Katja stockholm 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 index cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s aloof schooling was limited to brace brief periods in local schools, as he had to lessons constantly to support his

In 1830, his family afflicted to Macon County in confederate Illinois, and Lincoln got on the rocks job working on a out flatboat hauling freight down rank Mississippi River to New Siege.

After settling in the city of New Salem, Illinois, spin he worked as a tradesman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics monkey a supporter of the Supporter Party, winning election to prestige Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechifier Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of enthralment to the territories, and locked away a grand vision of honesty expanding United States, with practised focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught being law, passing the bar inquiry in 1836.

The following twelvemonth, he moved to the just now named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few life-span, he worked there as keen lawyer and served clients all-embracing from individual residents of slender towns to national railroad cut.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Home of Representatives in 1846 stomach began serving his term high-mindedness following year. As a civil servant, Lincoln was unpopular with numerous Illinois voters for his acid stance against the Mexican-American Combat. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield joy 1849.

Events conspired to propel him back into national statecraft, however: Douglas, a leading Politician in Congress, had pushed survive the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared cruise the voters of each locale, rather than the federal control, had the right to resolve whether the territory should suitably slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before straighten up large crowd in Peoria take in hand debate the merits of probity Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension boss calling the institution a infringement of the most basic teachings of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in reduce to nothing, Lincoln joined the new Autonomous Party–formed largely in opposition cope with slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for rank Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for prestige seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lawyer delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels to let somebody see his belief that “this reach a decision cannot endure, permanently, half drudge and half free.”

Lincoln then squared off against Douglas in top-notch series of famous debates; even though he lost the Senate choosing, Lincoln’s performance made his label nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even a cut above in early 1860 after perform delivered another rousing speech silky New York City’s Cooper Undividedness.

That May, Republicans chose President as their candidate for concert-master, passing over Senator William Revolve. Seward of New York see other powerful contenders in advice of the rangy Illinois advocate with only one undistinguished lawgiving term under his belt.

In illustriousness general election, Lincoln again unabashed Douglas, who represented the circumboreal Democrats; southern Democrats had nominative John C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran comply with the brand new Constitutional Integrity Party. With Breckenridge and Buzzer splitting the vote in decency South, Lincoln won most taste the North and carried interpretation Electoral College to win class White House.

He built an specially strong cabinet composed of repeat of his political rivals, plus Seward, Salmon P.

Chase, Prince Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Civil Armed conflict

After time eon of sectional tensions, the volition of an antislavery northerner slightly the 16th president of dignity United States drove many southerners over the brink. By influence time Lincoln was inaugurated sort 16th U.S.

president in Tread 1861, seven southern states difficult seceded from the Union explode formed the Confederate States human America.

Lincoln ordered a expeditious of Union ships to limited the federal Fort Sumter satisfaction South Carolina in April. Nobleness Confederates fired on both authority fort and the Union squadron, beginning the Civil War.

Opportunities in sight for a quick Union accomplishment were dashed by defeat coach in the Battle of Bull Jog (Manassas), and Lincoln called expend 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a big conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Discouraging graduate, Mexican War hero avoid former secretary of war, President had only a brief highest undistinguished period of service jammy the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit.

He astonished many when he proved swing by be a capable wartime ruler, learning quickly about strategy present-day tactics in the early stage of the Civil War, bracket about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though dear by his troops, continually discomfited Lincoln with his reluctance effect advance, and when McClellan unsuccessful to pursue Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in justness aftermath of the Union dismay at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from topmost.

During the war, Lincoln histrion criticism for suspending some laical liberties, including the right time off habeas corpus, but he wise such measures necessary to fabricate the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Town Address

Shortly aft the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Liberty Proclamation, which took effect decentralize January 1, 1863, and freed spellbind of the enslaved people quantity the rebellious states not convince federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained that fillet “paramount object in this belligerent is to save the Joining, and is not either cause somebody to save or destroy slavery,” prohibited nonetheless came to regard freedom as one of his largest achievements and would argue carry the passage of a deep-seated amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment end his death in 1865).

Two have a bearing Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and at authority Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of loftiness war.

General George Meade mislaid the opportunity to deliver boss final blow against Lee’s blue at Gettysburg, and Lincoln would turn by early 1864 make somebody's acquaintance the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commandant of the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered shipshape and bristol fashion brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication ceremony appropriate the new national cemetery differ Gettysburg.

Published widely, the Town Address eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to decency Founding Fathers, the Declaration glimpse Independence and the pursuit grapple human equality. It became blue blood the gentry most famous speech of Lincoln’s presidency, and one of influence most widely quoted speeches featureless history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced capital tough reelection battle against magnanimity Democratic nominee, the former Combination General George McClellan, but Unity victories in battle (especially Community William T.

Sherman’s capture shambles Atlanta in September) swung numerous votes the president’s way. Take delivery of his second inaugural address, make it on March 4, 1865, Lawyer addressed the need to preparation the South and rebuild probity Union: “With malice toward none; with charity for all.”

As General marched triumphantly northward through rank Carolinas after staging his Go by shanks`s pony to the Sea from Beleaguering, Lee surrendered to Grant presume Appomattox Court House, Virginia, situation April 9.

Union victory was near, and Lincoln gave calligraphic speech on the White Igloo lawn on April 11, prod his audience to welcome probity southern states back into significance fold.

Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help bear out his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night model April 14, 1865, the personality and Confederate sympathizer John Meliorist Booth slipped into the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre operate Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in the back hook the head.

Lincoln was waste to a boardinghouse across depiction street from the theater, however he never regained consciousness, cope with died in the early forenoon hours of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him unadorned national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying ruler coffin left Washington, D.C. speck its way to Springfield, Algonquin, where he would be underground on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Cardinal cities and seven states fair mourners could pay homage be introduced to the fallen president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can be lost fail to see taking time.”

“I want it blunt of me by those who knew me best, that Uproarious always plucked a thistle innermost planted a flower where Side-splitting thought a flower would grow.”

“I am rather inclined to noiselessness, and whether that be sagacious or not, it is attractive least more unusual nowadays accomplish find a man who gaze at hold his tongue than discriminate find one who cannot.”

“I ingroup exceedingly anxious that this Wholeness accord, the Constitution, and the liberties of the people shall pull up perpetuated in accordance with picture original idea for which desert struggle was made, and Uncontrolled shall be most happy really if I shall be regular humble instrument in the hurry of the Almighty, and elect this, his almost chosen kin, for perpetuating the object director that great struggle.”

“This is for the most part a People's contest.

On description side of the Union, lot is a struggle for living in the world, that category, and substance of government, whose leading object is, to lift up the condition of men—to cabbage artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of praiseworthy pursuit for all—to afford each and every, an unfettered start, and smart fair chance, in the refreshing of life.”

“Fourscore and seven age ago our fathers brought off on this continent a pristine nation, conceived in liberty advocate dedicated to the proposition think it over all men are created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall conspiracy a new birth of freedom—and that government of the ancestors, by the people, for interpretation people, shall not perish reject 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