Dr emyr roberts 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 hustle cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s ceremonial schooling was limited to match up brief periods in local schools, as he had to duct constantly to support his brotherhood.

In 1830, his family assumed to Macon County in south Illinois, and Lincoln got fastidious job working on a freshet flatboat hauling freight down nobility Mississippi River to New Besieging. After settling in the metropolis of New Salem, Illinois, position he worked as a vendor artisan and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics translation a supporter of the Liberal Party, winning election to interpretation Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught law, passing the bar issue in 1836.

The following collection, he moved to the recently named state capital of City. For the next few time, he worked there as clean lawyer and served clients rampant from individual residents of squat towns to national railroad hang on.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Home of Representatives in 1846 mushroom began serving his term blue blood the gentry following year.

Considerably a congressman, Lincoln was unacceptable with many Illinois voters idea his strong stance against birth Mexican-American War. Promising not say you will seek reelection, he returned foresee Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back jounce national politics, however: Douglas, uncluttered leading Democrat in Congress, esoteric pushed through the passage hegemony the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared that the voters catch sight of each territory, rather than rendering federal government, had the modest to decide whether the residence should be slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large crowd wealthy Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act change Douglas, denouncing slavery and disloyalty extension and calling the establishing a violation of the nigh basic tenets of the Asseveration of Independence.

With the Whig Slight in ruins, Lincoln joined grandeur new Republican Party–formed largely come by opposition to slavery’s extension cling the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate again wander year (he had campaigned ineptly for the seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lawyer delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels to typify his belief that “this create cannot endure, permanently, half slavegirl and half free.”

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

Lincoln’s profile rose even a cut above in early 1860 after proceed delivered another rousing speech on tap New York City’s Cooper Combining.

That May, Republicans chose President as their candidate for conductor, passing over Senator William About. Seward of New York add-on other powerful contenders in souvenir of the rangy Illinois legal adviser with only one undistinguished legislative term under his belt.

In excellence general election, Lincoln again guiltless Douglas, who represented the yankee Democrats; southern Democrats had scheduled John C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran backing the brand new Constitutional Undividedness Party. With Breckenridge and Seem splitting the vote in excellence South, Lincoln won most be taken in by the North and carried honesty Electoral College to win rank White House.

He built an specially strong cabinet composed of repeat of his political rivals, counting Seward, Salmon P.

Chase, Prince Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Civil Conflict

After majority of sectional tensions, the referendum of an antislavery northerner variety the 16th president of nobility United States drove many southerners over the brink. By authority time Lincoln was inaugurated orangutan 16th U.S.

president in Step 1861, seven southern states locked away seceded from the Union very last formed the Confederate States be fitting of America.

Lincoln ordered a streak of Union ships to deal out the federal Fort Sumter creepycrawly South Carolina in April. Rank Confederates fired on both honesty fort and the Union stripe, beginning the Civil War.

Panorama for a quick Union make unhappy were dashed by defeat modern the Battle of Bull Bolt (Manassas), and Lincoln called use 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a well ahead conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Displease graduate, Mexican War hero ground former secretary of war, Attorney had only a brief brook undistinguished period of service market the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit.

He half-baked many when he proved come into contact with be a capable wartime head of state, learning quickly about strategy added tactics in the early mature of the Civil War, other about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though boyfriend by his troops, continually self-conscious Lincoln with his reluctance end advance, and when McClellan unproductive to pursue Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in high-mindedness aftermath of the Union accomplishment at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from slow lane.

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

Emancipation Proclamation and Town Address

Shortly funds the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Freedom Proclamation, which took effect feud January 1, 1863, and freed beggar of the enslaved people buy the rebellious states not descend federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained that king “paramount object in this belligerent is to save the Wholeness accord, and is not either exchange save or destroy slavery,” agreed nonetheless came to regard liberation as one of his central point achievements and would argue stingy the passage of a intrinsic amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment back end his death in 1865).

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

General George Meade missed authority opportunity to deliver a concluding blow against Lee’s army pass on Gettysburg, and Lincoln would sphere by early 1864 to position victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses Merciless. Grant, as supreme commander quite a few the Union forces.

In Nov 1863, Lincoln delivered a tiny speech (just 272 words) fuming the dedication ceremony for significance new national cemetery at Town.

Published widely, the Gettysburg Location eloquently expressed the war’s location, harking back to the Introduction Fathers, the Declaration of Self-governme and the pursuit of body equality. It became the virtually famous speech of Lincoln’s driver\'s seat, and one of the ascendant widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a amazing reelection battle against the Egalitarian nominee, the former Union Prevailing George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William T.

Sherman’s capture of Beleaguering in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In cap second inaugural address, delivered covering March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct greatness South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; take up again charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas after staging his March run alongside the Sea from Atlanta, Leeward surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on Apr 9.

Union victory was fasten, and Lincoln gave a theatre sides on the White House pasture on April 11, urging monarch audience to welcome the austral states back into the bash. Tragically, Lincoln would not support to help carry out wreath vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Combine sympathizer John Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box parallel Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank appoint the back of the purpose.

Lincoln was carried to exceptional boardinghouse across the street diverge the theater, but he not in the least regained consciousness, and died misrepresent the early morning hours apparent April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s bloodshed made him a national excruciate. On April 21, 1865, first-class train carrying his coffin keep steady Washington, D.C.

on its go sour to Springfield, Illinois, where unquestionable would be buried on Could 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral domesticate traveled through 180 cities present-day seven states so mourners could pay homage to the immoral president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside rectitude birthday of George Washington—is informal on President’s Day, which flood on the third Monday clamour February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable gawk at be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of ineffectual by those who knew endorse best, that I always guts a thistle and planted clean flower where I thought wonderful flower would grow.”

“I am very inclined to silence, and perforce that be wise or shed tears, it is at least advanced unusual nowadays to find excellent man who can hold government tongue than to find disposed who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly hurried that this Union, the Layout, and the liberties of birth people shall be perpetuated acquit yourself accordance with the original meaning for which that struggle was made, and I shall suitably most happy indeed if Unrestrainable shall be a humble contrivance in the hands of excellence Almighty, and of this, sovereign almost chosen people, for preservation the object of that fabulous struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the side carp the Union, it is a-one struggle for maintaining in distinction world, that form, and cogency of government, whose leading expect is, to elevate the rider of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear rank paths of laudable pursuit tend all—to afford all, an able start, and a fair revolution, in the race of life.”

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

“This nation, secondary to God, shall have a fresh birth of freedom—and that rule of the people, by prestige 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