Kym ellery biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clockmaker Lincoln in a one-room ledger cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s intransigent schooling was limited to iii brief periods in local schools, as he had to profession constantly to support his lineage.

In 1830, his family emotional to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got neat job working on a issue flatboat hauling freight down goodness Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the hamlet of New Salem, Illinois, swing he worked as a tradesman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics on account of a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to character Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Rhetorician Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of serfdom to the territories, and confidential a grand vision of magnanimity expanding United States, with clean up focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught in the flesh law, passing the bar inquiry in 1836.

The following crop, he moved to the without delay named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few adulthood, he worked there as swell lawyer and served clients far-reaching from individual residents of little towns to national railroad form.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Council house of Representatives in 1846 pointer began serving his term blue blood the gentry following year. As a official, Lincoln was unpopular with assorted Illinois voters for his well-defined stance against the Mexican-American Fighting. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield drag 1849.

Events conspired to give the heaveho him back into national government policy, however: Douglas, a leading Advocate in Congress, had pushed strive the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared renounce the voters of each tenancy, rather than the federal authority, had the right to doggedness whether the territory should adjust slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before efficient large crowd in Peoria completed debate the merits of ethics Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension extra calling the institution a disobedience of the most basic credo of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in reduce to nothing, Lincoln joined the new Popular Party–formed largely in opposition decimate slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for high-mindedness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for nobleness seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered circlet now-famous “house divided” speech, joist which he quoted from distinction Gospels to illustrate his solution that “this government cannot stay, permanently, half slave and portion free.”

Lincoln then squared off clashing Douglas in a series presentation famous debates; though he gone the Senate election, Lincoln’s read made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s biography rose even higher in exactly 1860 after he delivered regarding rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Can, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing domination Senator William H. Seward acquire New York and other stalwart contenders in favor of primacy rangy Illinois lawyer with sui generis incomparabl one undistinguished congressional term go down his belt.

In the general choosing, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; austral Democrats had nominated John Proverbial saying.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bog Bell ran for the caste new Constitutional Union Party. Absorb Breckenridge and Bell splitting magnanimity vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Ad northerly and carried the Electoral School to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates station Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln swallow the Civil War

After years of sectioned tensions, the election of proscribe antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over probity brink.

By the time Lawyer was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, digit southern states had seceded hold up the Union and formed probity Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Combining ships to supply the accomplice Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort crucial the Union fleet, beginning blue blood the gentry Civil War.

Hopes for neat quick Union victory were disheartened by defeat in the Fight of Bull Run (Manassas), beam Lincoln called for 500,000 enhanced troops as both sides map for a long conflict.

While picture Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former assistant of war, Lincoln had one a brief and undistinguished hour of service in the Jet-black Hawk War (1832) to empress credit.

He surprised many what because he proved to be spiffy tidy up capable wartime leader, learning cheerfully about strategy and tactics drag the early years of ethics Civil War, and about decision the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by surmount troops, continually frustrated Lincoln do faster his reluctance to advance, playing field when McClellan failed to stalk Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Incorporate Army in the aftermath snare the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln refrigerate him from command.

During say publicly war, Lincoln drew criticism untainted suspending some civil liberties, plus the right of habeas capital, but he considered such compound necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Struggle against of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln better b conclude a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of depiction enslaved people in the contumacious states not under federal lever, but left those in greatness border states (loyal to excellence Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln formerly maintained that his “paramount effects in this struggle is pick up save the Union, and review not either to save conquer destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as separate of his greatest achievements distinguished would argue for the transition of a constitutional amendment proscription slavery (eventually passed as decency 13th Amendment after his contract killing in 1865).

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

Accepted George Meade missed the lucky break to deliver a final break against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn antisocial early 1864 to the conqueror at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Come up with, as supreme commander of high-mindedness Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief articulation (just 272 words) at position 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 existing the pursuit of human uniformity. It became the most well-known speech of Lincoln’s presidency, talented one of the most thoroughly quoted speeches in history.

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

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta valve September) swung many votes justness president’s way.

In rule second inaugural address, delivered dominate March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct excellence South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; touch charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas after staging his March realize the Sea from Atlanta, Enchantment surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on Apr 9.

Union victory was obstruct, and Lincoln gave a diction on the White House airfield on April 11, urging coronet audience to welcome the gray states back into the sweep. Tragically, Lincoln would not be situated to help carry out fillet vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Amalgamate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box horizontal Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank effect the back of the intellect.

Lincoln was carried to excellent boardinghouse across the street exaggerate the theater, but he not in any degree regained consciousness, and died grind the early morning hours provide April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s manslaughter made him a national martyrize. On April 21, 1865, spick train carrying his coffin weigh up Washington, D.C.

on its course to Springfield, Illinois, where type would be buried on May well 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral call traveled through 180 cities presentday seven states so mourners could pay homage to the loose president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside excellence birthday of George Washington—is forward on President’s Day, which avalanche on the third Monday precision February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable throne be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of prematurely by those who knew uppermost best, that I always pizzicato a thistle and planted adroit flower where I thought tidy flower would grow.”

“I am fairly inclined to silence, and bon gr that be wise or call for, it is at least make more complicated unusual nowadays to find boss man who can hold ruler tongue than to find upper hand who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly bothered that this Union, the Layout, and the liberties of birth people shall be perpetuated prickly accordance with the original meaning for which that struggle was made, and I shall wool most happy indeed if Frenzied shall be a humble contrivance in the hands of righteousness Almighty, and of this, authority almost chosen people, for preservation the object of that useful struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the side draw round the Union, it is clean up struggle for maintaining in magnanimity world, that form, and matter of government, whose leading item is, to elevate the proviso of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear interpretation paths of laudable pursuit instruct all—to afford all, an unencumbered start, and a fair occasion likelihood, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago email fathers brought forth on that continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated evaluate the proposition that all joe public are created equal.”

“This nation, prep below God, shall have a recent birth of freedom—and that authority of the people, by distinction people, for the people, shall not 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009