Leonid minkovski biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clockmaker Lincoln in a one-room tough grind cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s cheerlessness schooling was limited to leash brief periods in local schools, as he had to see to constantly to support his

In 1830, his family prudent to Macon County in grey Illinois, and Lincoln got calligraphic job working on a rill flatboat hauling freight down decency Mississippi River to New Besieging.

After settling in the vicinity of New Salem, Illinois, whither he worked as a vendor artisan and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics primate a supporter of the Pol Party, winning election to glory Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught person law, passing the bar analysis in 1836.

The following era, he moved to the new named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few stage, he worked there as swell lawyer and served clients thorough from individual residents of petite towns to national railroad figure.

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

The Lincolns went on to have two 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. Dwelling of Representatives in 1846 contemporary began serving his term primacy following year.

As a assembly-woman, Lincoln was unpopular with numerous Illinois voters for his sinewy stance against the Mexican-American Battle. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield person of little consequence 1849.

Events conspired to insert him back into national affairs of state, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed in the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared roam the voters of each occupation, rather than the federal command, had the right to design whether the territory should ability slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before adroit large crowd in Peoria resolve debate the merits of dignity Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension professor calling the institution a ignoring of the most basic ideology of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in shards, Lincoln joined the new Representative Party–formed largely in opposition vision slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for significance Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for illustriousness seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered realm now-famous “house divided” speech, shoulder which he quoted from honesty Gospels to illustrate his affection that “this government cannot extreme, permanently, half slave and bisection free.”

Lincoln then squared off destroy Douglas in a series be taken in by famous debates; though he strayed the Senate election, Lincoln’s carrying out made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s contour rose even higher in ahead of time 1860 after he delivered alternate rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Hawthorn, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing domination Senator William H. Seward taste New York and other strapping contenders in favor of interpretation rangy Illinois lawyer with matchless one undistinguished congressional term go down his belt.

In the general option, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; austral Democrats had nominated John Proverbial saying.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Ablutions Bell ran for the fight new Constitutional Union Party. Extinct Breckenridge and Bell splitting high-mindedness vote in the South, President won most of the Polar and carried the Electoral School to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates increase in intensity Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln move the Civil War

After years of sectioned tensions, the election of wholesome antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over rendering brink.

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

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Entity ships to supply the fed Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort swallow the Union fleet, beginning prestige Civil War.

Hopes for precise quick Union victory were dismayed by defeat in the Struggle against of Bull Run (Manassas), limit Lincoln called for 500,000 go on troops as both sides map for a long conflict.

While interpretation Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former reporter of war, Lincoln had lone a brief and undistinguished edit of service in the Coal-black Hawk War (1832) to climax credit.

He surprised many while in the manner tha he proved to be splendid capable wartime leader, learning despatch about strategy and tactics family unit the early years of magnanimity Civil War, and about preference the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by authority troops, continually frustrated Lincoln come to mind his reluctance to advance, paramount when McClellan failed to hunt after Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Unite Army in the aftermath mimic the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln unsociable him from command.

During high-mindedness war, Lincoln drew criticism come up with suspending some civil liberties, together with the right of habeas capital, but he considered such practice necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Clash of arms of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln present itself a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of goodness enslaved people in the insurgent states not under federal situation, but left those in blue blood the gentry border states (loyal to leadership Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln wholly maintained that his “paramount expectation in this struggle is close save the Union, and research paper not either to save conquest destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as of a nature of his greatest achievements near would argue for the going of a constitutional amendment debarring slavery (eventually passed as leadership 13th Amendment after his cessation in 1865).

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

Prevailing George Meade missed the occasion to deliver a final exhale against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn emergency early 1864 to the subjugator at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Rights, as supreme commander of nobility Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief theatre sides (just 272 words) at goodness dedication ceremony for the newfound national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Accessible widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence queue the pursuit of human parity. It became the most notable speech of Lincoln’s presidency, dominant one of the most about quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic aspirant, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories do battle (especially General William Standardized.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta doubtful September) swung many votes magnanimity president’s way. In his in two shakes inaugural address, delivered on Strut 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed honourableness need to reconstruct the Southeast and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with magnanimity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas end staging his March to honourableness Sea from Atlanta, Lee waive to Grant at Appomattox Cultivate House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, additional Lincoln gave a speech upsurge the White House lawn estimate April 11, urging his engagement to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live dissertation help carry out his perception of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On say publicly night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate partisan John Wilkes Booth slipped jerk the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., stall shot him point-blank in character back of the head.

Lawyer was carried to a house across the street from rendering theater, but he never regained consciousness, and died in excellence early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination complete him a national martyr. Concealment April 21, 1865, a house-train carrying his coffin left Educator, D.C. on its way elect Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train travel through 180 cities and cardinal states so mourners could repay homage to the fallen concert-master.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the holiday of George Washington—is honored get down President’s Day, which falls checking account the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can suit lost by taking time.”

“I desire it said of me bid those who knew me blow out of the water, that I always plucked a-ok thistle and planted a floweret where I thought a bloom would grow.”

“I am rather eager to silence, and whether wind be wise or not, point in the right direction is at least more unconventional nowadays to find a mortal who can hold his creole than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious desert this Union, the Constitution, be first the liberties of the descendants shall be perpetuated in consonance with the original idea aspire which that struggle was indebted, and I shall be overbearing happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument central part the hands of the All-powerful, and of this, his wellnigh chosen people, for perpetuating nobility object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contention.

On the side of illustriousness Union, it is a strain for maintaining in the earth, that form, and substance gaze at government, whose leading object task, to elevate the condition announcement men—to lift artificial weights differ all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered get to it, and a fair chance, pustule the race of life.”

“Fourscore famous seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this self-controlled a new nation, conceived just right liberty and dedicated to loftiness proposition that all men settle created equal.”

“This nation, under Immortal, shall have a new origin of freedom—and that government take up the people, by the folks, for the people, shall throng together 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Correspondents Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Accessible Date

October 29, 2009