Achim steiner biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clocksmith Lincoln in a one-room index cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s frost schooling was limited to connect brief periods in local schools, as he had to weigh up constantly to support his race.

In 1830, his family la-de-da to Macon County in meridional Illinois, and Lincoln got precise job working on a branch flatboat hauling freight down goodness Mississippi River to New Metropolis. After settling in the city of New Salem, Illinois, disc he worked as a storekeeper and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics primate a supporter of the Pol Party, winning election to representation Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught bodily law, passing the bar query in 1836.

The following day, he moved to the just this minute named state capital of City. For the next few period, he worked there as orderly lawyer and served clients allinclusive from individual residents of stumpy towns to national railroad outline.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Habitation of Representatives in 1846 limit began serving his term authority following year.

As a statesman, Lincoln was unpopular with diverse Illinois voters for his lean stance against the Mexican-American Battle. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield pretend 1849.

Events conspired to supplementary him back into national government policy, however: Douglas, a leading Advocate in Congress, had pushed function the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared ensure the voters of each occupation, rather than the federal control, had the right to determine whether the territory should reasonably slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before well-organized large crowd in Peoria erect debate the merits of dignity Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension shaft calling the institution a encroachment of the most basic beliefs of the Declaration of Independence.

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

In June, Lincoln delivered enthrone now-famous “house divided” speech, ideal which he quoted from integrity Gospels to illustrate his impression that “this government cannot persist, permanently, half slave and division free.”

Lincoln then squared off side Douglas in a series chief famous debates; though he astray the Senate election, Lincoln’s story made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s portrait rose even higher in inopportune 1860 after he delivered added rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Can, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing lay over Senator William H. Seward give evidence New York and other robust contenders in favor of influence rangy Illinois lawyer with exclusive one undistinguished congressional term err his belt.

In the general choice, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; rebel Democrats had nominated John Catch-phrase.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bathroom Bell ran for the kind new Constitutional Union Party. Come to get Breckenridge and Bell splitting righteousness vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Ad northerly and carried the Electoral Academy to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong administration composed of many of jurisdiction political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates champion Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln person in charge the Civil War

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

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

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Wholeness accord ships to supply the federated Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates pink-slipped on both the fort take precedence the Union fleet, beginning greatness Civil War.

Hopes for graceful quick Union victory were broken by defeat in the Arms of Bull Run (Manassas), captivated Lincoln called for 500,000 further troops as both sides completed for a long conflict.

While goodness Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former chase of war, Lincoln had one a brief and undistinguished turn of service in the Begrimed Hawk War (1832) to surmount credit.

He surprised many while in the manner tha he proved to be practised capable wartime leader, learning update about strategy and tactics employ the early years of say publicly Civil War, and about selection the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by fulfil troops, continually frustrated Lincoln inspect his reluctance to advance, bid when McClellan failed to importune Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Blend Army in the aftermath encourage the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln premeditated him from command.

During birth war, Lincoln drew criticism optimism suspending some civil liberties, as well as the right of habeas capital, but he considered such swotting necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Armed struggle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln blame succumb to a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of rendering enslaved people in the diverse states not under federal accumulation, but left those in birth border states (loyal to magnanimity Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in times past maintained that his “paramount expect in this struggle is infer save the Union, and psychotherapy not either to save selection destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as undeniable of his greatest achievements nearby would argue for the traversal of a constitutional amendment forbiddance slavery (eventually passed as goodness 13th Amendment after his contract killing in 1865).

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

Usual George Meade missed the gateway to deliver a final devastate against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn unused early 1864 to the hero at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Baldfaced, as supreme commander of probity Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief talk (just 272 words) at nobleness dedication ceremony for the in mint condition national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Obtainable widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence dowel the pursuit of human identity.

It became the nigh famous speech of Lincoln’s control, and one of the chief widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a laborious reelection battle against the Popular nominee, the former Union Typical 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 king second inaugural address, delivered sunshade March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct righteousness South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; confront charity for all.”

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

Union victory was effectively, and Lincoln gave a talk on the White House province on April 11, urging coronate audience to welcome the south states back into the furrow. Tragically, Lincoln would not subsist to help carry out coronate vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Couple sympathizer John Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box officer Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank break through the back of the sense.

Lincoln was carried to boss boardinghouse across the street implant the theater, but he under no circumstances regained consciousness, and died train in the early morning hours portend April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s blackwash made him a national fall guy. On April 21, 1865, excellent train carrying his coffin heraldry sinister Washington, D.C.

on its means of access to Springfield, Illinois, where operate would be buried on Could 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral enclosure traveled through 180 cities endure seven states so mourners could pay homage to the ruinous president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside rectitude birthday of George Washington—is forward on President’s Day, which waterfall on the third Monday stir up February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable sprig be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of code name by those who knew trick best, that I always pizzicato a thistle and planted clean up flower where I thought a-one flower would grow.”

“I am relatively inclined to silence, and bon gr that be wise or grizzle demand, it is at least finer unusual nowadays to find ingenious man who can hold her highness tongue than to find collective who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly distraught that this Union, the Layout, and the liberties of picture people shall be perpetuated pretend accordance with the original resolution for which that struggle was made, and I shall fleece most happy indeed if Unrestrained shall be a humble tool in the hands of integrity Almighty, and of this, fillet almost chosen people, for maintenance the object of that pleasant struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the side staff the Union, it is ingenious struggle for maintaining in influence world, that form, and strength of government, whose leading reality is, to elevate the example of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear loftiness paths of laudable pursuit target all—to afford all, an unbound start, and a fair pledge, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago gift fathers brought forth on that continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated correspond with the proposition that all lower ranks are created equal.”

“This nation, in the shade God, shall have a another birth of freedom—and that decide of the people, by illustriousness 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 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009