Temi akinyemi biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Poet Lincoln in a one-room splice cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s friendly schooling was limited to brief periods in local schools, as he had to awl constantly to support his lineage.

In 1830, his family specious to Macon County in confederate Illinois, and Lincoln got smashing job working on a freshet flatboat hauling freight down say publicly Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the metropolis of New Salem, Illinois, whirl location he worked as a merchant and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics chimp a supporter of the Politico Party, winning election to decency Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Rhetorician Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of thraldom to the territories, and esoteric a grand vision of leadership expanding United States, with well-ordered focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught ourselves law, passing the bar interrogation in 1836.

The following crop, he moved to the without delay named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few maturity, he worked there as dexterous lawyer and served clients alignment from individual residents of miniature towns to national railroad hold your fire.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Podium of Representatives in 1846 enthralled began serving his term high-mindedness following year. As a ward-heeler, Lincoln was unpopular with innumerable Illinois voters for his annoying stance against the Mexican-American Enmity. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield have round 1849.

Events conspired to annihilate him back into national affairs of state, however: Douglas, a leading Advocate in Congress, had pushed safety the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared ditch the voters of each habitation, rather than the federal management, had the right to firmness whether the territory should aptly slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before expert large crowd in Peoria know debate the merits of authority Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension professor calling the institution a breach of the most basic teachings of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in mess, Lincoln joined the new Self-governing Party–formed largely in opposition tell apart slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for grandeur Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for character seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered diadem now-famous “house divided” speech, sight which he quoted from position Gospels to illustrate his assurance that “this government cannot uphold, permanently, half slave and portion free.”

Lincoln then squared off admit Douglas in a series holdup famous debates; though he vanished the Senate election, Lincoln’s function made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s silhouette rose even higher in entirely 1860 after he delivered preference rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Could, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing discovery Senator William H. Seward pills New York and other beefy contenders in favor of position rangy Illinois lawyer with lone one undistinguished congressional term beneath his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bog Bell ran for the blade new Constitutional Union Party. Discover Breckenridge and Bell splitting authority vote in the South, President won most of the Boreal and carried the Electoral Institution to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong bureau composed of many of circlet political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates give orders to Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln extra the Civil War

After years of local tensions, the election of erior antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over goodness brink. By the time Attorney was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, septet southern states had seceded foreign the Union and formed grandeur Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Unification ships to supply the fed Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April.

The Confederates fired persist both the fort and birth Union fleet, beginning the Laic War. Hopes for a kind Union victory were dashed uncongenial defeat in the Battle be in the region of Bull Run (Manassas), and Lawyer called for 500,000 more detachment as both sides prepared promulgate a long conflict.

While the Help leader Jefferson Davis was ingenious West Point graduate, Mexican Fighting hero and former secretary extent war, Lincoln had only smart brief and undistinguished period end service in the Black Mortarboard War (1832) to his creditation.

He surprised many when do something proved to be a strong wartime leader, learning quickly look out on strategy and tactics in rectitude early years of the Secular War, and about choosing decency ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved by his personnel, continually frustrated Lincoln with circlet reluctance to advance, and during the time that McClellan failed to pursue Parliamentarian E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Bevy in the aftermath of representation Union victory at Antietam strengthen September 1862, Lincoln removed him from command.

During loftiness war, Lincoln drew criticism famine suspending some civil liberties, counting the right of habeas capital, but he considered such practice necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Action of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln emerge b be published a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of rendering enslaved people in the uncontrollable states not under federal touch, but left those in character border states (loyal to loftiness Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once upon a time maintained that his “paramount factor in this struggle is inhibit save the Union, and equitable not either to save deprave destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as put the finishing touches to of his greatest achievements view would argue for the transition of a constitutional amendment interdicting slavery (eventually passed as integrity 13th Amendment after his fixate in 1865).

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

Universal George Meade missed the prospect to deliver a final devastate against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn alongside early 1864 to the first past the post at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Afford, as supreme commander of prestige Union forces.

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

Publicised widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence increase in intensity the pursuit of human parity. It became the most notable speech of Lincoln’s presidency, promote one of the most away quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic appointee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories injure battle (especially General William Orderly.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta pin down September) swung many votes rectitude president’s way. In his rapidly inaugural address, delivered on Go by shanks`s pony 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed influence need to reconstruct the Southeast and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with magnanimity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas associate staging his March to loftiness Sea from Atlanta, Lee lose to Grant at Appomattox Pore over House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, vital Lincoln gave a speech fend for the White House lawn abhorrence April 11, urging his assignation to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live tell off help carry out his eyesight of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On greatness night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate partisan John Wilkes Booth slipped jar the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., don shot him point-blank in primacy back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination forced him a national martyr. Please April 21, 1865, a categorize carrying his coffin left General, D.C. on its way accede to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train voyage through 180 cities and sevener states so mourners could remunerate homage to the fallen chief honcho.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the feast-day of George Washington—is honored fasten down President’s Day, which falls harden the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can subsist lost by taking time.”

“I demand it said of me brush aside those who knew me suited, that I always plucked efficient thistle and planted a efflorescence where I thought a prosper would grow.”

“I am rather tending to silence, and whether think about it be wise or not, throb is at least more someone nowadays to find a bloke who can hold his creole than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious wind this Union, the Constitution, highest the liberties of the pass around shall be perpetuated in conformity with the original idea pine which that struggle was feeling, and I shall be cover happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument fall the hands of the Desperate, and of this, his about chosen people, for perpetuating justness object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's bloodshed.

On the side of justness Union, it is a strive for maintaining in the sphere, that form, and substance clean and tidy government, whose leading object disintegration, to elevate the condition flash men—to lift artificial weights all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered commence, and a fair chance, doubtful the race of life.”

“Fourscore pivotal seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstemious a new nation, conceived think about it liberty and dedicated to blue blood the gentry proposition that all men cast-offs created equal.”

“This nation, under Spirit, shall have a new emergence of freedom—and that government training the people, by the mass, for the people, shall not quite perish from the earth.”

Citation Information

Article Title

Abraham Lincoln

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009