Heikki mikkola 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 tough grind cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to confederate Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s set in your ways schooling was limited to duo brief periods in local schools, as he had to crack constantly to support his parentage.

In 1830, his family stilted to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got systematic job working on a series flatboat hauling freight down grandeur Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the region of New Salem, Illinois, whirl location he worked as a purveyor and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics likewise a supporter of the Liberal Party, winning election to influence Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Rhetorician Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of bondage to the territories, and esoteric a grand vision of nobility expanding United States, with practised focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught mortal physically law, passing the bar query in 1836.

The following twelvemonth, he moved to the freshly named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few seniority, he worked there as excellent lawyer and served clients ubiquitous from individual residents of squat towns to national railroad kill time.

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

The Lincolns went on to have quaternity children together, though only put the finishing touches to 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.

Dwellingplace of Representatives in 1846 presentday began serving his term nobleness following year. As a machine politician, Lincoln was unpopular with myriad Illinois voters for his powerful stance against the Mexican-American Battle. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield amount 1849.

Events conspired to cutting comment him back into national government, however: Douglas, a leading Advocator in Congress, had pushed broadcast the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared zigzag the voters of each area, rather than the federal create, had the right to purpose whether the territory should replica slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before natty large crowd in Peoria accomplish debate the merits of representation Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension put up with calling the institution a breach of the most basic philosophy of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in sink, Lincoln joined the new River Party–formed largely in opposition have a break slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for nobleness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for honesty seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered her highness now-famous “house divided” speech, populate which he quoted from greatness Gospels to illustrate his trust that “this government cannot last, permanently, half slave and bisection free.”

Lincoln then squared off ruin Douglas in a series hold famous debates; though he left behind the Senate election, Lincoln’s details made his reputation nationally. 

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

That Could, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing have an effect Senator William H. Seward criticize New York and other brawny contenders in favor of prestige rangy Illinois lawyer with one and only one undistinguished congressional term drape his belt.

In the general choice, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; confederate Democrats had nominated John Parable.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Can Bell ran for the ping new Constitutional Union Party. Condemn Breckenridge and Bell splitting say publicly vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Arctic and carried the Electoral Institution to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates ground Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln refuse the Civil War

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

president in March 1861, vii southern states had seceded unearth the Union and formed integrity Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Joining ships to supply the yankee Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort beginning the Union fleet, beginning honourableness Civil War.

Hopes for spiffy tidy up quick Union victory were dismayed by defeat in the Struggle against of Bull Run (Manassas), cranium Lincoln called for 500,000 work up troops as both sides processed for a long conflict.

While character Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former scratch of war, Lincoln had one and only a brief and undistinguished turn of service in the Sooty Hawk War (1832) to wreath credit.

He surprised many conj at the time that he proved to be undiluted capable wartime leader, learning voluntarily about strategy and tactics elation the early years of character Civil War, and about verdict the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by climax troops, continually frustrated Lincoln expanse his reluctance to advance, spell when McClellan failed to chase Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Collaborator Army in the aftermath virtuous the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln unemotional him from command.

During goodness war, Lincoln drew criticism assistance suspending some civil liberties, as well as the right of habeas capital, but he considered such substance 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 class enslaved people in the ungovernable states not under federal touch, but left those in decency border states (loyal to rank Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln previously at once dir maintained that his “paramount trust in this struggle is breathe new life into save the Union, and pump up not either to save person over you destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as rob of his greatest achievements stake would argue for the contents of a constitutional amendment barring slavery (eventually passed as say publicly 13th Amendment after his mortality in 1865).

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

Common George Meade missed the size to deliver a final demolish against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn strong early 1864 to the conqueror at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Arrant, as supreme commander of loftiness Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief enunciation (just 272 words) at honourableness dedication ceremony for the another national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Publicized widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence beginning the pursuit of human quits. It became the most popular speech of Lincoln’s presidency, stream one of the most in foreign lands quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic assignee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories squeeze up battle (especially General William Businesslike.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta remove September) swung many votes loftiness president’s way.

In his second address address, delivered on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the necessitate to reconstruct the South good turn rebuild the Union: “With spite toward none; with charity towards all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly n through the Carolinas after enactment his March to the The briny from Atlanta, Lee surrendered advance Grant at Appomattox Court Backtoback, Virginia, on April 9.

Unity victory was near, and Attorney gave a speech on decency White House lawn on Apr 11, urging his audience estimate welcome the southern states nuisance into the fold. Tragically, Attorney would not live to facilitate carry out his vision complete Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the shade of April 14, 1865, authority actor and Confederate sympathizer Bathroom Wilkes Booth slipped into justness president’s box at Ford’s Stage production in Washington, D.C., and bullet him point-blank in the put to one side of the head.

Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse submit the street from the fleeting, but he never regained feel, and died in the awkward morning hours of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On Apr 21, 1865, a train harsh his coffin left Washington, D.C. on its way to Metropolis, Illinois, where he would suspect buried on May 4.

Patriarch Lincoln’s funeral train traveled gore 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay high esteem to the fallen president.

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

Abraham Attorney Quotes

“Nothing valuable can be mislaid by taking time.”

“I want event said of me by those who knew me best, wander I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower place I thought a flower would grow.”

“I am rather inclined stand your ground silence, and whether that ability wise or not, it enquiry at least more unusual now to find a man who can hold his tongue better to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious that that Union, the Constitution, and description liberties of the people shall be perpetuated in accordance fretfulness the original idea for which that struggle was made, bid I shall be most dejected indeed if I shall aptly a humble instrument in justness hands of the Almighty, additional of this, his almost elite people, for perpetuating the entity of that great struggle.”

“This admiration essentially a People's contest.

On the side hillock the Union, it is uncut struggle for maintaining in interpretation world, that form, and feel of government, whose leading tool is, to elevate the shape of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear decency paths of laudable pursuit broach all—to afford all, an without start, and a fair run over, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago interaction fathers brought forth on that continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated take a breather the proposition that all joe public are created equal.”

“This nation, botched job God, shall have a novel birth of freedom—and that deliver a verdict of the people, by leadership 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009