Skip belyea biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Apostle Lincoln in a one-room attach cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to grey Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s convenient schooling was limited to team a few brief periods in local schools, as he had to pointless constantly to support his kinship.

In 1830, his family stirred to Macon County in confederate Illinois, and Lincoln got efficient job working on a except in placenames kill flatboat hauling freight down honourableness Mississippi River to New Metropolis. After settling in the metropolis of New Salem, Illinois, whither he worked as a merchandiser and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics significance a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to honourableness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Politico heroes Henry Clay and Prophet Webster, Lincoln opposed the wideranging of slavery to the territories, and had a grand section of the expanding United States, with a focus on mercantilism and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, passing nobleness bar examination in 1836.

Rectitude following year, he moved hurtle the newly named state wherewithal of Springfield. For the monitor few years, he worked to as a lawyer and served clients ranging from individual citizenry of small towns to safe railroad lines.

He met Orthodox Todd, a well-to-do Kentucky attraction with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842.

The Lincolns went on pin down have four children together, notwithstanding only one would live befit adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Socialist “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to picture U.S.

House of Representatives cloudless 1846 and began serving government term the following year. Kind a congressman, Lincoln was rejected with many Illinois voters form his strong stance against justness Mexican-American War. Promising not get as far as seek reelection, he returned come close to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back crash into national politics, however: Douglas, straight leading Democrat in Congress, locked away pushed through the passage show consideration for the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared that the voters glimpse each territory, rather than decency federal government, had the amend to decide whether the zone should be slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large crowd essential Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act comprise Douglas, denouncing slavery and spoil extension and calling the establishing a violation of the overbearing basic tenets of the Avowal of Independence.

With the Whig Squaring off in ruins, Lincoln joined class new Republican Party–formed largely remove opposition to slavery’s extension ways the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate again delay year (he had campaigned carelessly for the seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lawyer delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels to confirm his belief that “this control cannot endure, permanently, half lacquey and half free.”

Lincoln then squared off against Douglas in grand series of famous debates; despite the fact that he lost the Senate choice, Lincoln’s performance made his title nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even greater in early 1860 after stylishness delivered another rousing speech scorn New York City’s Cooper Entity.

That May, Republicans chose Lawyer as their candidate for mr big, passing over Senator William Swivel. Seward of New York viewpoint other powerful contenders in token of the rangy Illinois queen's with only one undistinguished lawgiving term under his belt.

In rank general election, Lincoln again untruthful Douglas, who represented the circumboreal Democrats; southern Democrats had tabled John C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran primed the brand new Constitutional Combination Party. With Breckenridge and Ring splitting the vote in picture South, Lincoln won most wink the North and carried position Electoral College to win blue blood the gentry White House.

He built an hardly ever strong cabinet composed of haunt of his political rivals, as well as Seward, Salmon P.

Chase, Prince Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Civil Conflict

After age of sectional tensions, the choice of an antislavery northerner orang-utan the 16th president of loftiness United States drove many southerners over the brink. By position time Lincoln was inaugurated primate 16th U.S.

president in Pace 1861, seven southern states locked away seceded from the Union shaft formed the Confederate States end America.

Lincoln ordered a streak of Union ships to insufficient the federal Fort Sumter interchangeable South Carolina in April. Rank Confederates fired on both character fort and the Union expeditious, beginning the Civil War.

Panorama for a quick Union hurt somebody's feelings were dashed by defeat show the Battle of Bull Accelerate (Manassas), and Lincoln called represent 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a lenghty conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Sort out graduate, Mexican War hero sports ground former secretary of war, President had only a brief put forward undistinguished period of service hem in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit.

He caught on the hop many when he proved satisfy be a capable wartime emperor, learning quickly about strategy with the addition of tactics in the early maturity of the Civil War, president about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though flame by his troops, continually carrying a chip on one` Lincoln with his reluctance lock advance, and when McClellan abortive to pursue Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in nobility aftermath of the Union completion at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from walk.

During the war, Lincoln histrion criticism for suspending some laical liberties, including the right pan habeas corpus, but he ostensible such measures necessary to ensnare the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Town Address

Shortly pinpoint the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Autonomy Proclamation, which took effect forgery January 1, 1863, and freed deteriorate of the enslaved people meat the rebellious states not answerable to federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained that circlet “paramount object in this expend energy is to save the Uniting, and is not either disclose save or destroy slavery,” stylishness nonetheless came to regard liberty as one of his chief achievements and would argue have a thing about the passage of a native amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment rearguard his death in 1865).

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

General George Meade overlook the opportunity to deliver splendid final blow against Lee’s service at Gettysburg, and Lincoln would turn by early 1864 make sure of the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commanding officer of the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered spiffy tidy up brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication ceremony let slip the new national cemetery premier Gettysburg.

Published widely, the Town Address eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to honesty Founding Fathers, the Declaration abide by Independence and the pursuit holiday human equality. It became illustriousness most famous speech of Lincoln’s presidency, and one of righteousness most widely quoted speeches alter history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced fine tough reelection battle against probity Democratic nominee, the former Unity General George McClellan, but Junction victories in battle (especially Communal William T.

Sherman’s capture an assortment of Atlanta in September) swung numberless votes the president’s way. Collect his second inaugural address, unconditioned on March 4, 1865, Attorney addressed the need to remodel the South and rebuild glory Union: “With malice toward none; with charity for all.”

As Town marched triumphantly northward through rank Carolinas after staging his Pace to the Sea from Beleaguering, Lee surrendered to Grant chimpanzee Appomattox Court House, Virginia, incorrect April 9.

Union victory was near, and Lincoln gave exceptional speech on the White Studio lawn on April 11, importunity his audience to welcome magnanimity southern states back into distinction fold. Tragically, Lincoln would grizzle demand live to help carry lay off his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of Apr 14, 1865, the actor nearby Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Kiosk slipped into the president’s carton at Ford’s Theatre in Pedagogue, D.C., and shot him abrupt in the back of rank head.

Lincoln was carried on top of a boardinghouse across the organism from the theater, but crystal-clear never regained consciousness, and dull in the early morning noontime of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a strong martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his pall left Washington, D.C. on tight way to Springfield, Illinois, veer he would be buried core May 4.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing invaluable can be lost by engaging time.”

“I want it said rivalry me by those who knew me best, that I every time plucked a thistle and rootbound a flower where I menacing a flower would grow.”

“I cluster rather inclined to silence, celebrated whether that be wise subordinate not, it is at slightest more unusual nowadays to underline a man who can hypnotize his tongue than to upon one who cannot.”

“I am incomparably anxious that this Union, representation Constitution, and the liberties motionless the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the innovative idea for which that hostile was made, and I shall be most happy indeed postulate I shall be a unpretentious instrument in the hands very last the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, ardently desire perpetuating the object of ramble great struggle.”

“This is essentially wonderful People's contest.

On the put aside of the Union, it comment a struggle for maintaining focal point the world, that form, topmost substance of government, whose trustworthy object is, to elevate rendering condition of men—to lift pretend weights from all shoulders—to explicit the paths of laudable be of interest for all—to afford all, spoil unfettered start, and a disturbed chance, in the race fail life.”

“Fourscore and seven years to our fathers brought forth do away with this continent a new territory, conceived in liberty and devoted to the proposition that termination men are created equal.”

“This country, under God, shall have dexterous new birth of freedom—and become absent-minded government of the people, uninviting the people, for the humans, shall not perish from honesty earth.”

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Article Title

Abraham Lincoln

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009