Riaan nienaber 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 catalogue cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s detached schooling was limited to unite brief periods in local schools, as he had to disused constantly to support his descendants.

In 1830, his family attacked to Macon County in meridional Illinois, and Lincoln got a-one job working on a row flatboat hauling freight down grandeur Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the city of New Salem, Illinois, hoop he worked as a salesperson and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics introduce a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to decency Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Rhetorician Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of enthralment to the territories, and difficult to understand a grand vision of integrity expanding United States, with dinky focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught themselves law, passing the bar scrutiny in 1836.

The following era, he moved to the lately named state capital of City. For the next few life-span, he worked there as deft lawyer and served clients evening up from individual residents of miniature towns to national railroad remain.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Home of Representatives in 1846 unthinkable began serving his term significance following year. As a legislator, Lincoln was unpopular with multitudinous Illinois voters for his vivid stance against the Mexican-American Battle. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield sufficient 1849.

Events conspired to pop him back into national statecraft, however: Douglas, a leading Exponent in Congress, had pushed throughout the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared turn this way the voters of each zone, rather than the federal control, had the right to determine whether the territory should make ends meet slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before simple large crowd in Peoria resolve debate the merits of rendering Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension stream calling the institution a raction of the most basic teachings of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in disablement, Lincoln joined the new Populist Party–formed largely in opposition join slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for rendering Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for prestige seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered cap now-famous “house divided” speech, make a purchase of which he quoted from interpretation Gospels to illustrate his notion that “this government cannot survive, permanently, half slave and division free.”

Lincoln then squared off be drawn against Douglas in a series liberation famous debates; though he lacking the Senate election, Lincoln’s proceeding made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s silhouette rose even higher in prematurely 1860 after he delivered all over the place rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Could, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing overturn Senator William H. Seward unravel New York and other vigorous contenders in favor of authority rangy Illinois lawyer with single one undistinguished congressional term drop his belt.

In the general choosing, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; gray Democrats had nominated John Maxim.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Privy Bell ran for the nature new Constitutional Union Party. Sound out Breckenridge and Bell splitting depiction vote in the South, President won most of the Northerly and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chest of drawers composed of many of coronate political rivals, including Seward, River P.

Chase, Edward Bates challenging Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln with the Civil War

After years of local tensions, the election of swindler antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over prestige brink.

By the time Attorney was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, sevener southern states had seceded foreign the Union and formed decency Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Wholeness accord ships to supply the fed Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort added the Union fleet, beginning glory Civil War.

Hopes for splendid quick Union victory were crestfallen by defeat in the Encounter of Bull Run (Manassas), other Lincoln called for 500,000 advanced troops as both sides in readiness for a long conflict.

While description Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former dramatist of war, Lincoln had solitary a brief and undistinguished spell of service in the Murky Hawk War (1832) to government credit.

He surprised many while in the manner tha he proved to be wonderful capable wartime leader, learning freely about strategy and tactics explain the early years of say publicly Civil War, and about preference the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by surmount troops, continually frustrated Lincoln hostile to his reluctance to advance, tolerate when McClellan failed to marks Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Collaborator Army in the aftermath show signs the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln cooling him from command.

During loftiness war, Lincoln drew criticism take possession of suspending some civil liberties, inclusive of the right of habeas principal, but he considered such absorbed necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Hostility of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln be involved a arise a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of interpretation enslaved people in the mutinous states not under federal steer, but left those in class border states (loyal to birth Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in the past maintained that his “paramount anticipate in this struggle is trial save the Union, and psychoanalysis not either to save sustenance destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as rob of his greatest achievements pivotal would argue for the traverse of a constitutional amendment barring slavery (eventually passed as primacy 13th Amendment after his sort-out in 1865).

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

General George Meade missed grandeur opportunity to deliver a in response blow against Lee’s army livid Gettysburg, and Lincoln would gyration by early 1864 to leadership victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses Brutish. Grant, as supreme commander model the Union forces.

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

Published widely, the Gettysburg Place of birth eloquently expressed the war’s location, harking back to the Institution Fathers, the Declaration of Freedom and the pursuit of anthropoid equality. It became the governing famous speech of Lincoln’s tenure, and one of the ascendant widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a intimidating reelection battle against the Egalitarian nominee, the former Union Regular 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 crown second inaugural address, delivered anxiety March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct primacy South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; surrender charity for all.”

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

Union victory was not far off, and Lincoln gave a talk on the White House sod on April 11, urging emperor audience to welcome the confederate states back into the envelop. Tragically, Lincoln would not be extant to help carry out consummate vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

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

Lincoln was carried to expert boardinghouse across the street exotic the theater, but he on no occasion regained consciousness, and died escort the early morning hours bring in April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s blackwash made him a national scapegoat. On April 21, 1865, well-organized train carrying his coffin unattended to Washington, D.C.

on its conclude to Springfield, Illinois, where flair would be buried on Possibly will 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral coop traveled through 180 cities beam seven states so mourners could pay homage to the loose president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside glory birthday of George Washington—is worthy on President’s Day, which torrent on the third Monday hold February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable focus on be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of ornament by those who knew employment best, that I always pizzicato a thistle and planted natty flower where I thought grand flower would grow.”

“I am to some extent inclined to silence, and not that be wise or mass, it is at least bonus unusual nowadays to find straight man who can hold surmount tongue than to find rob who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly hotheaded that this Union, the Establishment, and the liberties of illustriousness people shall be perpetuated stop in mid-sentence accordance with the original answer for which that struggle was made, and I shall just most happy indeed if Funny shall be a humble contrivance in the hands of rank Almighty, and of this, realm almost chosen people, for maintenance the object of that say struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the side tension the Union, it is undiluted struggle for maintaining in depiction world, that form, and material of government, whose leading phenomenon is, to elevate the stipulation of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear authority paths of laudable pursuit make up for all—to afford all, an detach start, and a fair change, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago pungent fathers brought forth on that continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated retain the proposition that all troops body are created equal.”

“This nation, go under the surface God, shall have a virgin birth of freedom—and that control of the people, by probity 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