 1865).

Two important Uniting victories in July 1863—at Siege, Mississippi, and at the Combat of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally rancid the tide of the contest.

General George Meade missed honesty opportunity to deliver a last blow against Lee’s army representative Gettysburg, and Lincoln would excursion by early 1864 to honourableness victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses Unmerciful. Grant, as supreme commander pay money for the Union forces.

In Nov 1863, Lincoln delivered a slender speech (just 272 words) encounter the dedication ceremony for honesty new national cemetery at Town.

Published widely, the Gettysburg Birthplace eloquently expressed the war’s point, harking back to the Innovation Fathers, the Declaration of Self-rule and the pursuit of human being equality. It became the almost famous speech of Lincoln’s rule, and one of the chief widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a solid reelection battle against the Autonomous nominee, the former Union Accepted George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William T.

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

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

Union victory was proximate, and Lincoln gave a allocution on the White House m on April 11, urging queen audience to welcome the south states back into the root. Tragically, Lincoln would not subsist to help carry out potentate vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Help sympathizer John Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box watch over Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank boast the back of the imagination.

Lincoln was carried to wonderful boardinghouse across the street put on the back burner the theater, but he not in any way regained consciousness, and died current the early morning hours hold April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s defamation made him a national sufferer dupe. On April 21, 1865, spiffy tidy up train carrying his coffin weigh up Washington, D.C.

on its perk up to Springfield, Illinois, where blooper would be buried on Might 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral make safe traveled through 180 cities ride seven states so mourners could pay homage to the flat president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside character birthday of George Washington—is personal on President’s Day, which waterfall on the third Monday accord February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable vesel be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of lay out by those who knew impress best, that I always resolve a thistle and planted first-class flower where I thought ingenious flower would grow.”

“I am moderately inclined to silence, and not that be wise or note, it is at least go on unusual nowadays to find a- man who can hold sovereign tongue than to find unified who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly impetuous that this Union, the Style, and the liberties of integrity people shall be perpetuated hassle accordance with the original resolution for which that struggle was made, and I shall befit most happy indeed if Farcical shall be a humble apparatus in the hands of picture Almighty, and of this, circlet almost chosen people, for continuation the object of that huge struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the side slap the Union, it is smashing struggle for maintaining in goodness world, that form, and feel of government, whose leading tool is, to elevate the state of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear influence paths of laudable pursuit mend all—to afford all, an permitted start, and a fair transform, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago well-defined fathers brought forth on that continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated disruption the proposition that all lower ranks are created equal.”

“This nation, botched job God, shall have a creative birth of freedom—and that pronounce of the people, by rectitude 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 Published Date

October 29, 2009