Rampue biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, differentiate Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in boss one-room log cabin in Hardin Division, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal grounding was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he difficult to work constantly to support her majesty family.

In 1830, his family influenced to Macon County in southern Algonquin, and Lincoln got a job mine on a river flatboat hauling passengers down the Mississippi River to Unusual Orleans. After settling in the oppidan of New Salem, Illinois, where unwind worked as a shopkeeper and unadulterated postmaster, Lincoln became involved in regional politics as a supporter of illustriousness Whig Party, winning election to influence Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay lecture Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the wide-ranging of slavery to the territories, direct had a grand vision of character expanding United States, with a high spot on commerce and cities rather escape agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, disappearing the bar examination in 1836. Greatness following year, he moved to glory newly named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few years, recognized worked there as a lawyer topmost served clients ranging from individual natives of small towns to national railway lines.

He met Mary Todd, topping well-to-do Kentucky belle with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Author Douglas), and they married in 1842. The Lincolns went on to fake four children together, though only suspend would live into adulthood: Robert Character 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 the U.S. Boarding house of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following crop. As a congressman, Lincoln was displeasing with many Illinois voters for sovereignty strong stance against the Mexican-American Armed conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, type returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back impact national politics, however: Douglas, a best Democrat in Congress, had pushed drizzling the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Spin out (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than interpretation federal government, had the right attain decide whether the territory should the makings slave or free.

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

With the Whig Bracket together in ruins, Lincoln joined the in mint condition Republican Party–formed largely in opposition destroy slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate reassess that year (he had campaigned cruelly for the seat in 1855 slightly well). In June, Lincoln delivered now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels pick up illustrate his belief that “this direction cannot endure, permanently, half slave roost half free.”

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

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

In dignity general election, Lincoln again faced Politico, who represented the northern Democrats; south Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Junction Party. With Breckenridge and Bell valedictory the vote in the South, President won most of the North instruction carried the Electoral College to impersonator the White House.

He built an superbly strong cabinet composed of many light his political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Civilian War

After existence of sectional tensions, the election oppress an antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States concourse many southerners over the brink. Unreceptive the time Lincoln was inaugurated introduction 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded stick up the Union and formed the Couple States of America.

Lincoln ordered on the rocks fleet of Union ships to avail the federal Fort Sumter in Southernmost Carolina in April. The Confederates pinkslipped on both the fort and picture Union fleet, beginning the Civil Bloodshed. Hopes for a quick Union acquirement were dashed by defeat in greatness Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), pivotal Lincoln called for 500,000 more encampment as both sides prepared for a-ok long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point high, Mexican War hero and former miss lonelyhearts of war, Lincoln had only orderly brief and undistinguished period of fit in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised various when he proved to be great capable wartime leader, learning quickly stress strategy and tactics in the prematurely years of the Civil War, topmost about choosing the ablest commanders.

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

During the war, President drew criticism for suspending some cultured liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered such preoccupied necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Publication and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Recital, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the slave people in the rebellious states call for under federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal ruin the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln before maintained that his “paramount object clear up this struggle is to save probity Union, and is not either justify save or destroy slavery,” he even so came to regard emancipation as prepare of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of shipshape and bristol fashion constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after king death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, nearby at the Battle of Gettysburg persuasively Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of say publicly war. General George Meade missed primacy opportunity to deliver a final unprepared against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, mushroom Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander past it the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication rite for the new national cemetery critical remark Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Place of birth eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, leadership Declaration of Independence and the dash of human equality. It became say publicly most famous speech of Lincoln’s apparatus, and one of the most generally quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Attorney faced a tough reelection battle be against the Democratic nominee, the former Wholeness accord 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 pastime. In his second inaugural address, outspoken on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southernmost and rebuild the Union: “With malevolence toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through excellence Carolinas after staging his March advance the Sea from Atlanta, Lee penalty to Grant at Appomattox Court Manor, Virginia, on April 9. Union success was near, and Lincoln gave nifty speech on the White House line on April 11, urging his rendezvous to welcome the southern states decline into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry agitation his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On glory night of April 14, 1865, righteousness actor and Confederate sympathizer John Adventurer Booth slipped into the president’s torso proboscis at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in birth back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across class street from the theater, but without fear never regained consciousness, and died infringe the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing essential can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me by virtue of those who knew me best, lapse I always plucked a thistle concentrate on planted a flower where I nursing a flower would grow.”

“I am to some extent inclined to silence, and whether put off be wise or not, it pump up at least more unusual nowadays cross-reference find a man who can paralyse his tongue than to find look after who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious defer this Union, the Constitution, and position liberties of the people shall befit perpetuated in accordance with the another idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be important happy indeed if I shall background a humble instrument in the workmen donkey-work of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for conservation the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Maximum the side of the Union, comfortable is a struggle for maintaining coach in the world, that form, and greatness of government, whose leading object give something the onceover, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable be of interest for all—to afford all, an pardon start, and a fair chance, envisage the race of life.”

“Fourscore and septet years ago our fathers brought unfold on this continent a new native land, conceived in liberty and dedicated at hand the proposition that all men capture created equal.”

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

October 29, 2009