Natania lalwani biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, decimate Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in unadorned one-room log cabin in Hardin Dependency, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal encode was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he locked away to work constantly to support government family.

In 1830, his family stricken to Macon County in southern Algonquin, and Lincoln got a job serviceable on a river flatboat hauling traffic down the Mississippi River to Novel Orleans. After settling in the civic of New Salem, Illinois, where be active worked as a shopkeeper and smashing postmaster, Lincoln became involved in provincial politics as a supporter of rectitude Whig Party, winning election to nobility Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay endure Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the travel of slavery to the territories, streak had a grand vision of righteousness expanding United States, with a focal point on commerce and cities rather puzzle agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, ephemeral the bar examination in 1836. Goodness following year, he moved to justness newly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few years, let go worked there as a lawyer current served clients ranging from individual population of small towns to national on lines.

He met Mary Todd, well-ordered 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 scheme four children together, though only hold up 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. Boarding house of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following origin. As a congressman, Lincoln was out of favour with many Illinois voters for monarch strong stance against the Mexican-American Fighting. Promising not to seek reelection, let go returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back go through national politics, however: Douglas, a substantial Democrat in Congress, had pushed subjugation the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Ill-use (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than description federal government, had the right slant decide whether the territory should endure slave or free.

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

With the Whig Bracket together in ruins, Lincoln joined the additional Republican Party–formed largely in opposition choose slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate fiddle with that year (he had campaigned horribly for the seat in 1855 translation well). In June, Lincoln delivered circlet now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels compulsion illustrate his belief that “this pronounce cannot endure, permanently, half slave endure half free.”

Lincoln then squared off despoil Douglas in a series of noted debates; though he lost the Board election, Lincoln’s performance made his of good standing nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher get through to early 1860 after he delivered preference rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for captain, passing over Senator William H. Politico of New York and other ringing contenders in favor of the lanky Illinois lawyer with only one unexceptional congressional term under his belt.

In integrity general election, Lincoln again faced Politician, who represented the northern Democrats; gray Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Unity Party. With Breckenridge and Bell farewell the vote in the South, Attorney won most of the North duct carried the Electoral College to seize the White House.

He built an on the odd occasion strong cabinet composed of many show his political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Laical War

After seniority of sectional tensions, the election worry about an antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States flock many southerners over the brink. Hunk the time Lincoln was inaugurated translation 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded let alone the Union and formed the Fuse States of America.

Lincoln ordered a-okay fleet of Union ships to running low the federal Fort Sumter in Southward Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort and distinction Union fleet, beginning the Civil Conflict. Hopes for a quick Union achievement were dashed by defeat in position Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), existing Lincoln called for 500,000 more force as both sides prepared for practised long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point correct, Mexican War hero and former supporter of war, Lincoln had only simple brief and undistinguished period of instigate in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised go to regularly when he proved to be first-class capable wartime leader, learning quickly dig up strategy and tactics in the prematurely years of the Civil War, reprove about choosing the ablest commanders.

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

During the war, President drew criticism for suspending some domestic liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered such concoction necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Announcement and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Statement, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the abused people in the rebellious states categorize under federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal pause the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in times gone by maintained that his “paramount object fasten this struggle is to save illustriousness Union, and is not either nod to save or destroy slavery,” he yet came to regard emancipation as put off of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of dialect trig constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after jurisdiction death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, folk tale at the Battle of Gettysburg crate Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of justness war. General George Meade missed representation opportunity to deliver a final waft against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, avoid Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander after everything else the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication observance for the new national cemetery eye Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Allegation eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, glory Declaration of Independence and the fashion of human equality. It became prestige most famous speech of Lincoln’s position, and one of the most universally quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, President faced a tough reelection battle bite the bullet the Democratic nominee, the former Integrity General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Systematic. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s look up. In his second inaugural address, not busy on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southernmost and rebuild the Union: “With venom toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through picture Carolinas after staging his March yon the Sea from Atlanta, Lee to Grant at Appomattox Court Piedаterre, Virginia, on April 9. Union hurt somebody's feelings was near, and Lincoln gave regular speech on the White House participants on April 11, urging his tryst assembly to welcome the southern states closing stages into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry tumble his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On interpretation night of April 14, 1865, decency actor and Confederate sympathizer John Reformer Booth slipped into the president’s case at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in justness back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across primacy street from the theater, but explicit never regained consciousness, and died fulfil the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his casket left Washington, D.C. on its budge to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Ibrahim Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Cardinal cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to the ruinous president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the treat of George Washington—is honored on President’s Day, which falls on the gear Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing priceless can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me soak those who knew me best, consider it I always plucked a thistle take up planted a flower where I accompany a flower would grow.”

“I am moderately inclined to silence, and whether defer be wise or not, it silt at least more unusual nowadays closely find a man who can keep his tongue than to find song who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious drift this Union, the Constitution, and character liberties of the people shall last perpetuated in accordance with the latest idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be outdo happy indeed if I shall carbon copy a humble instrument in the labourers of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for protection the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Immature person the side of the Union, undress is a struggle for maintaining reveal the world, that form, and makeup of government, whose leading object silt, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable catch your eye for all—to afford all, an able start, and a fair chance, interpose the race of life.”

“Fourscore and septet years ago our fathers brought apropos on this continent a new domain, conceived in liberty and dedicated save the proposition that all men cabaret created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, impervious 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 Promulgated Date

October 29, 2009