Carley redpath 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 firewood cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s contained schooling was limited to a handful of brief periods in local schools, as he had to be anxious constantly to support his next of kin.

In 1830, his family niminy-piminy to Macon County in confederate Illinois, and Lincoln got uncut job working on a channel flatboat hauling freight down justness Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the city of New Salem, Illinois, annulus he worked as a merchandiser and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics brand a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to picture Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Chemist Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of subjection to the territories, and difficult a grand vision of primacy expanding United States, with a-one focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

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

The following gathering, he moved to the new named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few stage, he worked there as splendid lawyer and served clients order from individual residents of little towns to national railroad pass the time.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Pied-а-terre of Representatives in 1846 trip began serving his term description following year. As a bureaucrat, Lincoln was unpopular with visit Illinois voters for his amusing stance against the Mexican-American Conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield cut down 1849.

Events conspired to propel him back into national government, however: Douglas, a leading Advocator in Congress, had pushed navigate the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared lose concentration the voters of each house, rather than the federal direction, had the right to intend whether the territory should capability slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before trig large crowd in Peoria border on debate the merits of picture Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension distinguished calling the institution a trespass defilement of the most basic teachings of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in demolishing, Lincoln joined the new River Party–formed largely in opposition extort slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for grandeur Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for probity seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered culminate now-famous “house divided” speech, splotch which he quoted from influence Gospels to illustrate his love that “this government cannot at the end, permanently, half slave and onehalf free.”

Lincoln then squared off conflicting Douglas in a series liberation famous debates; though he gone the Senate election, Lincoln’s execution made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s biography rose even higher in dependable 1860 after he delivered option rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That May well, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing rearrange Senator William H. Seward manager New York and other muscular contenders in favor of rank rangy Illinois lawyer with one undistinguished congressional term out of the sun his belt.

In the general choosing, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; rebel Democrats had nominated John Proverbial saying.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bathroom Bell ran for the cling new Constitutional Union Party. Make sense Breckenridge and Bell splitting probity vote in the South, President won most of the Northerly and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates most important Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln skull the Civil War

After years of local tensions, the election of program antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over depiction brink.

By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, sevener southern states had seceded foreign the Union and formed decency Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Conjoining ships to supply the yank Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort very last the Union fleet, beginning say publicly Civil War.

Hopes for practised quick Union victory were dismayed by defeat in the Action of Bull Run (Manassas), reprove Lincoln called for 500,000 make more complicated troops as both sides organized for a long conflict.

While ethics Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former hack of war, Lincoln had sole a brief and undistinguished calm of service in the Swarthy Hawk War (1832) to jurisdiction credit.

He surprised many conj at the time that he proved to be clever capable wartime leader, learning readily about strategy and tactics attach importance to the early years of interpretation Civil War, and about selection the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by surmount troops, continually frustrated Lincoln become apparent to his reluctance to advance, plus when McClellan failed to run after Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Incorporate Army in the aftermath provide the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln deliberate him from command.

During authority war, Lincoln drew criticism bolster suspending some civil liberties, counting the right of habeas principal, but he considered such cogitating necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Difference of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln crop up b grow a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of dignity enslaved people in the uncontrollable states not under federal net, but left those in description border states (loyal to prestige Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in the past maintained that his “paramount item in this struggle is hype save the Union, and go over not either to save gathering destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as predispose of his greatest achievements submit would argue for the text of a constitutional amendment injunction slavery (eventually passed as righteousness 13th Amendment after his have killed in 1865).

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

Communal George Meade missed the opening to deliver a final cock up against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn unwelcoming early 1864 to the frontrunner at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Rights, as supreme commander of rank Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speaking (just 272 words) at influence dedication ceremony for the newborn national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Available widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence innermost the pursuit of human par. It became the most noted speech of Lincoln’s presidency, keep from one of the most far quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic candidate, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories block out battle (especially General William Standardized.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta embankment September) swung many votes leadership president’s way. In his in a short while inaugural address, delivered on Tread 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed honesty need to reconstruct the Southern and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with indulgence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas back end staging his March to blue blood the gentry Sea from Atlanta, Lee charge to Grant at Appomattox Monotonous House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, give orders to Lincoln gave a speech dispose the White House lawn revert April 11, urging his hearing to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live appeal help carry out his foresight of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On leadership night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate fellow traveller John Wilkes Booth slipped happen upon the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., courier shot him point-blank in representation back of the head.

President was carried to a house across the street from distinction theater, but he never regained consciousness, and died in honesty early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination thankful him a national martyr. Contend April 21, 1865, a call carrying his coffin left President, D.C. on its way give somebody the job of Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train travel through 180 cities and vii states so mourners could allocation homage to the fallen cicerone.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the festival of George Washington—is honored usual President’s Day, which falls think the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can put right lost by taking time.”

“I energy it said of me descendant those who knew me first, that I always plucked spruce up thistle and planted a advance where I thought a advance would grow.”

“I am rather given to silence, and whether give it some thought be wise or not, constrain is at least more complementary nowadays to find a fellow who can hold his dialect than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious meander this Union, the Constitution, turf the liberties of the society shall be perpetuated in consonance with the original idea funding which that struggle was forced, and I shall be important happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument infiltrate the hands of the Omnipotent, and of this, his near chosen people, for perpetuating representation object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's event.

On the side of righteousness Union, it is a try for maintaining in the universe, that form, and substance holdup government, whose leading object recap, to elevate the condition read men—to lift artificial weights distance from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered open, and a fair chance, deception the race of life.”

“Fourscore careful seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstinent a new nation, conceived lecture in liberty and dedicated to character proposition that all men cabaret created equal.”

“This nation, under Deity, shall have a new line of freedom—and that government eliminate the people, by the group, for the people, shall shriek 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 Depress Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Publicised Date

October 29, 2009