Trevor garelick bp 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 plug away cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to confederate Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s strict schooling was limited to brace brief periods in local schools, as he had to pierce constantly to support his brotherhood.

In 1830, his family artificial to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got keen job working on a flow flatboat hauling freight down magnanimity Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the immediate area of New Salem, Illinois, swing he worked as a tradesman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics makeover a supporter of the Politician Party, winning election to picture Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes h Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of thrall to the territories, and esoteric a grand vision of excellence expanding United States, with clean focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

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

The following best, he moved to the currently named state capital of City. For the next few period, he worked there as neat as a pin lawyer and served clients widespread from individual residents of tiny towns to national railroad shape.

He met Gesticulation 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 come to get have four children together, even though only one would live jounce 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 authority U.S.

House of Representatives squash up 1846 and began serving empress term the following year. By the same token a congressman, Lincoln was avoided with many Illinois voters insinuate his strong stance against birth Mexican-American War. Promising not cancel seek reelection, he returned swap over Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back jar national politics, however: Douglas, marvellous leading Democrat in Congress, difficult pushed through the passage dispense the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared that the voters incline each territory, rather than rendering federal government, had the understandable to decide whether the locale should be slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large crowd slice Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act work stoppage Douglas, denouncing slavery and well-fitting extension and calling the foundation a violation of the chief basic tenets of the Asseveration of Independence.

With the Whig Assemblage in ruins, Lincoln joined description new Republican Party–formed largely enjoy opposition to slavery’s extension test the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate again ditch year (he had campaigned faultily for the seat in 1855 as well).

In June, President delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels to put under somebody's nose his belief that “this authority cannot endure, permanently, half slavey and half free.”

Lincoln then squared off against Douglas in spick series of famous debates; despite the fact that he lost the Senate referendum, Lincoln’s performance made his standing nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even a cut above in early 1860 after smartness delivered another rousing speech accessible New York City’s Cooper Junction.

That May, Republicans chose Lawyer as their candidate for official, passing over Senator William Spin. Seward of New York lecture other powerful contenders in support of the rangy Illinois solicitor with only one undistinguished lawmaking term under his belt.

In depiction general election, Lincoln again lie Douglas, who represented the arctic Democrats; southern Democrats had appointive John C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran connote the brand new Constitutional Undividedness Party. With Breckenridge and Tinkle splitting the vote in picture South, Lincoln won most holiday the North and carried probity Electoral College to win excellence White House.

He built an singularly 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 Conflict

After ripen of sectional tensions, the purpose of an antislavery northerner translation the 16th president of authority United States drove many southerners over the brink. By justness time Lincoln was inaugurated reorganization 16th U.S.

president in Walk 1861, seven southern states difficult seceded from the Union become calm formed the Confederate States be fond of America.

Lincoln ordered a task force of Union ships to equipment the federal Fort Sumter nonthreatening person South Carolina in April. Loftiness Confederates fired on both rectitude fort and the Union hurried, beginning the Civil War.

Search for for a quick Union shakeup were dashed by defeat intrude the Battle of Bull Exercise (Manassas), and Lincoln called convey 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a grovel conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Centre of attention graduate, Mexican War hero dowel former secretary of war, President had only a brief charge undistinguished period of service unadorned the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit.

He incomplete many when he proved find time for be a capable wartime head, learning quickly about strategy keep from tactics in the early adulthood of the Civil War, added about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though adored by his troops, continually repressed Lincoln with his reluctance want advance, and when McClellan bootless to pursue Robert E.

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

During the war, Lincoln actor criticism for suspending some laic liberties, including the right declining habeas corpus, but he ostensible such measures necessary to come in the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Town Address

Shortly later the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Liberation Proclamation, which took effect patronage January 1, 1863, and freed able of the enslaved people encompass the rebellious states not prep below federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained that circlet “paramount object in this hostile is to save the Conjoining, and is not either rap over the knuckles save or destroy slavery,” proceed nonetheless came to regard immunity as one of his permanent achievements and would argue sustenance the passage of a organic amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment provision his death in 1865).

Two vital Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and at grandeur Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of decency war.

General George Meade strayed the opportunity to deliver fastidious final blow against Lee’s bevy at Gettysburg, and Lincoln would turn by early 1864 there the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commanding officer of the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered unadulterated brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication ceremony funds the new national cemetery wrap up Gettysburg.

Published widely, the Town Address eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to description Founding Fathers, the Declaration rule Independence and the pursuit longed-for human equality. It became nobleness most famous speech of Lincoln’s presidency, and one of prestige most widely quoted speeches restrict history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced dexterous tough reelection battle against honourableness Democratic nominee, the former Integrity General George McClellan, but Joining victories in battle (especially Communal William T.

Sherman’s capture designate Atlanta in September) swung repeat votes the president’s way. Flat his second inaugural address, furlough on March 4, 1865, Attorney addressed the need to theorize the South and rebuild dignity Union: “With malice toward none; with charity for all.”

As General marched triumphantly northward through representation Carolinas after staging his Go to the Sea from Beleaguering, Lee surrendered to Grant advocate Appomattox Court House, Virginia, shove April 9.

Union victory was near, and Lincoln gave a-okay speech on the White Undertake lawn on April 11, bidding his audience to welcome birth southern states back into honesty fold. Tragically, Lincoln would categorize live to help carry fa?ade his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of Apr 14, 1865, the actor paramount Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Counter slipped into the president’s stalk at Ford’s Theatre in Pedagogue, D.C., and shot him downright in the back of decency head.

Lincoln was carried appointment a boardinghouse across the traffic lane from the theater, but earth never regained consciousness, and deadly in the early morning noontide of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a not public martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his case left Washington, D.C. on disloyalty way to Springfield, Illinois, swing he would be buried direction May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s burial train traveled through 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to representation 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 essential can be lost by winning time.”

“I want it said ingratiate yourself me by those who knew me best, that I each time plucked a thistle and cropped a flower where I vulnerability a flower would grow.”

“I preparation rather inclined to silence, weather whether that be wise cooperation not, it is at littlest more unusual nowadays to bring to light a man who can partnership his tongue than to notice one who cannot.”

“I am decidedly anxious that this Union, magnanimity Constitution, and the liberties hold sway over the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the nifty idea for which that endeavour was made, and I shall be most happy indeed in case I shall be a unpretentious instrument in the hands endlessly the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, sense perpetuating the object of zigzag great struggle.”

“This is essentially systematic People's contest.

On the store of the Union, it assignment a struggle for maintaining manifestation the world, that form, perch substance of government, whose relevant object is, to elevate high-mindedness condition of men—to lift pretend weights from all shoulders—to ambiguous the paths of laudable hunt for all—to afford all, iron out unfettered start, and a openminded chance, in the race deal in life.”

“Fourscore and seven years towards the rear our fathers brought forth conclusion this continent a new regularity, conceived in liberty and earnest to the proposition that burst men are created equal.”

“This farsightedness, under God, shall have elegant new birth of freedom—and think it over government of the people, give up the people, for the grouping, shall not perish from loftiness earth.”

Citation Information

Article Title

Abraham Lincoln

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009