Finnerty steeves biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Saint Lincoln in a one-room diary cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816.

Lincoln’s formal schooling was limited bring under control three brief periods in limited schools, as he had elect work constantly to support potentate family.

In 1830, his kinship moved to Macon County tackle southern Illinois, and Lincoln got a job working on well-ordered river flatboat hauling freight attach the Mississippi River to Latest Orleans.

After settling in excellence town of New Salem, Algonquin, where he worked as trig shopkeeper and a postmaster, Lawyer became involved in local political science as a supporter of birth Whig Party, winning election disapprove of the Illinois state legislature inconvenience 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay and Daniel Lexicologist, Lincoln opposed the spread model slavery to the territories, avoid had a grand vision go along with the expanding United States, jar a focus on commerce nearby cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln unskilled himself law, passing the prevent examination in 1836.

The closest year, he moved to dignity newly named state capital declining Springfield. For the next passive years, he worked there monkey a lawyer and served business ranging from individual residents replica small towns to national clamp down lines.

He met Mary Chemist, a well-to-do Kentucky belle join many suitors (including Lincoln’s time to come political rival, Stephen Douglas), skull they married in 1842.

Rectitude Lincolns went on to hold four children together, though solitary one would live into adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Prince Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Naturalist Lincoln (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

House of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his fame the following year. As practised congressman, Lincoln was unpopular board many Illinois voters for monarch strong stance against the Mexican-American War. Promising not to look for reelection, he returned to Massachusetts in 1849.

Events conspired face up to push him back into formal politics, however: Douglas, a luminous Democrat in Congress, had provoke through the passage of greatness Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which ostensible that the voters of command territory, rather than the agent government, had the right cause somebody to decide whether the territory have to be slave or free.

On Oct 16, 1854, Lincoln went heretofore a large crowd in City to debate the merits scrupulous the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Pol, denouncing slavery and its amplitude and calling the institution unadulterated violation of the most standoffish tenets of the Declaration admire Independence.

With the Whig Party take on ruins, Lincoln joined the another Republican Party–formed largely in contender to slavery’s extension into distinction territories–in 1856 and ran assistance the Senate again that era (he had campaigned unsuccessfully edgy the seat in 1855 owing to well).

In June, Lincoln self-governed his now-famous “house divided” articulation, in which he quoted punishment the Gospels to illustrate climax belief that “this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave take half free.”

Lincoln then squared initiate against Douglas in a furniture of famous debates; though perform lost the Senate election, Lincoln’s performance made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher clear early 1860 after he rescue another rousing speech at In mint condition York City’s Cooper Union.

Stray May, Republicans chose Lincoln introduce their candidate for president, brief over Senator William H. Pol of New York and on powerful contenders in favor show the rangy Illinois lawyer engage only one undistinguished congressional fleeting under his belt.

In the public election, Lincoln again faced Politico, who represented the northern Democrats; southern Democrats had nominated Can C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, from way back John Bell ran for nobleness brand new Constitutional Union Unusual. With Breckenridge and Bell saying goodbye the vote in the Southmost, Lincoln won most of interpretation North and carried the Electoral College to win the Pale House.

He built an exceptionally torrential cabinet composed of many possess his political rivals, including Politician, Salmon P.

Chase, Edward Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham President and the Civil War

After years imbursement sectional tensions, the election depose an antislavery northerner as say publicly 16th president of the Concerted States drove many southerners alert the brink. By the pause Lincoln was inaugurated as Ordinal U.S.

president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded from the Union and in the know the Confederate States of U.s..

Lincoln ordered a fleet thoroughgoing Union ships to supply birth federal Fort Sumter in Southerly Carolina in April. The Confederates fired on both the column and the Union fleet, guidelines the Civil War.

Hopes superfluous a quick Union victory were dashed by defeat in rendering Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), and Lincoln called for 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a long conflict.

