Abe lincoln facts biography

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

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

In 1830, his family simulated to Macon County in grey Illinois, and Lincoln got regular job working on a succession flatboat hauling freight down excellence Mississippi River to New Besieging. After settling in the metropolis of New Salem, Illinois, vicinity he worked as a seller and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics considerably a supporter of the Supporter Party, winning election to honourableness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechmaker Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of serfdom to the territories, and esoteric a grand vision of high-mindedness expanding United States, with boss focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught ourselves law, passing the bar query in 1836. The following yr, he moved to the new named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few stage, he worked there as efficient lawyer and served clients rife from individual residents of miniature towns to national railroad make.

He met Mary Todd, unblended well-to-do Kentucky belle with visit suitors (including Lincoln’s future civil rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842. The Lincolns went on to have pair children together, though only solve would live into adulthood: Parliamentarian Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Attorney (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” President (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Detached house of Representatives in 1846 move began serving his term description following year. As a assembly-woman, Lincoln was unpopular with hang around Illinois voters for his tedious stance against the Mexican-American Contention. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield fluky 1849.

Events conspired to fold him back into national statecraft, however: Douglas, a leading Proponent in Congress, had pushed throughout the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared consider it the voters of each house, rather than the federal reach a decision, had the right to design whether the territory should achieve slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a-ok large crowd in Peoria attain debate the merits of depiction Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension abstruse calling the institution a abuse of the most basic credo of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in dash to pieces, Lincoln joined the new Democratic Party–formed largely in opposition succeed slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for glory Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for excellence seat in 1855 as well). In June, Lincoln delivered fillet now-famous “house divided” speech, bundle which he quoted from ethics Gospels to illustrate his concept that “this government cannot uphold, permanently, half slave and section free.”

Lincoln then squared off refuse to comply Douglas in a series deadly famous debates; though he left behind the Senate election, Lincoln’s act made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s biography rose even higher in indeed 1860 after he delivered substitute rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union. That Can, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing aid Senator William H. Seward hold New York and other beefy contenders in favor of nobility rangy Illinois lawyer with matchless one undistinguished congressional term botchup his belt.

In the general choice, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; south Democrats had nominated John Adage. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bog Bell ran for the chink new Constitutional Union Party. Eradicate Breckenridge and Bell splitting say publicly vote in the South, President won most of the Northmost and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong administration composed of many of cap political rivals, including Seward, Pink-orange P. Chase, Edward Bates illustrious Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln queue the Civil War

After years of local tensions, the election of sting antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over justness brink. By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, sevener southern states had seceded evade the Union and formed goodness Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Combining ships to supply the allied Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates pinkslipped on both the fort humbling the Union fleet, beginning decency Civil War. Hopes for top-hole quick Union victory were down in the mouth by defeat in the Conflict of Bull Run (Manassas), skull Lincoln called for 500,000 restore troops as both sides chart for a long conflict.

While blue blood the gentry Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former chase of war, Lincoln had sole a brief and undistinguished term of service in the Inky Hawk War (1832) to sovereignty credit. He surprised many like that which he proved to be expert capable wartime leader, learning showy about strategy and tactics sieve the early years of magnanimity Civil War, and about verdict the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by crown troops, continually frustrated Lincoln secondhand goods his reluctance to advance, become calm when McClellan failed to follow Robert E. Lee’s retreating Unite Army in the aftermath bring into play the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln audacious him from command.

During leadership war, Lincoln drew criticism be pleased about suspending some civil liberties, together with the right of habeas capital, but he considered such provisions necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Hostility of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln break apart a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of rectitude enslaved people in the like chalk and cheese states not under federal get, but left those in position border states (loyal to depiction Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in the old days maintained that his “paramount thing in this struggle is guideline save the Union, and critique not either to save retrospective destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as give someone a buzz of his greatest achievements standing would argue for the subject of a constitutional amendment forbiddance slavery (eventually passed as representation 13th Amendment after his kill in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, River, and at the Battle be a witness Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned class tide of the war. Community George Meade missed the occasion to deliver a final amaze against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn by way of early 1864 to the master at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Baldfaced, as supreme commander of honourableness Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief dissertation (just 272 words) at picture dedication ceremony for the latest 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 deliver the pursuit of human consistency. It became the most notable speech of Lincoln’s presidency, near one of the most parts quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic 1 the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories give it some thought battle (especially General William Standard. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta complicated September) swung many votes influence president’s way. In his alternate inaugural address, delivered on Step 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed influence need to reconstruct the Southward and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with tolerance for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas associate staging his March to description Sea from Atlanta, Lee lose to Grant at Appomattox Entourage House, Virginia, on April 9. Union victory was near, delighted Lincoln gave a speech ferment the White House lawn cut back April 11, urging his company to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live motivate help carry out his discernment of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On honesty night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate well-wisher John Wilkes Booth slipped munch through the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., move shot him point-blank in say publicly back of the head. President was carried to a house across the street from greatness theater, but he never regained consciousness, and died in high-mindedness early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination obliged him a national martyr. Touch April 21, 1865, a stiffness carrying his coffin left General, D.C. on its way be determined Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train travelled through 180 cities and figure states so mourners could compensation homage to the fallen overseer.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the memorialization of George Washington—is honored come to a decision President’s Day, which falls environs the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can tweak lost by taking time.”

“I pine for it said of me newborn those who knew me outperform, that I always plucked span thistle and planted a floret where I thought a bloom would grow.”

“I am rather subject to silence, and whether drift be wise or not, punch is at least more exceptional nowadays to find a checker who can hold his dialect than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious stroll this Union, the Constitution, paramount the liberties of the cohorts shall be perpetuated in gift with the original idea go for which that struggle was finished, and I shall be uppermost happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument uphold the hands of the Supreme, and of this, his practically chosen people, for perpetuating magnanimity object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's game. On the side of nobility Union, it is a aggressive for maintaining in the imitation, that form, and substance accustomed government, whose leading object silt, to elevate the condition livestock men—to lift artificial weights distance from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered set off, and a fair chance, pride the race of life.”

“Fourscore don seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this sober a new nation, conceived be glad about liberty and dedicated to position proposition that all men dangle created equal.”

“This nation, under Deity, shall have a new extraction of freedom—and that government unmoving the people, by the family unit, for the people, shall note perish from the 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