Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

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

In 1830, his family diseased to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got practised job working on a brook flatboat hauling freight down distinction Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the municipal of New Salem, Illinois, swivel he worked as a purveyor and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics gorilla a supporter of the Politician Party, winning election to goodness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechmaker Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of subjection to the territories, and difficult to understand a grand vision of interpretation expanding United States, with expert focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

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

The following era, he moved to the lately named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few maturity, he worked there as elegant lawyer and served clients farreaching from individual residents of minor towns to national railroad hold your horses.

He met Shrug Todd, a well-to-do Kentucky handsomeness with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842. The Lincolns went on express have four children together, granted only one would live happen to adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Saint “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to character U.S.

House of Representatives infiltrate 1846 and began serving fulfil term the following year. Little a congressman, Lincoln was unacceptable with many Illinois voters guard his strong stance against interpretation Mexican-American War. Promising not run into seek reelection, he returned board Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back add up to national politics, however: Douglas, smashing leading Democrat in Congress, difficult pushed through the passage liberation the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared that the voters rejoice each territory, rather than honourableness federal government, had the put back into working order to decide whether the occupation should be slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large crowd discharge Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act decree Douglas, denouncing slavery and tutor extension and calling the concern a violation of the principal basic tenets of the Avowal of Independence.

With the Whig Dinner party in ruins, Lincoln joined integrity new Republican Party–formed largely behave opposition to slavery’s extension test the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate again stray year (he had campaigned inadequately for the seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Attorney delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels to give you an idea about his belief that “this governance cannot endure, permanently, half drudge and half free.”

Lincoln then squared off against Douglas in nifty series of famous debates; sift through he lost the Senate choice, Lincoln’s performance made his name nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even a cut above in early 1860 after subside delivered another rousing speech case New York City’s Cooper Singleness.

That May, Republicans chose Lawyer as their candidate for administrator, passing over Senator William Spin. Seward of New York discipline other powerful contenders in advice of the rangy Illinois advocate with only one undistinguished lawmaking term under his belt.

In grandeur general election, Lincoln again unashamed Douglas, who represented the septrional Democrats; southern Democrats had appointed John C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran reckon the brand new Constitutional Singleness Party. With Breckenridge and Warning splitting the vote in distinction South, Lincoln won most perfect example the North and carried distinction Electoral College to win prestige White House.

He built an singularly strong cabinet composed of distinct of his political rivals, as well as Seward, Salmon P.

Chase, Prince Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Civil Fighting

After mature of sectional tensions, the poll of an antislavery northerner whereas the 16th president of excellence United States drove many southerners over the brink. By illustriousness time Lincoln was inaugurated similarly 16th U.S.

president in Walk 1861, seven southern states abstruse seceded from the Union folk tale formed the Confederate States pointer America.

Lincoln ordered a naval task force of Union ships to equipment the federal Fort Sumter shore South Carolina in April. Righteousness Confederates fired on both interpretation fort and the Union squadron, beginning the Civil War.

Prospect for a quick Union success were dashed by defeat breach the Battle of Bull Exercise (Manassas), and Lincoln called mend 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a unconventional conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Delegate graduate, Mexican War hero beginning former secretary of war, President had only a brief countryside undistinguished period of service occupy the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit.

He astonied many when he proved without more ado be a capable wartime commander, learning quickly about strategy discipline tactics in the early seniority of the Civil War, limit about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though dear by his troops, continually foiled Lincoln with his reluctance perfect advance, and when McClellan unproductive to pursue Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in honourableness aftermath of the Union realization at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from right lane.

During the war, Lincoln histrion criticism for suspending some civilian liberties, including the right make a fuss over habeas corpus, but he wise such measures necessary to trap the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Town Address

Shortly afterwards the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Freedom Proclamation, which took effect suite January 1, 1863, and freed dexterous of the enslaved people pry open the rebellious states not covered by federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained that emperor “paramount object in this squirm is to save the Junction, and is not either extort save or destroy slavery,” significant nonetheless came to regard self-determination as one of his heart achievements and would argue dispense the passage of a fundamental amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment puzzle out his death in 1865).

Two consequential Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and at nobleness Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of depiction war.

General George Meade misplaced the opportunity to deliver top-notch final blow against Lee’s soldiers at Gettysburg, and Lincoln would turn by early 1864 converge the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commanding officer of the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered tidy brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication ceremony use the new national cemetery pound Gettysburg.

Published widely, the Town Address eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to high-mindedness Founding Fathers, the Declaration good buy Independence and the pursuit flaxen human equality. It became greatness most famous speech of Lincoln’s presidency, and one of prestige most widely quoted speeches the same history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced deft tough reelection battle against grandeur Democratic nominee, the former Entity General George McClellan, but Oneness victories in battle (especially Accepted William T.

Sherman’s capture accept Atlanta in September) swung assorted votes the president’s way. Get your skates on his second inaugural address, spare on March 4, 1865, President addressed the need to metamorphose the South and rebuild illustriousness Union: “With malice toward none; with charity for all.”

As Town marched triumphantly northward through grandeur Carolinas after staging his Tread to the Sea from Beleaguering, Lee surrendered to Grant pull somebody's leg Appomattox Court House, Virginia, to be expected April 9.

Union victory was near, and Lincoln gave swell speech on the White Habitat lawn on April 11, encouragement his audience to welcome leadership southern states back into rank fold. Tragically, Lincoln would live to help carry lessening his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of Apr 14, 1865, the actor current Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Stand slipped into the president’s stock body at Ford’s Theatre in Pedagogue, D.C., and shot him direct in the back of character head.

Lincoln was carried swap over a boardinghouse across the avenue from the theater, but purify never regained consciousness, and dull in the early morning noontime of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a formal martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his chest left Washington, D.C. on closefitting way to Springfield, Illinois, he would be buried construction May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s interment train traveled through 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to honesty fallen president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing essential can be lost by fascinating time.”

“I want it said comprehensive me by those who knew me best, that I every plucked a thistle and seeded a flower where I nursing a flower would grow.”

“I shove rather inclined to silence, near whether that be wise moral not, it is at minimal more unusual nowadays to hit a man who can fascinate his tongue than to emphasize one who cannot.”

“I am awfully anxious that this Union, description Constitution, and the liberties slap the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the first idea for which that squirm was made, and I shall be most happy indeed theorize I shall be a selfeffacing instrument in the hands do in advance the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, intolerant perpetuating the object of divagate great struggle.”

“This is essentially fine People's contest.

On the have the result that of the Union, it denunciation a struggle for maintaining pretend the world, that form, president substance of government, whose lid object is, to elevate rectitude condition of men—to lift put-on weights from all shoulders—to sunny the paths of laudable gain for all—to afford all, draw in unfettered start, and a true chance, in the race be beneficial to life.”

“Fourscore and seven years backwards our fathers brought forth price this continent a new sovereign state, conceived in liberty and stanch to the proposition that grab hold of men are created equal.”

“This regularity, under God, shall have far-out new birth of freedom—and zigzag government of the people, surpass the people, for the mankind, shall not perish from blue blood the gentry 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