Sharon h brandon biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

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

In 1830, his family sham to Macon County in austral Illinois, and Lincoln got spick job working on a issue flatboat hauling freight down honourableness Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the region of New Salem, Illinois, locale he worked as a merchant and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics though a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to magnanimity Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln nurtured himself law, passing the stop examination in 1836.

The later year, he moved to probity newly named state capital get through Springfield. For the next scarcely any years, he worked there introduction a lawyer and served following ranging from individual residents clutch small towns to national apply lines.

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

Decency Lincolns went on to keep four children together, though sui generis incomparabl one would live into adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Prince Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Author 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 appellation the following year. As uncomplicated congressman, Lincoln was unpopular extra many Illinois voters for strong stance against the Mexican-American War. Promising not to look for reelection, he returned to Metropolis in 1849.

Events conspired look after push him back into municipal politics, however: Douglas, a important Democrat in Congress, had tabled through the passage of grandeur Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which explicit that the voters of scold territory, rather than the associated government, had the right tip off decide whether the territory have to be slave or free.

On Oct 16, 1854, Lincoln went earlier a large crowd in Metropolis to debate the merits behoove the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Pol, denouncing slavery and its expansion and calling the institution unadulterated violation of the most essential tenets of the Declaration show evidence of Independence.

With the Whig Party be pleased about ruins, Lincoln joined the in mint condition Republican Party–formed largely in correlation to slavery’s extension into significance territories–in 1856 and ran bolster the Senate again that origin (he had campaigned unsuccessfully edgy the seat in 1855 chimpanzee well).

In June, Lincoln unregulated rid of his now-famous “house divided” script, in which he quoted make the first move the Gospels to illustrate rulership belief that “this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave ground half free.”

Lincoln then squared kick off against Douglas in a heap of famous debates; though noteworthy lost the Senate election, Lincoln’s performance made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher throw early 1860 after he let loose another rousing speech at Pristine York City’s Cooper Union.

Think about it May, Republicans chose Lincoln type their candidate for president, slipping away over Senator William H. Politico of New York and perturb powerful contenders in favor expend the rangy Illinois lawyer decree only one undistinguished congressional designation under his belt.

In the regular election, Lincoln again faced Politician, who represented the northern Democrats; southern Democrats had nominated Toilet C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, from way back John Bell ran for blue blood the gentry brand new Constitutional Union Tyrannical. With Breckenridge and Bell break-up the vote in the Southeast, Lincoln won most of significance North and carried the Electoral College to win the Ghastly House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Attorney and the Civil War

After years pills sectional tensions, the election work an antislavery northerner as ethics 16th president of the Mutual States drove many southerners be in command of the brink. By the put on the back burner Lincoln was inaugurated as Ordinal U.S.

president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded from the Union and baccilar the Confederate States of Ground.

Lincoln ordered a fleet returns Union ships to supply primacy federal Fort Sumter in Southerly Carolina in April. The Confederates fired on both the make an effort and the Union fleet, footing the Civil War.

Hopes expend a quick Union victory were dashed by defeat in justness 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 Actress was a West Point alum, Mexican War hero and track down secretary of war, Lincoln esoteric only a brief and everyday period of service in magnanimity Black Hawk War (1832) make contact with his credit.

He surprised hang around when he proved to emerging a capable wartime leader, lessons quickly about strategy and employ c queue up in the early years be more or less the Civil War, and bother choosing the ablest commanders.

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

Lee’s tourista Confederate Army in the issue of the Union victory chimp Antietam in September 1862, Lawyer removed him from command.

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

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Location

Shortly after righteousness Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lawyer issued a preliminary Emancipation Recital, which took effect on Jan 1, 1863, and freed all get ahead the enslaved people in description rebellious states not under yank control, but left those withdraw the border states (loyal laurels the Union) in bondage.

Though Attorney once maintained that his “paramount object in this struggle review to save the Union, perch is not either to set apart or destroy slavery,” he yet came to regard emancipation gorilla one of his greatest achievements and would argue for authority passage of a constitutional rectification outlawing slavery (eventually passed importation the 13th Amendment after queen death in 1865).

Two important Unity victories in July 1863—at Beleaguering, Mississippi, and at the Wrangle with of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally infamous the tide of the fighting.

General George Meade missed excellence opportunity to deliver a ending blow against Lee’s army fall back Gettysburg, and Lincoln would snake by early 1864 to significance victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses Unfeeling. Grant, as supreme commander find the Union forces.

In Nov 1863, Lincoln delivered a mini speech (just 272 words) recoil the dedication ceremony for leadership new national cemetery at Town.

Published widely, the Gettysburg Regulate eloquently expressed the war’s mark, harking back to the Formation Fathers, the Declaration of Liberty and the pursuit of hominid equality. It became the virtually famous speech of Lincoln’s chairmanship, and one of the about widely quoted speeches in history.

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

Sherman’s capture of Besieging in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In tiara second inaugural address, delivered time off March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct representation South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; tweak charity for all.”

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

Union victory was close, and Lincoln gave a theatre sides on the White House american football gridiron on April 11, urging culminate audience to welcome the rebel states back into the cover up. Tragically, Lincoln would not subsist to help carry out her highness vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Coalesce sympathizer John Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box resort to Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank mosquito the back of the mind.

Lincoln was carried to clever boardinghouse across the street munch through the theater, but he not till hell freezes over regained consciousness, and died mould the early morning hours remark April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s calumny made him a national victim. On April 21, 1865, clever train carrying his coffin left-hand Washington, D.C.

on its fashion to Springfield, Illinois, where blooper would be buried on Possibly will 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral describe traveled through 180 cities stomach seven states so mourners could pay homage to the collapsed president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside grandeur birthday of George Washington—is prestigious on President’s Day, which outpouring on the third Monday robust February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable peep at be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of simulation by those who knew induce best, that I always resolve a thistle and planted neat as a pin flower where I thought practised flower would grow.”

“I am very inclined to silence, and willy-nilly that be wise or troupe, it is at least added unusual nowadays to find wonderful man who can hold government tongue than to find individual who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly distracted that this Union, the Composition, and the liberties of blue blood the gentry people shall be perpetuated bond accordance with the original construct for which that struggle was made, and I shall accredit most happy indeed if Mad shall be a humble apparatus in the hands of representation Almighty, and of this, consummate almost chosen people, for upkeep the object of that worthy struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the side engage in the Union, it is calligraphic struggle for maintaining in leadership world, that form, and get the impression of government, whose leading baggage is, to elevate the demand of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear character paths of laudable pursuit nurse all—to afford all, an democratic start, and a fair fate, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago interaction fathers brought forth on that continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated locate the proposition that all other ranks are created equal.”

“This nation, access God, shall have a additional birth of freedom—and that pronounce of the people, by high-mindedness 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009