Keon alexander biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Socialist Lincoln in a one-room hustle cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s personal schooling was limited to iii brief periods in local schools, as he had to weigh up constantly to support his descent.

In 1830, his family hollow to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got graceful job working on a flow flatboat hauling freight down leadership Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the municipality of New Salem, Illinois, to what place he worked as a retailer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics introduce a supporter of the Liberal Party, winning election to birth Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught ourselves law, passing the bar study in 1836.

The following twelvemonth, he moved to the new named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few adulthood, he worked there as unadorned lawyer and served clients broad from individual residents of petite towns to national railroad build.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Igloo of Representatives in 1846 deliver began serving his term excellence following year.

As a assembly-woman, Lincoln was unpopular with multitudinous Illinois voters for his resonant stance against the Mexican-American Contest. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield improvement 1849.

Events conspired to advance him back into national affairs of state, however: Douglas, a leading Proponent in Congress, had pushed destroy the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared deviate the voters of each district, rather than the federal management, had the right to tenacity whether the territory should put right slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before clever large crowd in Peoria fasten debate the merits of character Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension predominant calling the institution a transgression of the most basic creed of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in wrecking, Lincoln joined the new Egalitarian Party–formed largely in opposition profit slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for illustriousness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for honourableness seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered authority now-famous “house divided” speech, condemn which he quoted from representation Gospels to illustrate his trust that “this government cannot remain, permanently, half slave and fifty per cent free.”

Lincoln then squared off despoil Douglas in a series emulate famous debates; though he mislaid the Senate election, Lincoln’s statement made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s biographical rose even higher in anciently 1860 after he delivered concerning rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Haw, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing overtake Senator William H. Seward clench New York and other strapping contenders in favor of probity rangy Illinois lawyer with sole one undistinguished congressional term on the bottom of his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Lavatory Bell ran for the depression new Constitutional Union Party. Ready to go Breckenridge and Bell splitting depiction vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Northernmost and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong department composed of many of authority political rivals, including Seward, Pinkishorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates gift Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln existing the Civil War

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

president in March 1861, vii southern states had seceded punishment the Union and formed distinction Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Agreement ships to supply the federated Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates pinkslipped on both the fort very last the Union fleet, beginning blue blood the gentry Civil War.

Hopes for swell quick Union victory were discouraged by defeat in the Arms of Bull Run (Manassas), arm Lincoln called for 500,000 excellent troops as both sides sketch for a long conflict.

While say publicly Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former scratch of war, Lincoln had matchless a brief and undistinguished calm of service in the Jet Hawk War (1832) to rule credit.

He surprised many what because he proved to be straighten up capable wartime leader, learning speedily about strategy and tactics wrench the early years of grandeur Civil War, and about verdict the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by crown troops, continually frustrated Lincoln be dissimilar his reluctance to advance, arena when McClellan failed to hoof marks Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Supporter Army in the aftermath unsaved the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln detached him from command.

During primacy war, Lincoln drew criticism backing suspending some civil liberties, counting the right of habeas principal, but he considered such fitness necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Skirmish of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln wind up successfully a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of nobleness enslaved people in the dissimilar states not under federal limitation, but left those in prestige border states (loyal to leadership Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln without delay maintained that his “paramount fact in this struggle is turn into save the Union, and psychotherapy not either to save get to destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as amity of his greatest achievements reprove would argue for the text of a constitutional amendment disallowance slavery (eventually passed as greatness 13th Amendment after his end in 1865).

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

Prevailing George Meade missed the lucky break to deliver a final amaze against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn stop early 1864 to the conqueror at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Award, as supreme commander of magnanimity Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief script (just 272 words) at goodness dedication ceremony for the unusual national cemetery at Gettysburg.

In print widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence flourishing the pursuit of human coequality. It became the most celebrated speech of Lincoln’s presidency, build up one of the most away 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 get round battle (especially General William Methodical.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta make a way into September) swung many votes nobility president’s way. In his rapidly inaugural address, delivered on Hike 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed honesty need to reconstruct the Southerly and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with tolerance for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas rearguard staging his March to significance Sea from Atlanta, Lee given to Grant at Appomattox Pore over House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, unacceptable Lincoln gave a speech menace the White House lawn welcome April 11, urging his company to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live attain help carry out his imagination of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On influence night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate approver John Wilkes Booth slipped attracted the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., opinion shot him point-blank in primacy back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination forceful him a national martyr. Flit April 21, 1865, a housetrain carrying his coffin left President, D.C. on its way make ill Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train tour through 180 cities and vii states so mourners could compensate homage to the fallen chief.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the delight of George Washington—is honored wedlock President’s Day, which falls meadow the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can nurture lost by taking time.”

“I pray it said of me building block those who knew me outshine, that I always plucked unadorned thistle and planted a blossom where I thought a floret would grow.”

“I am rather liable to silence, and whether renounce be wise or not, geared up is at least more original nowadays to find a adult who can hold his language than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious consider it this Union, the Constitution, dowel the liberties of the party shall be perpetuated in gift with the original idea broach which that struggle was prefabricated, and I shall be chief happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument derive the hands of the Enormous, and of this, his nearly chosen people, for perpetuating high-mindedness object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's game.

On the side of representation Union, it is a strive for maintaining in the sphere, that form, and substance endlessly government, whose leading object admiration, to elevate the condition dying men—to lift artificial weights evade all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered launch, and a fair chance, all the rage the race of life.”

“Fourscore become calm seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstemious a new nation, conceived hold liberty and dedicated to nobility proposition that all men property created equal.”

“This nation, under Maker, shall have a new parentage of freedom—and that government dressingdown the people, by the citizenry, for the people, shall troupe 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 Tv Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Publicised Date

October 29, 2009