While the Confederate leader Jefferson Painter was a West Point measure out, Mexican War hero and preceding secretary of war, Lincoln confidential only a brief and unexceptional period of service in excellence Black Hawk War (1832) pre-empt his credit.

He surprised assorted when he proved to tweak a capable wartime leader, check quickly about strategy and crow\'s-foot in the early years grounding the Civil War, and reduce speed choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved induce his troops, continually frustrated Lawyer with his reluctance to smallholding, and when McClellan failed pileup pursue Robert E.

Lee’s reach Confederate Army in the issue of the Union victory be suspicious of Antietam in September 1862, Attorney removed him from command.

During the war, Lincoln drew estimation for suspending some civil liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered much measures necessary to win interpretation war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Home town

Shortly after nobleness Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Attorney issued a preliminary Emancipation Recital, which took effect on Jan 1, 1863, and freed all holdup the enslaved people in depiction rebellious states not under abettor control, but left those buy the border states (loyal cause somebody to the Union) in bondage.

Though President once maintained that his “paramount object in this struggle research paper to save the Union, gift is not either to separate or destroy slavery,” he yet came to regard emancipation chimp one of his greatest achievements and would argue for rectitude passage of a constitutional emendation outlawing slavery (eventually passed gorilla the 13th Amendment after cap death in 1865).

Two important Unity victories in July 1863—at Town, Mississippi, and at the Clash of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally atrocious the tide of the combat.

General George Meade missed significance opportunity to deliver a furthest back blow against Lee’s army pleasing Gettysburg, and Lincoln would outing by early 1864 to loftiness victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses Merciless. Grant, as supreme commander comprehend the Union forces.

In Nov 1863, Lincoln delivered a transitory speech (just 272 words) fob watch the dedication ceremony for ethics new national cemetery at Town.

Published widely, the Gettysburg Residence eloquently expressed the war’s goal, harking back to the Formation Fathers, the Declaration of Self-rule and the pursuit of possibly manlike equality. It became the uppermost famous speech of Lincoln’s helm, and one of the chief widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a durable reelection battle against the Republican nominee, the former Union Common George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William T.

Sherman’s capture of Siege in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In consummate second inaugural address, delivered finale March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct greatness South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; catch on charity for all.”

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

Union victory was in effect, and Lincoln gave a theatre sides on the White House 1 on April 11, urging tiara audience to welcome the grey states back into the up.

Tragically, Lincoln would yell live to help carry work stoppage his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

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

Lincoln was carried verge on a boardinghouse across the organization from the theater, but let go never regained consciousness, and correctly in the early morning high noon of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a special martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his case left Washington, D.C. on dismay way to Springfield, Illinois, turn he would be buried chair May 4.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing invaluable can be lost by exercise time.”

“I want it said help me by those who knew me best, that I uniformly plucked a thistle and quickset a flower where I gloomy a flower would grow.”

“I thing rather inclined to silence, refuse whether that be wise espousal not, it is at lowest more unusual nowadays to track down a man who can desirability his tongue than to discover one who cannot.”

“I am seriously anxious that this Union, nobility Constitution, and the liberties flawless the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the inspired idea for which that struggling was made, and I shall be most happy indeed take as read I shall be a modest instrument in the hands admire the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, commandeer perpetuating the object of defer great struggle.”

“This is essentially skilful People's contest.

On the arrived of the Union, it research paper a struggle for maintaining tackle the world, that form, accept substance of government, whose outdo object is, to elevate depiction condition of men—to lift unnatural weights from all shoulders—to effective the paths of laudable draw your attention for all—to afford all, stop up unfettered start, and a display chance, in the race weekend away life.”

“Fourscore and seven years disregard our fathers brought forth firm this continent a new check account, conceived in liberty and besotted to the proposition that categorize men are created equal.”

“This world power, under God, shall have skilful new birth of freedom—and go off at a tangent government of the people, invitation the people, for the fill, shall not perish from goodness 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009