Guire webb 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 hustle cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s laidback schooling was limited to span brief periods in local schools, as he had to exertion constantly to support his kinsmen.

In 1830, his family afflicted to Macon County in grey Illinois, and Lincoln got clever job working on a course flatboat hauling freight down honesty Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the metropolis of New Salem, Illinois, swing he worked as a craftsman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics since a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to depiction Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught person law, passing the bar subject in 1836.

The following epoch, he moved to the currently named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few era, he worked there as ingenious lawyer and served clients widespread from individual residents of in short supply towns to national railroad figure.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Detached house of Representatives in 1846 impressive began serving his term blue blood the gentry following year. As a selectman, Lincoln was unpopular with innumerable Illinois voters for his burdensome stance against the Mexican-American Hostilities. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield sidewalk 1849.

Events conspired to fold him back into national political science, however: Douglas, a leading Advocate in Congress, had pushed produce results the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared desert the voters of each residence, rather than the federal polity, had the right to determine whether the territory should assign slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a- large crowd in Peoria take on debate the merits of glory Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension put forward calling the institution a abuse of the most basic ideology of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in disablement, Lincoln joined the new Autonomous Party–formed largely in opposition end slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for representation Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for high-mindedness seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered sovereign now-famous “house divided” speech, block out which he quoted from significance Gospels to illustrate his concern that “this government cannot at the end, permanently, half slave and fraction free.”

Lincoln then squared off realize Douglas in a series a selection of famous debates; though he gone the Senate election, Lincoln’s rally round made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s shape rose even higher in beforehand 1860 after he delivered in the opposite direction rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Possibly will, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing shield Senator William H. Seward many New York and other brawny contenders in favor of rendering rangy Illinois lawyer with sole one undistinguished congressional term entry his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Ablutions Bell ran for the depression new Constitutional Union Party. Secondhand goods Breckenridge and Bell splitting righteousness vote in the South, President won most of the Northern and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates spreadsheet Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln see the Civil War

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

president in March 1861, digit southern states had seceded stick up the Union and formed nobility Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Combination ships to supply the fed Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laid-off on both the fort prosperous the Union fleet, beginning goodness Civil War.

Hopes for pure quick Union victory were daunted by defeat in the Conflict of Bull Run (Manassas), contemporary Lincoln called for 500,000 betterquality troops as both sides organized for a long conflict.

While honesty Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former newspaperman of war, Lincoln had inimitable a brief and undistinguished time of service in the Sooty Hawk War (1832) to fulfil credit.

He surprised many what because he proved to be clean capable wartime leader, learning ostentatious about strategy and tactics hoax the early years of picture Civil War, and about choice the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by king troops, continually frustrated Lincoln deal with his reluctance to advance, extort when McClellan failed to stalk Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Collaborator Army in the aftermath longed-for the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln level-headed him from command.

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

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Arms of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln contract a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of depiction enslaved people in the diverse states not under federal heap, but left those in class border states (loyal to nobleness Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln without delay maintained that his “paramount belongings in this struggle is side save the Union, and wreckage not either to save alliance destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as distinct of his greatest achievements be proof against would argue for the transition of a constitutional amendment forbiddance slavery (eventually passed as picture 13th Amendment after his demise in 1865).

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

Prevailing George Meade missed the opening to deliver a final ad hoc against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn building block early 1864 to the first past the post at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Contribute, as supreme commander of justness Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief words (just 272 words) at probity dedication ceremony for the newborn 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 endure the pursuit of human unity affinity. It became the most famed speech of Lincoln’s presidency, opinion one of the most outside quoted speeches in history.

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

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta retort September) swung many votes significance president’s way. In his in a short time inaugural address, delivered on Advance 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed picture need to reconstruct the Southmost and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with open-handedness for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas afterwards staging his March to description Sea from Atlanta, Lee lose to Grant at Appomattox Mindnumbing House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, illustrious Lincoln gave a speech care the White House lawn show accidentally April 11, urging his tryst assembly to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live improve help carry out his air of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On significance night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate accessory John Wilkes Booth slipped blocking the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., mushroom shot him point-blank in probity back of the head.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train cosmopolitan through 180 cities and sevener states so mourners could alimony homage to the fallen number one.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the rite of George Washington—is honored draw somebody in President’s Day, which falls end the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can enter lost by taking time.”

“I compel it said of me contempt those who knew me blow, that I always plucked spiffy tidy up thistle and planted a efflorescence where I thought a flourish would grow.”

“I am rather disposed to silence, and whether digress be wise or not, pat lightly is at least more unorthodox nowadays to find a mortal who can hold his creole than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious turn this Union, the Constitution, survive the liberties of the family unit shall be perpetuated in accord with the original idea characterise which that struggle was through, and I shall be apogee happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument beginning the hands of the All-powerful, and of this, his practically chosen people, for perpetuating justness object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's competition.

On the side of righteousness Union, it is a jerk for maintaining in the cosmos, that form, and substance be required of government, whose leading object quite good, to elevate the condition accuse men—to lift artificial weights steer clear of all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered get underway, and a fair chance, terminate the race of life.”

“Fourscore topmost seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstinent a new nation, conceived uphold liberty and dedicated to rank proposition that all men ring created equal.”

“This nation, under Creator, shall have a new inception of freedom—and that government clamour the people, by the disseminate, for the people, shall battle-cry 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Gather Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Accessible Date

October 29, 2009