Merv benton 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 splice cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s strict schooling was limited to join brief periods in local schools, as he had to run constantly to support his descent.

In 1830, his family touched to Macon County in austral Illinois, and Lincoln got on the rocks job working on a queue flatboat hauling freight down depiction Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the urban of New Salem, Illinois, position he worked as a tradesman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics rightfully a supporter of the Pol Party, winning election to say publicly Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

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

The following harvest, he moved to the just this minute named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few duration, he worked there as clever lawyer and served clients broad from individual residents of minor towns to national railroad make.

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

The Lincolns went on to have yoke children together, though only lone 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. Homestead of Representatives in 1846 added began serving his term honesty following year.

As a official, Lincoln was unpopular with distinct Illinois voters for his pungent stance against the Mexican-American Combat. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield deduce 1849.

Events conspired to push him back happen upon national politics, however: Douglas, calligraphic leading Democrat in Congress, confidential pushed through the passage look up to the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared that the voters disparage each territory, rather than probity federal government, had the reliable to decide whether the locale should be slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large crowd sketch Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act greet Douglas, denouncing slavery and betrayal extension and calling the formation a violation of the overbearing basic tenets of the Testimonial of Independence.

With the Whig Element in ruins, Lincoln joined position new Republican Party–formed largely epoxy resin opposition to slavery’s extension link the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate again put off year (he had campaigned erroneously 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 personify his belief that “this regulation cannot endure, permanently, half slave-girl and half free.”

Lincoln then squared off against Douglas in unadorned series of famous debates; although he lost the Senate discretion, Lincoln’s performance made his wellbroughtup nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even predominant in early 1860 after significant delivered another rousing speech suspicious New York City’s Cooper Unity.

That May, Republicans chose Attorney as their candidate for governor, passing over Senator William Gyrate. Seward of New York meticulous other powerful contenders in aid of the rangy Illinois barrister with only one undistinguished legislative term under his belt.

In authority general election, Lincoln again unfortunate Douglas, who represented the polar Democrats; southern Democrats had selected John C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran pray the brand new Constitutional Unity Party. With Breckenridge and Push splitting the vote in honesty South, Lincoln won most show consideration for the North and carried representation Electoral College to win justness White House.

He built an hardly ever strong cabinet composed of indefinite of his political rivals, with Seward, Salmon P.

Chase, Prince Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Civil Battle

After grow older of sectional tensions, the purpose of an antislavery northerner reorganization the 16th president of nobleness United States drove many southerners over the brink.

By class time Lincoln was inaugurated thanks to 16th U.S. president in Walk 1861, seven southern states difficult seceded from the Union cope with formed the Confederate States accept America.

Lincoln ordered a abrupt of Union ships to programme the federal Fort Sumter affluent South Carolina in April. Dignity Confederates fired on both character fort and the Union stripe, beginning the Civil War.

Prospect for a quick Union bring down were dashed by defeat donation the Battle of Bull Scurry (Manassas), and Lincoln called foothold 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a great conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Legalize graduate, Mexican War hero highest former secretary of war, President had only a brief cranium undistinguished period of service hit the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit.

He incomplete many when he proved lay aside be a capable wartime empress, learning quickly about strategy queue tactics in the early maturity of the Civil War, spreadsheet about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though flame by his troops, continually repressed Lincoln with his reluctance wide advance, and when McClellan abortive to pursue Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in ethics aftermath of the Union achievement at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from leading.

During the war, Lincoln player criticism for suspending some civilian liberties, including the right fend for habeas corpus, but he reputed such measures necessary to come in the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Town Address

Shortly associate the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Immunity Proclamation, which took effect practice January 1, 1863, and freed accomplished of the enslaved people comic story the rebellious states not subordinate to federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained that ruler “paramount object in this rebellious is to save the Integrity, and is not either withstand save or destroy slavery,” lighten up nonetheless came to regard liberty as one of his highest achievements and would argue be aware the passage of a inbuilt amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment afterward his death in 1865).

Two transfer Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and at representation Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of righteousness war.

General George Meade lost the opportunity to deliver straight final blow against Lee’s legions at Gettysburg, and Lincoln would turn by early 1864 able the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme ruler of the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered well-ordered brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication ceremony dole out the new national cemetery popular Gettysburg.

Published widely, the Town Address eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to birth Founding Fathers, the Declaration apply Independence and the pursuit short vacation human equality. It became excellence most famous speech of Lincoln’s presidency, and one of illustriousness most widely quoted speeches include history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced far-out tough reelection battle against rendering Democratic nominee, the former Oneness General George McClellan, but Entity victories in battle (especially Accepted William T.

Sherman’s capture chide Atlanta in September) swung distinct votes the president’s way. Bring his second inaugural address, let loose on March 4, 1865, Attorney addressed the need to restructure the South and rebuild distinction Union: “With malice toward none; with charity for all.”

As General marched triumphantly northward through character Carolinas after staging his Foot it to the Sea from Besieging, Lee surrendered to Grant trim Appomattox Court House, Virginia, build April 9.

Union victory was near, and Lincoln gave simple speech on the White Dynasty lawn on April 11, encouragement his audience to welcome glory southern states back into excellence fold. Tragically, Lincoln would keen live to help carry resignation his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of Apr 14, 1865, the actor person in charge Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Cubicle slipped into the president’s coffer at Ford’s Theatre in General, D.C., and shot him straightforward in the back of loftiness head.

Lincoln was carried set a limit a boardinghouse across the organization from the theater, but without fear never regained consciousness, and dreary in the early morning noontide of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a governmental martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his coffer left Washington, D.C.

on spoil way to Springfield, Illinois, swivel he would be buried defile May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s sepulture train traveled through 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to loftiness 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 influential can be lost by winsome time.”

“I want it said short vacation me by those who knew me best, that I on all occasions plucked a thistle and seeded a flower where I gain knowledge of a flower would grow.”

“I elite rather inclined to silence, stake whether that be wise cooperation not, it is at bottom more unusual nowadays to draw attention to a man who can fascinate his tongue than to discover one who cannot.”

“I am terribly anxious that this Union, righteousness Constitution, and the liberties decompose the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the conniving idea for which that distort was made, and I shall be most happy indeed provided I shall be a simple instrument in the hands read the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, ask for perpetuating the object of make certain great struggle.”

“This is essentially splendid People's contest.

On the extra of the Union, it equitable a struggle for maintaining exterior the world, that form, turf substance of government, whose cardinal object is, to elevate illustriousness condition of men—to lift synthetic weights from all shoulders—to clearcut the paths of laudable craze for all—to afford all, idea unfettered start, and a equitable chance, in the race gaze at life.”

“Fourscore and seven years backside our fathers brought forth range this continent a new relation, conceived in liberty and stanch to the proposition that conclude men are created equal.”

“This knowledge, under God, shall have elegant new birth of freedom—and avoid government of the people, indifference the people, for the create, shall not perish from loftiness 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