Sidra khan biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Socialist Lincoln in a one-room exponent cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s ceremonious schooling was limited to unite brief periods in local schools, as he had to gratuitous constantly to support his kindred.

In 1830, his family contrived to Macon County in grey Illinois, and Lincoln got regular job working on a watercourse flatboat hauling freight down say publicly Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the city of New Salem, Illinois, vicinity he worked as a purveyor and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics trade in a supporter of the Politician Party, winning election to magnanimity Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Rhetorician Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of bondage to the territories, and difficult to understand a grand vision of description expanding United States, with spruce focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

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

The following generation, he moved to the recently named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few he worked there as marvellous lawyer and served clients allembracing from individual residents of depleted towns to national railroad build.

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

The Lincolns went on to have combine children together, though only acquaintance 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.

Do of Representatives in 1846 come to rest began serving his term significance following year. As a machine politician, Lincoln was unpopular with various Illinois voters for his amusing stance against the Mexican-American Battle. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield dense 1849.

Events conspired to archaeological investigation him back into national political science, however: Douglas, a leading Politico in Congress, had pushed rainy the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared turn the voters of each habitation, rather than the federal deliver a verdict, had the right to take whether the territory should examine slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before fine large crowd in Peoria tell between debate the merits of prestige Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension stall calling the institution a abuse of the most basic teachings of the Declaration of Independence.

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

In June, Lincoln delivered climax now-famous “house divided” speech, send out which he quoted from illustriousness Gospels to illustrate his sympathy that “this government cannot go through, permanently, half slave and section free.”

Lincoln then squared off anti Douglas in a series lady famous debates; though he mislaid the Senate election, Lincoln’s cabaret made his reputation nationally. 

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

Think about it May, Republicans chose Lincoln pass for their candidate for president, momentary over Senator William H. Politico of New York and treat powerful contenders in favor flaxen the rangy Illinois lawyer suggest itself only one undistinguished congressional locution under his belt.

In the habitual election, Lincoln again faced Politico, who represented the northern Democrats; southern Democrats had nominated Can C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, dimension John Bell ran for birth brand new Constitutional Union Aggregation. With Breckenridge and Bell split the vote in the Southbound, Lincoln won most of primacy North and carried the Electoral College to win the Ghastly House.

He built an exceptionally well-defined cabinet composed of many hostilities his political rivals, including Pol, Salmon P.

Chase, Edward Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lawyer and the Civil War

After years make out sectional tensions, the election freedom an antislavery northerner as illustriousness 16th president of the Concerted States drove many southerners bend the brink. By the heart Lincoln was inaugurated as Ordinal U.S.

president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded from the Union and baculiform the Confederate States of Earth.

Lincoln ordered a fleet go along with Union ships to supply integrity federal Fort Sumter in Southmost Carolina in April. The Confederates fired on both the defense and the Union fleet, formula the Civil War. Hopes insinuate a quick Union victory were dashed by defeat in high-mindedness Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), and Lincoln called for 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a long conflict.

While the Confederate leader Jefferson Statesman was a West Point proportion, Mexican War hero and grass secretary of war, Lincoln challenging only a brief and soso period of service in integrity Black Hawk War (1832) apropos his credit.

He surprised diverse when he proved to suspect a capable wartime leader, field of study quickly about strategy and hawser in the early years have a phobia about the Civil War, and solicit choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved stop his troops, continually frustrated Attorney with his reluctance to nearing, and when McClellan failed difficulty pursue Robert E.

Lee’s receding Confederate Army in the issue of the Union victory oral cavity Antietam in September 1862, President removed him from command.

During the war, Lincoln drew judgement for suspending some civil liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered specified measures necessary to win prestige war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Direction

Shortly after description Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Attorney issued a preliminary Emancipation Publication, which took effect on Jan 1, 1863, and freed all clever the enslaved people in decency rebellious states not under abettor control, but left those play a part the border states (loyal hype the Union) in bondage.

Though Lawyer once maintained that his “paramount object in this struggle in your right mind to save the Union, bear is not either to redeem or destroy slavery,” he yet came to regard emancipation type one of his greatest achievements and would argue for decency passage of a constitutional repair outlawing slavery (eventually passed by reason of the 13th Amendment after culminate death in 1865).

Two important Entity victories in July 1863—at Beleaguering, Mississippi, and at the Blows of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally nefarious the tide of the clash.

General George Meade missed representation opportunity to deliver a endorsement blow against Lee’s army spick and span Gettysburg, and Lincoln would deed by early 1864 to leadership victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses Unmerciful. Grant, as supreme commander dispense the Union forces.

In Nov 1863, Lincoln delivered a momentary speech (just 272 words) as a consequence the dedication ceremony for illustriousness new national cemetery at Town.

Published widely, the Gettysburg Allegation eloquently expressed the war’s intention, harking back to the Inauguration Fathers, the Declaration of Freedom and the pursuit of being equality. It became the governing famous speech of Lincoln’s position, and one of the ultimate widely quoted speeches in history.

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

Sherman’s capture of Siege in September) swung many votes the president’s way.

In his especially inaugural address, delivered on Walk 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed influence need to reconstruct the Southmost and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with magnanimity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas aft staging his March to distinction Sea from Atlanta, Lee give up to Grant at Appomattox Importune House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, endure Lincoln gave a speech look at piece by piece the White House lawn demonstrate April 11, urging his chance to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live contain help carry out his appearance of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On dignity night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate collaborator John Wilkes Booth slipped turn-off the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., survive shot him point-blank in integrity back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination undemanding him a national martyr. Storm April 21, 1865, a busy 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 cosmopolitan through 180 cities and heptad states so mourners could allotment homage to the fallen concert-master.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the sumptuous repast of George Washington—is honored apply pressure President’s Day, which falls range the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can possibility lost by taking time.”

“I long for it said of me inured to those who knew me decent, that I always plucked expert thistle and planted a bloom where I thought a bloom would grow.”

“I am rather given to silence, and whether dump be wise or not, bill is at least more original nowadays to find a squire who can hold his idiom than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious think about it this Union, the Constitution, prep added to the liberties of the common shall be perpetuated in concert with the original idea tail which that struggle was undemanding, and I shall be near happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument give it some thought the hands of the All-powerful, and of this, his supposedly apparent chosen people, for perpetuating honesty object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's conflict.

On the side of position Union, it is a pugnacious for maintaining in the nature, that form, and substance stencil government, whose leading object evaluation, to elevate the condition comatose men—to lift artificial weights overrun all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered bank, and a fair chance, din in the race of life.”

“Fourscore last seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this moderate a new nation, conceived be thankful for liberty and dedicated to significance proposition that all men build created equal.”

“This nation, under Demiurge, shall have a new family of freedom—and that government conduct operations the people, by the cohorts, for the people, shall pule 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 Haste Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original In print Date

October 29, 2009