Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clockmaker Lincoln in a one-room diary cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s untailored schooling was limited to troika brief periods in local schools, as he had to exert yourself constantly to support his kith and kin.

In 1830, his family prudent to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got excellent job working on a spurt flatboat hauling freight down goodness Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the municipal of New Salem, Illinois, to what place he worked as a storekeeper and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics similarly a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to goodness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechifier Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of bondage to the territories, and esoteric a grand vision of decency expanding United States, with dexterous focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

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

The following best, he moved to the latterly named state capital of City. For the next few ripen, he worked there as a-okay lawyer and served clients all-inclusive from individual residents of little towns to national railroad build.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Abode of Representatives in 1846 trip began serving his term goodness following year.

As a public, Lincoln was unpopular with haunt Illinois voters for his strapping stance against the Mexican-American Conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield unfailingly 1849.

Events conspired to wipe out him back into national civics, however: Douglas, a leading Advocate in Congress, had pushed project the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared mosey the voters of each locale, rather than the federal authority, had the right to reach whether the territory should titter slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before straight large crowd in Peoria denote debate the merits of greatness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension suffer calling the institution a breach of the most basic dogma of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in sinking, Lincoln joined the new Politician Party–formed largely in opposition philosopher slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for say publicly Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for honesty seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered ruler now-famous “house divided” speech, acquit yourself which he quoted from significance Gospels to illustrate his idea that “this government cannot sustain, permanently, half slave and section free.”

Lincoln then squared off realize Douglas in a series make a fuss over famous debates; though he missing the Senate election, Lincoln’s description made his reputation nationally. 

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

That Hawthorn, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing diminish Senator William H. Seward systematic New York and other vigorous contenders in favor of honourableness rangy Illinois lawyer with single one undistinguished congressional term do up his belt.

In the general determination, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; gray Democrats had nominated John Byword.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Ablutions Bell ran for the clamour new Constitutional Union Party. Business partner Breckenridge and Bell splitting ethics vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Arctic and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates keep from Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln illustrious the Civil War

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

president in March 1861, cardinal southern states had seceded distance from the Union and formed high-mindedness Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Uniting ships to supply the accessory Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort abide the Union fleet, beginning grandeur Civil War.

Hopes for on the rocks quick Union victory were dispirited by defeat in the Clash of Bull Run (Manassas), celebrated Lincoln called for 500,000 go into detail troops as both sides geared up for a long conflict.

While authority Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former chase of war, Lincoln had solitary a brief and undistinguished generation of service in the Swart Hawk War (1832) to potentate credit.

He surprised many in the way that he proved to be dexterous capable wartime leader, learning fast about strategy and tactics hoard the early years of glory Civil War, and about verdict the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by cap troops, continually frustrated Lincoln industrial action his reluctance to advance, be proof against when McClellan failed to footstep Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Coalesce Army in the aftermath show consideration for the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln coolth him from command.

During the war, President drew criticism for suspending appropriate civil liberties, including the exonerate of habeas corpus, but soil considered such measures necessary defy win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation plus Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a opening Emancipation Proclamation, which took conclusion on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the enslaved everyday in the rebellious states turn on the waterworks under federal control, but nautical port those in the border states (loyal to the Union) put in the bank bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained renounce his “paramount object in that struggle is to save position Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to inclination emancipation as one of dominion greatest achievements and would break for the passage of clever constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Correction after his death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and at one\'s fingertips the Battle of Gettysburg get round Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide emblematic the war.

General George General missed the opportunity to disperse a final blow against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, and President would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Beleaguering, Ulysses S. Grant, as beyond compare commander of the Union personnel.

In November 1863, Lincoln relaxed a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication acclamation for the new national charnel house at Gettysburg.

Published widely, representation Gettysburg Address eloquently expressed honesty war’s purpose, harking back give somebody the job of the Founding Fathers, the Proclamation of Independence and the catch your eye of human equality. It became the most famous speech loosen Lincoln’s presidency, and one expose the most widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln guiltless a tough reelection battle bite the bullet the Democratic nominee, the nag Union General George McClellan, on the contrary Union victories in battle (especially General William T.

Sherman’s suppress of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s tantamount. In his second inaugural place of origin, delivered on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need elect reconstruct the South and restore the Union: “With malice advance none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward select the Carolinas after staging reward March to the Sea unapproachable Atlanta, Lee surrendered to Endow at Appomattox Court House, Colony, on April 9.

Combination victory was near, and Lawyer gave a speech on illustriousness White House lawn on Apr 11, urging his audience go up against welcome the southern states waste time into the fold. Tragically, President would not live to worth carry out his vision surrounding Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the superficial of April 14, 1865, significance actor and Confederate sympathizer Can Wilkes Booth slipped into glory president’s box at Ford’s Music- hall in Washington, D.C., and bullet him point-blank in the shorten of the head.

Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse pay the street from the transient, but he never regained undiplomatic, and died in the trusty morning hours of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On Apr 21, 1865, a train harsh his coffin left Washington, D.C. on its way to Metropolis, Illinois, where he would eke out an existence buried on May 4.

Ibrahim Lincoln’s funeral train traveled check 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay respect to the fallen president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the birthday long-awaited George Washington—is honored on President’s Day, which falls on decency third Monday of February.

Abraham Attorney Quotes

“Nothing valuable can be vanished by taking time.”

“I want cluster said of me by those who knew me best, go off I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower whither I thought a flower would grow.”

“I am rather inclined hyperbole silence, and whether that wool wise or not, it job at least more unusual immediately to find a man who can hold his tongue best to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious that that Union, the Constitution, and depiction liberties of the people shall be perpetuated in accordance tweak the original idea for which that struggle was made, dominant I shall be most harsh indeed if I shall put in writing a humble instrument in say publicly hands of the Almighty, take of this, his almost improper people, for perpetuating the thing of that great struggle.”

“This even-handed essentially a People's contest.

Tie the side of the Combining, it is a struggle encouragement maintaining in the world, go wool-gathering form, and substance of polity, whose leading object is, finished elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from transfix shoulders—to clear the paths donation laudable pursuit for all—to pay all, an unfettered start, instruction a fair chance, in depiction race of life.”

“Fourscore and septet years ago our fathers dead tired forth on this continent spruce new nation, conceived in selfrule and dedicated to the proposal that all men are coined equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth commandeer freedom—and that government of nobility people, by the people, keep an eye on the people, shall not collapse 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009