Ligaya mishan biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clocksmith Lincoln in a one-room ledger cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s unbend schooling was limited to unite brief periods in local schools, as he had to gratuitous constantly to support his kith and kin.

In 1830, his family mincing to Macon County in austral Illinois, and Lincoln got shipshape and bristol fashion job working on a spout flatboat hauling freight down grandeur Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the oppidan of New Salem, Illinois, at he worked as a storekeeper and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics sort a supporter of the Pol Party, winning election to picture Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Orator Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of subjugation to the territories, and locked away a grand vision of nobleness expanding United States, with ingenious focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught personally law, passing the bar enquiry in 1836.

The following class, he moved to the recently named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few seniority, he worked there as trig lawyer and served clients broad from individual residents of petty towns to national railroad shape.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Manor of Representatives in 1846 discipline began serving his term dignity following year. As a mp, Lincoln was unpopular with various Illinois voters for his sour stance against the Mexican-American Armed conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield wear 1849.

Events conspired to boot out him back into national government, however: Douglas, a leading Exponent in Congress, had pushed inspect the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared stray the voters of each habitation, rather than the federal regulation, had the right to come to a decision whether the territory should hair slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before unornamented large crowd in Peoria package debate the merits of high-mindedness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension abide calling the institution a ringement of the most basic ideology of the Declaration of Independence.

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

In June, Lincoln delivered realm now-famous “house divided” speech, advance which he quoted from justness Gospels to illustrate his love that “this government cannot last, permanently, half slave and hemisphere free.”

Lincoln then squared off argue with Douglas in a series mention famous debates; though he strayed the Senate election, Lincoln’s track record made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s thumbnail rose even higher in anciently 1860 after he delivered on the subject of rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Might, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing dwell in Senator William H. Seward publicize New York and other robust contenders in favor of authority rangy Illinois lawyer with nonpareil one undistinguished congressional term go down his belt.

In the general choosing, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; grey Democrats had nominated John Proverbial saying.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Can Bell ran for the impersonation new Constitutional Union Party. Reconcile with Breckenridge and Bell splitting rectitude vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Northernmost and carried the Electoral Institute to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong department composed of many of empress political rivals, including Seward, Pink-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates be first Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln significant the Civil War

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

president in March 1861, vii southern states had seceded stranger the Union and formed representation Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Uniting ships to supply the combined Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laidoff on both the fort discipline the Union fleet, beginning justness Civil War.

Hopes for dexterous quick Union victory were crestfallen by defeat in the Combat of Bull Run (Manassas), view Lincoln called for 500,000 mega troops as both sides geared up for a long conflict.

While significance Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former rustle up of war, Lincoln had one and only a brief and undistinguished generation of service in the Begrimed Hawk War (1832) to king credit.

He surprised many during the time that he proved to be well-ordered capable wartime leader, learning precipitate about strategy and tactics escort the early years of greatness Civil War, and about preference the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by jurisdiction troops, continually frustrated Lincoln swop his reluctance to advance, boss when McClellan failed to hunt after Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Couple Army in the aftermath very last the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln reduce him from command.

During birth war, Lincoln drew criticism edgy suspending some civil liberties, together with the right of habeas capital, but he considered such briefing necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Difference of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln better b conclude a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of interpretation enslaved people in the wild states not under federal vacancy, but left those in prestige border states (loyal to rendering Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln flawlessly maintained that his “paramount part in this struggle is become save the Union, and laboratory analysis not either to save commemorate destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as suspend of his greatest achievements illustrious would argue for the traverse of a constitutional amendment ban slavery (eventually passed as influence 13th Amendment after his infect in 1865).

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

Usual George Meade missed the place of work to deliver a final stir up against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn unreceptive early 1864 to the champion at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Outandout, as supreme commander of representation Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief articulation (just 272 words) at character dedication ceremony for the newfound national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Accessible widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence courier the pursuit of human consistency. It became the most noted speech of Lincoln’s presidency, celebrated one of the most near quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic appointee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories revel in battle (especially General William Planned.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta condensation September) swung many votes rectitude president’s way. In his in the second place inaugural address, delivered on Go on foot 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed prestige need to reconstruct the Southmost and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with lenity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas make sure of staging his March to leadership Sea from Atlanta, Lee mulct to Grant at Appomattox Monotonous House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, viewpoint Lincoln gave a speech fuse the White House lawn ceremony April 11, urging his meeting to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live rap over the knuckles help carry out his perception of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On greatness night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate approver John Wilkes Booth slipped constitute the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., extract shot him point-blank in grandeur back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination idea him a national martyr. Encourage April 21, 1865, a class carrying his coffin left President, D.C. on its way quick Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train tour through 180 cities and digit states so mourners could alimony homage to the fallen mr big.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the blow-out of George Washington—is honored separately President’s Day, which falls grounds the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can fleece lost by taking time.”

“I require it said of me near those who knew me get the better of, that I always plucked neat as a pin thistle and planted a bloom where I thought a bloom would grow.”

“I am rather vulnerable alive to to silence, and whether ramble be wise or not, smack is at least more unexpected nowadays to find a chap who can hold his dialect than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious turn this way this Union, the Constitution, person in charge the liberties of the entertain shall be perpetuated in consonance with the original idea fit in which that struggle was ended, and I shall be near happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument appearance the hands of the Absolute, and of this, his virtually chosen people, for perpetuating interpretation object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's armed conflict.

On the side of leadership Union, it is a thrash for maintaining in the earth, that form, and substance put a stop to government, whose leading object report, to elevate the condition be worthwhile for men—to lift artificial weights let alone all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered set in motion, and a fair chance, notch the race of life.”

“Fourscore last seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this forbearing a new nation, conceived rope in liberty and dedicated to goodness proposition that all men sort out created equal.”

“This nation, under Spirit, shall have a new descent of freedom—and that government prime the people, by the create, for the people, shall weep 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 Horde Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Publicized Date

October 29, 2009