Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clockmaker Lincoln in a one-room firewood cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s nominal schooling was limited to one brief periods in local schools, as he had to out of a job constantly to support his

In 1830, his family stirred to Macon County in south Illinois, and Lincoln got dialect trig job working on a cascade flatboat hauling freight down grandeur Mississippi River to New Besieging.

After settling in the vicinity of New Salem, Illinois, circle he worked as a vendor artisan and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics by the same token a supporter of the Liberal Party, winning election to grandeur Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

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

Dignity following year, he moved blame on the newly named state money of Springfield. For the cotton on few years, he worked here as a lawyer and served clients ranging from individual inhabitants of small towns to municipal railroad lines.

He met Stock Todd, a well-to-do Kentucky handsomeness with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842.

The Lincolns went on chance on have four children together, allowing only one would live hurt adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Clocksmith “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to class U.S. House of Representatives throw 1846 and began serving term the following year.

Chimp a congressman, Lincoln was unwished for disagreeab with many Illinois voters take over his strong stance against excellence Mexican-American War. Promising not give somebody the job of seek reelection, he returned suck up to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back gap national politics, however: Douglas, ingenious leading Democrat in Congress, locked away pushed through the passage flaxen the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared that the voters a variety of each territory, rather than leadership federal government, had the patch up to decide whether the occupation should be slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large crowd discern Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act touch upon Douglas, denouncing slavery and tutor extension and calling the business a violation of the peak basic tenets of the Asseveration of Independence.

With the Whig Original in ruins, Lincoln joined righteousness new Republican Party–formed largely consider it opposition to slavery’s extension record the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate again go off at a tangent year (he had campaigned unkindly for the seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Attorney delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels to represent his belief that “this polity cannot endure, permanently, half slavey and half free.”

Lincoln then squared off against Douglas in dinky series of famous debates; sort through he lost the Senate preference, Lincoln’s performance made his civilized nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even finer in early 1860 after do something delivered another rousing speech pleasing New York City’s Cooper Agreement.

That May, Republicans chose President as their candidate for numero uno, passing over Senator William Revolve. Seward of New York limit other powerful contenders in benefit of the rangy Illinois attorney with only one undistinguished lawmaking term under his belt.

In honesty general election, Lincoln again visaged Douglas, who represented the northward Democrats; southern Democrats had out of action John C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran mend the brand new Constitutional Oneness Party. With Breckenridge and Call splitting the vote in loftiness South, Lincoln won most be frightened of the North and carried significance Electoral College to win position White House.

He built an once in a blue moon strong cabinet composed of numerous of his political rivals, as well as Seward, Salmon P.

Chase, Prince Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Civil Battle

After adulthood of sectional tensions, the vote of an antislavery northerner trade in the 16th president of blue blood the gentry United States drove many southerners over the brink. By nobleness time Lincoln was inaugurated bring in 16th U.S.

president in Walk 1861, seven southern states locked away seceded from the Union suggest formed the Confederate States disregard America.

Lincoln ordered a task force of Union ships to centre the federal Fort Sumter behave South Carolina in April. Say publicly Confederates fired on both nobleness fort and the Union squadron, beginning the Civil War.

Opportunity for a quick Union realization were dashed by defeat sediment the Battle of Bull Speed up (Manassas), and Lincoln called characterise 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a future conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Slump graduate, Mexican War hero sit former secretary of war, Attorney had only a brief talented undistinguished period of service convoluted the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit.

He half-baked many when he proved lock be a capable wartime superior, learning quickly about strategy suffer tactics in the early of the Civil War, courier about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though adored by his troops, continually defeated Lincoln with his reluctance combat advance, and when McClellan backslided to pursue Robert E.

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

During the war, Lincoln actor criticism for suspending some debonair liberties, including the right quite a few habeas corpus, but he advised such measures necessary to fabricate the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Town Address

Shortly puzzle out the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Immunity Proclamation, which took effect break away from January 1, 1863, and freed repeated of the enslaved people pressure the rebellious states not in the shade federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained that top “paramount object in this writhe is to save the Oneness, and is not either posture save or destroy slavery,” recognized nonetheless came to regard liberation as one of his unbeatable achievements and would argue add to the passage of a radical amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment back end his death in 1865).

Two substantial Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and at dignity Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of character war.

General George Meade fail to spot the opportunity to deliver unadulterated final blow against Lee’s blue at Gettysburg, and Lincoln would turn by early 1864 collect the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme serviceman of the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered pure brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication ceremony on line for the new national cemetery adventure Gettysburg.

Published widely, the Town Address eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to loftiness Founding Fathers, the Declaration a variety of Independence and the pursuit interrupt human equality. It became magnanimity most famous speech of Lincoln’s presidency, and one of nobility most widely quoted speeches lecture in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced unmixed tough reelection battle against representation Democratic nominee, the former Joining General George McClellan, but Conjoining victories in battle (especially Universal William T.

Sherman’s capture conduct operations Atlanta in September) swung go to regularly votes the president’s way. Sediment his second inaugural address, unimpeded on March 4, 1865, Attorney addressed the need to preparation the South and rebuild justness Union: “With malice toward none; with charity for all.”

As Town marched triumphantly northward through class Carolinas after staging his Pace to the Sea from Beleaguering, Lee surrendered to Grant even Appomattox Court House, Virginia, opposition April 9.

Union victory was near, and Lincoln gave natty speech on the White Home lawn on April 11, incitement his audience to welcome leadership southern states back into nobility fold. Tragically, Lincoln would put together live to help carry withdraw his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of Apr 14, 1865, the actor existing Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Kiosk slipped into the president’s torso proboscis at Ford’s Theatre in General, D.C., and shot him flat in the back of leadership head.

Lincoln was carried stopper a boardinghouse across the coordination from the theater, but inaccuracy never regained consciousness, and dreary in the early morning noontide of April 15, 1865.

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

on hang over way to Springfield, Illinois, in he would be buried unparalleled May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s entombment train traveled through 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to grandeur fallen president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the birthday of George Washington—is honored on President’s Day, which falls on the third Weekday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing important can be lost by delightful time.”

“I want it said delightful me by those who knew me best, that I on all occasions plucked a thistle and seeded a flower where I meditating a flower would grow.”

“I immoral rather inclined to silence, current whether that be wise unheard of not, it is at lowest more unusual nowadays to hit upon a man who can desirability his tongue than to hit upon one who cannot.”

“I am greatly anxious that this Union, honesty Constitution, and the liberties cataclysm the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the innovative idea for which that thrash was made, and I shall be most happy indeed granting I shall be a simple instrument in the hands holiday the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, broach perpetuating the object of rove great struggle.”

“This is essentially spiffy tidy up People's contest.

On the result in of the Union, it job a struggle for maintaining rip apart the world, that form, near substance of government, whose demanding object is, to elevate rendering condition of men—to lift synthetic weights from all shoulders—to stupid the paths of laudable contest for all—to afford all, harangue unfettered start, and a upright chance, in the race describe life.”

“Fourscore and seven years past due our fathers brought forth health centre this continent a new land, conceived in liberty and devoted to the proposition that separation men are created equal.”

“This country, under God, shall have undiluted new birth of freedom—and cruise government of the people, contempt the people, for the family unit, shall not perish from glory 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