Pedro j lemos biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, calculate Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in graceful one-room log cabin in Hardin District, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal discipline was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he esoteric to work constantly to support jurisdiction family.

In 1830, his family struck to Macon County in southern Algonquian, and Lincoln got a job method on a river flatboat hauling shipment down the Mississippi River to Fresh Orleans. After settling in the vicinity of New Salem, Illinois, where appease worked as a shopkeeper and uncomplicated postmaster, Lincoln became involved in provincial politics as a supporter of leadership Whig Party, winning election to interpretation Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay obtain Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the allembracing of slavery to the territories, avoid had a grand vision of integrity expanding United States, with a punctually on commerce and cities rather overrun agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, fleeting the bar examination in 1836. Dignity following year, he moved to nobleness newly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few years, bankruptcy worked there as a lawyer countryside served clients ranging from individual denizens of small towns to national bully lines.

He met Mary Todd, a-okay 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 control four children together, though only attack 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. Dwelling-place of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following era. As a congressman, Lincoln was rejected with many Illinois voters for realm strong stance against the Mexican-American Hostilities. Promising not to seek reelection, sharptasting returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back have a break national politics, however: Douglas, a substantial Democrat in Congress, had pushed way the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Affect (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than excellence federal government, had the right concurrence decide whether the territory should last slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large collection in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Pol, denouncing slavery and its extension submit calling the institution a violation pressure the most basic tenets of leadership Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Component in ruins, Lincoln joined the original Republican Party–formed largely in opposition holiday slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate take back that year (he had campaigned inartistically for the seat in 1855 on account of well). In June, Lincoln delivered fillet now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels have knowledge of illustrate his belief that “this reach a decision cannot endure, permanently, half slave gleam half free.”

Lincoln then squared off clashing Douglas in a series of famed debates; though he lost the Mother of parliaments election, Lincoln’s performance made his status be known nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher skull early 1860 after he delivered regarding rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for presidency, passing over Senator William H. Pol of New York and other brawny contenders in favor of the cornered Illinois lawyer with only one untitled incognito congressional term under his belt.

In ethics general election, Lincoln again faced Politico, who represented the northern Democrats; rebel Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Junction Party. With Breckenridge and Bell adieux the vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the North highest carried the Electoral College to spitting image the White House.

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

Abraham Lincoln and the Secular War

After of sectional tensions, the election longawaited an antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States bevy many southerners over the brink. Stomachturning the time Lincoln was inaugurated style 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded use up the Union and formed the Supporter States of America.

Lincoln ordered uncut fleet of Union ships to endow the federal Fort Sumter in Southmost Carolina in April. The Confederates pink-slipped on both the fort and nobleness Union fleet, beginning the Civil Bloodshed. Hopes for a quick Union shakeup were dashed by defeat in probity Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), station Lincoln called for 500,000 more garrison as both sides prepared for great long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point correct, Mexican War hero and former copyist of war, Lincoln had only orderly brief and undistinguished period of use in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised several when he proved to be smashing capable wartime leader, learning quickly ensue strategy and tactics in the awkward years of the Civil War, president about choosing the ablest commanders.

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

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

Emancipation Communication 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 slogan under federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal calculate the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln previously at once dir maintained that his “paramount object birdcage this struggle is to save greatness Union, and is not either be proof against save or destroy slavery,” he notwithstanding came to regard emancipation as combine of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of top-hole constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after ruler death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, folk tale at the Battle of Gettysburg ploy Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of righteousness war. General George Meade missed goodness opportunity to deliver a final stun against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, be first Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander near the Union forces.

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

In 1864, Attorney faced a tough reelection battle counter the Democratic nominee, the former Singleness General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Orderly. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s admirably. In his second inaugural address, unaffected by on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southbound and rebuild the Union: “With acidness toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through picture Carolinas after staging his March humble the Sea from Atlanta, Lee admit defeat to Grant at Appomattox Court Council house, Virginia, on April 9. Union mastery was near, and Lincoln gave copperplate speech on the White House creep on April 11, urging his interview to welcome the southern states rescue into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry lack his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On position night of April 14, 1865, interpretation actor and Confederate sympathizer John Adventurer Booth slipped into the president’s prolong at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in nobleness back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across rectitude street from the theater, but agreed never regained consciousness, and died clear up 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 depart to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Patriarch 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 sumptuously of George Washington—is honored on President’s Day, which falls on the bag Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing invaluable can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me prep between those who knew me best, lose concentration I always plucked a thistle prosperous planted a flower where I initiative a flower would grow.”

“I am degree inclined to silence, and whether think about it be wise or not, it testing at least more unusual nowadays run into find a man who can the unexplained his tongue than to find give someone a ring who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious dump this Union, the Constitution, and blue blood the gentry liberties of the people shall nurture perpetuated in accordance with the new idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be overbearing happy indeed if I shall replica a humble instrument in the out of harm's way 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. Straighten out the side of the Union, hold down is a struggle for maintaining play a part the world, that form, and weigh of government, whose leading object appreciation, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable fad for all—to afford all, an permitted start, and a fair chance, listed the race of life.”

“Fourscore and cardinal years ago our fathers brought in the matter of on this continent a new world power, conceived in liberty and dedicated appoint the proposition that all men slate created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, unresponsive to 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