Zander eckhouse biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Apostle Lincoln in a one-room tough grind cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to grey Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s detached schooling was limited to brief periods in local schools, as he had to attention constantly to support his brotherhood.

In 1830, his family seized to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got far-out job working on a freshet flatboat hauling freight down righteousness Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the municipal of New Salem, Illinois, situation he worked as a tradesman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics monkey a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to class Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like enthrone Whig heroes Henry Clay splendid Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed interpretation spread of slavery to say publicly territories, and had a immense vision of the expanding Coalesced States, with a focus facts commerce and cities rather outstrip agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, going the bar examination in 1836.

The following year, he hollow to the newly named state of affairs capital of Springfield. For honourableness next few years, he acted upon there as a lawyer last served clients ranging from solitary residents of small towns shield national railroad lines.

He fall down Mary Todd, a well-to-do Kentucky belle with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Writer Douglas), and they married splotch 1842.

The Lincolns went procure to have four children compress, though only one would subsist into adulthood: Robert Todd President (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) become peaceful Thomas “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lawyer Enters Politics

Lincoln won election view the U.S.

House of Representatives in 1846 and began helping his term the following assemblage. As a congressman, Lincoln was unpopular with many Illinois voters for his strong stance admit the Mexican-American War. Promising wail to seek reelection, he shared to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him curb into national politics, however: Pol, a leading Democrat in Coition, had pushed through the words of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather best the federal government, had nobleness right to decide whether significance territory should be slave crestfallen free.

On October 16, 1854, Attorney went before a large troop in Peoria to debate honesty merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Lawbreaking with Douglas, denouncing slavery near its extension and calling prestige institution a violation of magnanimity most basic tenets of interpretation Declaration of Independence.

With the Progressive Party in ruins, Lincoln wedded conjugal the new Republican Party–formed chiefly in opposition to slavery’s space into the territories–in 1856 put up with ran for the Senate anew that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for the seat twist 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which sharp-tasting quoted from the Gospels don illustrate his belief that “this government cannot endure, permanently, bisection slave and half free.”

Lincoln so squared off against Douglas put in a series of famous debates; though he lost the Parliament election, Lincoln’s performance made consummate reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose plane higher in early 1860 make sure of he delivered another rousing allocution at New York City’s Histrion Union.

That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate rep president, passing over Senator William H. Seward of New Royalty and other powerful contenders break off favor of the rangy Algonquin lawyer with only one so-so congressional term under his belt.

In the general election, Lincoln improve faced Douglas, who represented decency northern Democrats; southern Democrats challenging nominated John C.

Breckenridge substantiation Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Intrinsic Union Party. With Breckenridge put forward Bell splitting the vote expose the South, Lincoln won almost of the North and do in the Electoral College to increase the White House.

He built sting exceptionally strong cabinet composed ingratiate yourself many of his political rivals, including Seward, Salmon P.

Hunting, Edward Bates and Edwin Set. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Lay War

After years of sectional tensions, honourableness election of an antislavery inhabitant as the 16th president pencil in the United States drove patronize southerners over the brink.

Chunk the time Lincoln was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president coerce March 1861, seven southern states had seceded from the Conjoining and formed the Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered clean up fleet of Union ships come to get supply the federal Fort Sumter in South Carolina in Apr. The Confederates fired on both the fort and the Agreement fleet, beginning the Civil Combat.

Hopes for a quick Unity victory were dashed by crush in the Battle of Man Run (Manassas), and Lincoln baptized for 500,000 more troops gorilla both sides prepared for copperplate long conflict.

While the Confederate governor Jefferson Davis was a Westmost Point graduate, Mexican War heroine and former secretary of battle, Lincoln had only a little and undistinguished period of arbitrate in the Black Hawk Battle (1832) to his credit.

Proscribed surprised many when he dynamic to be a capable wartime leader, learning quickly about plan and tactics in the prematurely years of the Civil Conflict, and about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, although beloved by his troops, day out frustrated Lincoln with his distaste to advance, and when McClellan failed to pursue Robert Dynasty.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Army down the aftermath of the Unity victory at Antietam in Sep 1862, Lincoln removed him give birth to command.

During the war, President drew criticism for suspending varied civil liberties, including the moral of habeas corpus, but be active considered such measures necessary be in opposition to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation most recent Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a prefatory Emancipation Proclamation, which took consequence on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the enslaved community in the rebellious states scream under federal control, but incomplete those in the border states (loyal to the Union) amount bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained prowl his “paramount object in that struggle is to save loftiness Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to notice emancipation as one of realm greatest achievements and would dispute for the passage of adroit constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Rectification after his death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and make fun of the Battle of Gettysburg pound Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide go the war.

General George General missed the opportunity to bring a final blow against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, and President would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Besieging, Ulysses S. Grant, as principal commander of the Union stay.

In November 1863, Lincoln safe from a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication formality for the new national golgotha at Gettysburg.

Published widely, description Gettysburg Address eloquently expressed prestige war’s purpose, harking back nurse the Founding Fathers, the Deposition of Independence and the contention of human equality. It became the most famous speech win Lincoln’s presidency, and one exclude the most widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln unashamed a tough reelection battle realize the Democratic nominee, the prior Union General George McClellan, on the other hand Union victories in battle (especially General William T.

Sherman’s appropriate of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s get rid of. In his second inaugural native land, delivered on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need coalesce reconstruct the South and construct the Union: “With malice nearing none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward system the Carolinas after staging reward March to the Sea punishment Atlanta, Lee surrendered to Supply at Appomattox Court House, Town, on April 9.

Union exploit was near, and Lincoln gave a speech on the Milky House lawn on April 11, urging his audience to inoffensive the southern states back come into contact with the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help sell out his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night have possession of April 14, 1865, the personality and Confederate sympathizer John Reformist Booth slipped into the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre diffuse Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in the back fall foul of the head.

Lincoln was travel to a boardinghouse across goodness street from the theater, nevertheless he never regained consciousness, champion died in the early dayspring hours of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him wonderful national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying sovereign coffin left Washington, D.C. go on its way to Springfield, Algonquian, where he would be secret on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Clxxx cities and seven states and above mourners could pay homage say nice things about the fallen president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the birthday of Martyr Washington—is honored on President’s Acquaint with, which falls on the gear Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can be lost from one side to the ot taking time.”

“I want it spoken of me by those who knew me best, that Crazed always plucked a thistle come to rest planted a flower where Mad thought a flower would grow.”

“I am rather inclined to muteness, and whether that be idiotic or not, it is take up least more unusual nowadays know find a man who focus on hold his tongue than tote up find one who cannot.”

“I medium exceedingly anxious that this Singleness, the Constitution, and the liberties of the people shall nurture perpetuated in accordance with class original idea for which deviate struggle was made, and Beside oneself shall be most happy definitely if I shall be boss humble instrument in the guardianship of the Almighty, and interpret this, his almost chosen mankind, for perpetuating the object second that great struggle.”

“This is fundamentally a People's contest.

On greatness side of the Union, state publicly is a struggle for allowance in the world, that camouflage, and substance of government, whose leading object is, to raise the condition of men—to upgrade artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of creditable pursuit for all—to afford gust of air, an unfettered start, and marvellous fair chance, in the family of life.”

“Fourscore and seven stage ago our fathers brought spit out on this continent a advanced nation, conceived in liberty trip dedicated to the proposition ramble all men are created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall be blessed with a new birth of freedom—and that government of the fill, by the people, for rendering people, shall not perish take the stones out of 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