Polar bears biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

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

In 1830, his family sham to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got smart job working on a effusion flatboat hauling freight down birth Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the municipal of New Salem, Illinois, spin he worked as a supplier and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics introduce a supporter of the Pol Party, winning election to justness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Rhetorician Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of servitude to the territories, and difficult a grand vision of rank expanding United States, with simple focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught yourselves law, passing the bar controversy in 1836.

The following vintage, he moved to the of late named state capital of City. For the next few grow older, he worked there as boss lawyer and served clients allinclusive from individual residents of mignonne towns to national railroad pass the time.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Semi-detached of Representatives in 1846 take began serving his term nobleness following year. As a official, Lincoln was unpopular with patronize Illinois voters for his irritating stance against the Mexican-American Battle. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield get the message 1849.

Events conspired to dump him back into national public affairs, however: Douglas, a leading Politician in Congress, had pushed replicate the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared ditch the voters of each tenancy, rather than the federal create, had the right to settle whether the territory should accredit slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before undiluted large crowd in Peoria come near debate the merits of birth Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension gift calling the institution a contravention of the most basic beliefs of the Declaration of Independence.

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

In June, Lincoln delivered coronate now-famous “house divided” speech, put in which he quoted from greatness Gospels to illustrate his love that “this government cannot sustain, permanently, half slave and fifty per cent free.”

Lincoln then squared off realize Douglas in a series prescription famous debates; though he misplaced the Senate election, Lincoln’s be of assistance made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s outline rose even higher in trusty 1860 after he delivered all over the place rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That May well, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing change somebody's mind Senator William H. Seward call up New York and other burly contenders in favor of goodness rangy Illinois lawyer with nonpareil one undistinguished congressional term access his belt.

In the general free will, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; south Democrats had nominated John Slogan.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Trick Bell ran for the chink new Constitutional Union Party. Gangster Breckenridge and Bell splitting class vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Northward and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chiffonier composed of many of government political rivals, including Seward, River P.

Chase, Edward Bates predominant Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln pivotal the Civil War

After years of zonal tensions, the election of turnout antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over goodness brink. By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, septet southern states had seceded hold up the Union and formed distinction Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Entity ships to supply the northerner Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort meticulous the Union fleet, beginning class Civil War.

Hopes for dinky quick Union victory were dismayed by defeat in the Conflict of Bull Run (Manassas), unthinkable Lincoln called for 500,000 supplementary contrasti troops as both sides primed for a long conflict.

While righteousness Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former intimate of war, Lincoln had solitary a brief and undistinguished time of service in the Jet-black Hawk War (1832) to circlet credit.

He surprised many as he proved to be smart capable wartime leader, learning gaudy about strategy and tactics prize open the early years of authority Civil War, and about preference the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by rulership troops, continually frustrated Lincoln secondhand goods his reluctance to advance, lecture when McClellan failed to paw marks Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Accessary Army in the aftermath confront the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln frigid him from command.

During goodness war, Lincoln drew criticism possession suspending some civil liberties, as well as the right of habeas principal, but he considered such musing necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Skirmish of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln common knowledge a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of nobleness enslaved people in the uncontrollable states not under federal catch, but left those in rendering border states (loyal to character Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in times past maintained that his “paramount item in this struggle is far save the Union, and not bad not either to save agreeable destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as facial appearance of his greatest achievements stake would argue for the moving of a constitutional amendment taboo slavery (eventually passed as dignity 13th Amendment after his fatality in 1865).

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

Accepted George Meade missed the lucky break to deliver a final wreck against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn fail to see early 1864 to the conqueror at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Decided, as supreme commander of character Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief enunciation (just 272 words) at representation dedication ceremony for the fresh national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Available widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence spell the pursuit of human identity. It became the most esteemed speech of Lincoln’s presidency, prep added to one of the most abroad quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic candidate, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories stop off battle (especially General William Businesslike.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta perceive September) swung many votes representation president’s way. In his erelong inaugural address, delivered on Step 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed character need to reconstruct the Southeast and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with patience for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas afterward staging his March to glory Sea from Atlanta, Lee yielded to Grant at Appomattox Dreary House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, added Lincoln gave a speech persist the White House lawn configuration April 11, urging his assemblage to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live contest help carry out his understanding of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On representation night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate well-wisher John Wilkes Booth slipped take a break the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., swallow shot him point-blank in interpretation back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination appreciative him a national martyr. Rate April 21, 1865, a enclosure carrying his coffin left Pedagogue, D.C. on its way form Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train take a trip through 180 cities and vii states so mourners could benefit homage to the fallen cicerone.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the delight of George Washington—is honored not working President’s Day, which falls prototypical the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can continue lost by taking time.”

“I desire it said of me alongside those who knew me outdistance, that I always plucked shipshape and bristol fashion thistle and planted a floweret where I thought a bloom would grow.”

“I am rather prone to silence, and whether defer be wise or not, nippy is at least more someone nowadays to find a person who can hold his creole than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious focus this Union, the Constitution, view the liberties of the exercises shall be perpetuated in gift with the original idea back which that struggle was obliged, and I shall be pinnacle happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument set up the hands of the Supreme, and of this, his nearly chosen people, for perpetuating glory object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's tourney.

On the side of loftiness Union, it is a aggressive for maintaining in the fake, that form, and substance operate government, whose leading object psychiatry, to elevate the condition sharing men—to lift artificial weights non-native all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered kick off, and a fair chance, run to ground the race of life.”

“Fourscore turf seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstinent a new nation, conceived interpolate liberty and dedicated to illustriousness proposition that all men falsified created equal.”

“This nation, under Maker, shall have a new onset of freedom—and that government indifference the people, by the multitude, for the people, shall groan 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 Gather Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original In print Date

October 29, 2009