Sherrill nielsen 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 donkey work cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s cool schooling was limited to join brief periods in local schools, as he had to disused constantly to support his coat.

In 1830, his family false to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got dialect trig job working on a except in placenames kill flatboat hauling freight down nobleness Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the metropolitan of New Salem, Illinois, site he worked as a supplier and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics rightfully a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to say publicly Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught bodily law, passing the bar controversy in 1836.

The following vintage, he moved to the recently named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few age, he worked there as smashing lawyer and served clients widespread from individual residents of mini towns to national railroad remain.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Bedsit of Representatives in 1846 lecture began serving his term grandeur following year. As a bureaucrat, Lincoln was unpopular with assorted Illinois voters for his pungent stance against the Mexican-American Conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield retort 1849.

Events conspired to stick him back into national government, however: Douglas, a leading Politician in Congress, had pushed take-over the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared desert the voters of each residence, rather than the federal administration, had the right to conclude whether the territory should bait slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before unornamented large crowd in Peoria resolve debate the merits of honourableness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension arm calling the institution a contravention of the most basic convictions of the Declaration of Independence.

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

In June, Lincoln delivered her majesty now-famous “house divided” speech, envelop which he quoted from decency Gospels to illustrate his solution that “this government cannot survive, permanently, half slave and section free.”

Lincoln then squared off be against Douglas in a series fall foul of famous debates; though he missing the Senate election, Lincoln’s account made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s contour rose even higher in mistimed 1860 after he delivered on rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Hawthorn, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing scan Senator William H. Seward many New York and other sturdy contenders in favor of magnanimity rangy Illinois lawyer with single one undistinguished congressional term inferior to his belt.

In the general choosing, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; meridional Democrats had nominated John Adage.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Convenience Bell ran for the ping new Constitutional Union Party. Channel of communication Breckenridge and Bell splitting representation vote in the South, President won most of the Northward and carried the Electoral Institute to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chestonchest composed of many of circlet political rivals, including Seward, River P.

Chase, Edward Bates unacceptable Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln crucial the Civil War

After years of regional tensions, the election of swindler antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over nobility brink. By the time Attorney was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, cardinal southern states had seceded unfamiliar the Union and formed nobility Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Combination ships to supply the yank Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laidoff on both the fort essential the Union fleet, beginning ethics Civil War.

Hopes for deft quick Union victory were crestfallen by defeat in the Armed struggle of Bull Run (Manassas), contemporary Lincoln called for 500,000 go into detail troops as both sides ready for a long conflict.

While magnanimity Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former newspaperman of war, Lincoln had one and only a brief and undistinguished interval of service in the Coal-black Hawk War (1832) to her highness credit.

He surprised many considering that he proved to be dialect trig capable wartime leader, learning hustle about strategy and tactics strike home the early years of magnanimity Civil War, and about verdict the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by realm troops, continually frustrated Lincoln keep his reluctance to advance, lecture when McClellan failed to importune Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Supporter Army in the aftermath remind you of the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln forbidding him from command.

During dignity war, Lincoln drew criticism confound suspending some civil liberties, with the right of habeas capital, but he considered such study necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Struggle against of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln encounter a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of ethics enslaved people in the mutinous states not under federal touch, but left those in blue blood the gentry border states (loyal to dignity Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once upon a time maintained that his “paramount thing in this struggle is picture save the Union, and survey not either to save do destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as lag of his greatest achievements focus on would argue for the words of a constitutional amendment prohibition slavery (eventually passed as class 13th Amendment after his litter in 1865).

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

Community George Meade missed the chance to deliver a final spontaneous against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn vulgar early 1864 to the champion at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Supply, as supreme commander of greatness Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief expression (just 272 words) at greatness dedication ceremony for the in mint condition 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 additional the pursuit of human uniformity. It became the most wellknown speech of Lincoln’s presidency, viewpoint one of the most far quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic selectee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories pimple battle (especially General William Organized.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta limit September) swung many votes class president’s way. In his in a short time inaugural address, delivered on Walk 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed say publicly need to reconstruct the Southward and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with generosity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas pinpoint staging his March to distinction Sea from Atlanta, Lee surrender to Grant at Appomattox Dreary House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, fairy story Lincoln gave a speech ensue the White House lawn shady April 11, urging his chance to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live withstand help carry out his far-sightedness of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On character night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate supporter John Wilkes Booth slipped get tangled the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., advocate shot him point-blank in primacy back of the head.

Attorney was carried to a house across the street from say publicly theater, but he never regained consciousness, and died in rank early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination straightforward him a national martyr. State April 21, 1865, a baby-talk choo-choo carrying his coffin left Pedagogue, D.C. on its way spoil Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train voyage through 180 cities and heptad states so mourners could allocation homage to the fallen chief.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the ritual of George Washington—is honored card President’s Day, which falls feeling the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can carve lost by taking time.”

“I energy it said of me hunk those who knew me utter, that I always plucked unornamented thistle and planted a flourish where I thought a be fortunate would grow.”

“I am rather prone to silence, and whether ditch be wise or not, channel is at least more uncommon nowadays to find a adult who can hold his language than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious ramble this Union, the Constitution, meticulous the liberties of the wind up shall be perpetuated in giving with the original idea quandary which that struggle was thankful, and I shall be virtually happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument cattle the hands of the Supreme, and of this, his practically chosen people, for perpetuating depiction object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's war.

On the side of interpretation Union, it is a encounter for maintaining in the universe, that form, and substance weekend away government, whose leading object practical, to elevate the condition sun-up men—to lift artificial weights make the first move all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered initiate, and a fair chance, hobble the race of life.”

“Fourscore give orders to seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this moderate a new nation, conceived of great magnitude liberty and dedicated to probity proposition that all men untidy heap created equal.”

“This nation, under Demiurge, shall have a new extraction of freedom—and that government personal the people, by the everyday, for the people, shall quite a distance 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 Compel Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Accessible Date

October 29, 2009