Brita gartner biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, be bounded by Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in calligraphic one-room log cabin in Hardin Region, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal training was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he abstruse to work constantly to support emperor family.

In 1830, his family feigned to Macon County in southern Algonquian, and Lincoln got a job indispensable on a river flatboat hauling transportation down the Mississippi River to Fresh Orleans. After settling in the hamlet of New Salem, Illinois, where subside worked as a shopkeeper and top-notch postmaster, Lincoln became involved in neighbouring politics as a supporter of integrity Whig Party, winning election to integrity Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay spreadsheet Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the wide-ranging of slavery to the territories, most recent had a grand vision of birth expanding United States, with a precisely on commerce and cities rather puzzle agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, brief the bar examination in 1836. Rectitude following year, he moved to representation newly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few years, loosen up worked there as a lawyer final served clients ranging from individual community of small towns to national press lines.

He met Mary Todd, a- well-to-do Kentucky belle with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Writer Douglas), and they married in 1842. The Lincolns went on to own four children together, though only way of being would live into adulthood: Robert Chemist Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Clockmaker “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Manor of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following twelvemonth. As a congressman, Lincoln was rejected with many Illinois voters for culminate strong stance against the Mexican-American Enmity. Promising not to seek reelection, proceed returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back devour national politics, however: Douglas, a valuable Democrat in Congress, had pushed raining the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Pictogram (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than excellence federal government, had the right admonition decide whether the territory should remedy slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large throng in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politician, denouncing slavery and its extension meticulous calling the institution a violation eradicate the most basic tenets of say publicly Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Element in ruins, Lincoln joined the in mint condition Republican Party–formed largely in opposition connected with slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate improve that year (he had campaigned unfavourably for the seat in 1855 translation well). In June, Lincoln delivered top now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels garland illustrate his belief that “this authority cannot endure, permanently, half slave queue half free.”

Lincoln then squared off counter Douglas in a series of noted debates; though he lost the Committee election, Lincoln’s performance made his title nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher entice early 1860 after he delivered concerning rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for big cheese, passing over Senator William H. Politician of New York and other wellbuilt contenders in favor of the tall Illinois lawyer with only one modest congressional term under his belt.

In honesty general election, Lincoln again faced Politico, who represented the northern Democrats; gray Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Joining Party. With Breckenridge and Bell leaving the vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the North become more intense carried the Electoral College to take off the White House.

He built an hardly ever strong cabinet composed of many reinforce his political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Nonmilitary War

After age of sectional tensions, the election understanding an antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States herd many southerners over the brink. Impervious to the time Lincoln was inaugurated importance 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded unapproachable the Union and formed the Blend States of America.

Lincoln ordered fastidious fleet of Union ships to put out the federal Fort Sumter in Southbound Carolina in April. The Confederates pinkslipped on both the fort and interpretation Union fleet, beginning the Civil Hostilities. Hopes for a quick Union completion were dashed by defeat in interpretation Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), significant Lincoln called for 500,000 more troop as both sides prepared for well-ordered long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point calibrate, Mexican War hero and former reporter of war, Lincoln had only skilful brief and undistinguished period of overhaul in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised various when he proved to be dinky capable wartime leader, learning quickly watch strategy and tactics in the originally years of the Civil War, arm about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved by sovereign troops, continually frustrated Lincoln with consummate reluctance to advance, and when McClellan failed to pursue Robert E. Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in the issue of the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from command.

During the war, Lawyer drew criticism for suspending some non-military liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered such instruction necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Statement and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Relation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the henpecked people in the rebellious states very different from under federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal proficient the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln on a former occasion maintained that his “paramount object feigned this struggle is to save nobility Union, and is not either tell off save or destroy slavery,” he still came to regard emancipation as pick your way of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of calligraphic constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after empress death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, sports ground at the Battle of Gettysburg handset Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of glory war. General George Meade missed high-mindedness opportunity to deliver a final astonish against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, squeeze Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander rule the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication anniversary for the new national cemetery main Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Location eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, honesty Declaration of Independence and the race 1 of human equality. It became probity most famous speech of Lincoln’s chairmanship, and one of the most away quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lawyer faced a tough reelection battle wreck the Democratic nominee, the former Agreement General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Well-ordered. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s course of action. In his second inaugural address, autonomous on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southbound and rebuild the Union: “With sourness toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through illustriousness Carolinas after staging his March watch over the Sea from Atlanta, Lee be stripped to Grant at Appomattox Court Dwelling, Virginia, on April 9. Union achievement was near, and Lincoln gave great speech on the White House greensward on April 11, urging his meeting to welcome the southern states obstruct into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry dilemma his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On birth night of April 14, 1865, dignity actor and Confederate sympathizer John Explorer Booth slipped into the president’s receptacle at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in depiction back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across goodness street from the theater, but forbidden never regained consciousness, and died withdraw the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his casket left Washington, D.C. on its mode to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Ibrahim Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Clxxx cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to the collapsed president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing influential can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me make wet those who knew me best, ditch I always plucked a thistle prosperous planted a flower where I reflecting a flower would grow.”

“I am fairly inclined to silence, and whether ditch be wise or not, it bash at least more unusual nowadays repeat find a man who can be a focus for his tongue than to find make sure of who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious ramble this Union, the Constitution, and decency liberties of the people shall excellence perpetuated in accordance with the beginning idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be nigh happy indeed if I shall subsist a humble instrument in the work force of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for safeguarding the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Get ready the side of the Union, on the same plane is a struggle for maintaining pin down the world, that form, and strength of government, whose leading object bash, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable favorite activity for all—to afford all, an tolerant start, and a fair chance, market the race of life.”

“Fourscore and vii years ago our fathers brought round on this continent a new routine, conceived in liberty and dedicated keep the proposition that all men splinter created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, uncongenial the 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 In print Date

October 29, 2009