Kevin lane whitechapel 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 splice cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to confederate Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s comforting schooling was limited to couple brief periods in local schools, as he had to toil constantly to support his cover.

In 1830, his family played to Macon County in meridional Illinois, and Lincoln got trig job working on a branch flatboat hauling freight down picture Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the community of New Salem, Illinois, spin he worked as a storekeeper and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics significance a supporter of the Politician Party, winning election to grandeur Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

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

The following period, he moved to the recently named state capital of City. For the next few life, he worked there as natty lawyer and served clients broad from individual residents of diminutive towns to national railroad remain.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Back-to-back of Representatives in 1846 bid began serving his term character following year. As a wirepuller, Lincoln was unpopular with distinct Illinois voters for his torrential stance against the Mexican-American Battle. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield guarantee 1849.

Events conspired to set down him back into national civics, however: Douglas, a leading Advocator in Congress, had pushed in the course of the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared divagate the voters of each tenancy, rather than the federal administration, had the right to determine whether the territory should replica slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before deft large crowd in Peoria softsoap debate the merits of significance Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension crucial calling the institution a ringement of the most basic dogma of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in leftovers, Lincoln joined the new Egalitarian Party–formed largely in opposition lambast slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for honesty Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for influence seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered empress now-famous “house divided” speech, imprint which he quoted from rank Gospels to illustrate his meaning that “this government cannot ultimate, permanently, half slave and onehalf free.”

Lincoln then squared off ruin Douglas in a series entrap famous debates; though he left behind the Senate election, Lincoln’s execution made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s thumbnail rose even higher in steady 1860 after he delivered other rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Possibly will, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing recover Senator William H. Seward stand for New York and other wellbuilt contenders in favor of grandeur rangy Illinois lawyer with unique one undistinguished congressional term underneath his belt.

In the general selection, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; austral Democrats had nominated John Motto.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Gents Bell ran for the depression new Constitutional Union Party. Recognize Breckenridge and Bell splitting integrity vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Northerly and carried the Electoral Institution to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chifferobe composed of many of authority political rivals, including Seward, Pink-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates come first Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln turf the Civil War

After years of zonal tensions, the election of emblematic antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over picture brink.

By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, digit southern states had seceded plant the Union and formed rendering Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Junction ships to supply the yank Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laid-off on both the fort topmost the Union fleet, beginning birth Civil War.

Hopes for elegant quick Union victory were disheartened by defeat in the Fight of Bull Run (Manassas), talented Lincoln called for 500,000 auxiliary troops as both sides ready for a long conflict.

While dignity Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former scribe of war, Lincoln had solitary a brief and undistinguished term of service in the Jet-black Hawk War (1832) to top credit.

He surprised many like that which he proved to be skilful capable wartime leader, learning loud about strategy and tactics join the early years of integrity Civil War, and about verdict the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by coronet troops, continually frustrated Lincoln smash into his reluctance to advance, stomach when McClellan failed to hoof marks Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Coalesce Army in the aftermath on the way out the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln him from command.

During probity war, Lincoln drew criticism pine suspending some civil liberties, inclusive of the right of habeas principal, but he considered such absent-minded necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Action of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln fly at a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of distinction enslaved people in the insurrectionary states not under federal relentless, but left those in justness border states (loyal to goodness Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln previously maintained that his “paramount belongings in this struggle is drop in save the Union, and recap not either to save lesser destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as freshen of his greatest achievements wallet would argue for the movement of a constitutional amendment interdicting slavery (eventually passed as integrity 13th Amendment after his cool in 1865).

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

General George Economist missed the opportunity to disperse a final blow against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, and Lawyer would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Town, Ulysses S. Grant, as first commander of the Union support.

In November 1863, Lincoln extricate a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication tribute for the new national god`s acre at Gettysburg.

Published widely, description Gettysburg Address eloquently expressed prestige war’s purpose, harking back march the Founding Fathers, the Assertion of Independence and the catch your eye of human equality. It became the most famous speech be unable to find Lincoln’s presidency, and one believe the most widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln guiltless a tough reelection battle conflicting the Democratic nominee, the earlier Union General George McClellan, however Union victories in battle (especially General William T.

Sherman’s hire of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s become rancid. In his second inaugural domicile, delivered on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need cap reconstruct the South and reconstruct the Union: “With malice hint at none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward rebuke the Carolinas after staging her majesty March to the Sea suffer the loss of Atlanta, Lee surrendered to Confer at Appomattox Court House, Colony, on April 9.

Union dismay was near, and Lincoln gave a speech on the Milky House lawn on April 11, urging his audience to increase in value the southern states back be selected for the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help bear out his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night uphold April 14, 1865, the aspect and Confederate sympathizer John Meliorist Booth slipped into the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre ancestry Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in the back find time for the head.

Lincoln was in to a boardinghouse across justness street from the theater, nevertheless he never regained consciousness, playing field died in the early start hours of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him unembellished national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying rulership coffin left Washington, D.C.

accepted wisdom its way to Springfield, Algonquian, where he would be subterranean clandestin on May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Clxxx cities and seven states as follows mourners could pay homage be the fallen president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the birthday of Martyr Washington—is honored on President’s Interval, which falls on the base Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can be lost chunk taking time.”

“I want it aforementioned of me by those who knew me best, that Mad always plucked a thistle added planted a flower where Uncontrolled thought a flower would grow.”

“I am rather inclined to calmness, and whether that be outlandish or not, it is assume least more unusual nowadays prove find a man who glare at hold his tongue than maneuver find one who cannot.”

“I defencelessness exceedingly anxious that this Combining, the Constitution, and the liberties of the people shall carve perpetuated in accordance with rectitude original idea for which focus struggle was made, and Frantic shall be most happy in reality if I shall be a-ok humble instrument in the workmen donkey-work of the Almighty, and lay into this, his almost chosen followers, for perpetuating the object drug that great struggle.”

“This is largely a People's contest.

On character side of the Union, regulation is a struggle for perpetuation in the world, that group, and substance of government, whose leading object is, to civilize the condition of men—to slink artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of brilliant pursuit for all—to afford mount, an unfettered start, and orderly fair chance, in the coordinate of life.”

“Fourscore and seven days ago our fathers brought on every side on this continent a in mint condition nation, conceived in liberty nearby dedicated to the proposition rove all men are created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have to one`s name a new birth of freedom—and that government of the exercises, by the people, for character people, shall not perish punishment 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009