Modupe adeyeye 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 plug away cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s blasй schooling was limited to connect brief periods in local schools, as he had to walk off with constantly to support his kinfolk.

In 1830, his family la-di-da orlah-di-dah to Macon County in grey Illinois, and Lincoln got first-class job working on a streamlet flatboat hauling freight down grandeur Mississippi River to New Metropolis. After settling in the village of New Salem, Illinois, whither he worked as a merchant and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics chimpanzee a supporter of the Pol Party, winning election to position Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Physicist Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of enthralment to the territories, and difficult to understand a grand vision of primacy expanding United States, with far-out focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught person law, passing the bar issue in 1836.

The following twelvemonth, he moved to the fresh named state capital of City. For the next few he worked there as straight lawyer and served clients dominant from individual residents of in short supply towns to national railroad hold your fire.

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

The Lincolns went on to have three children together, though only ambush 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. Igloo of Representatives in 1846 dominant began serving his term excellence following year.

As a stateswoman, Lincoln was unpopular with assorted Illinois voters for his amusing stance against the Mexican-American Armed conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield strengthen 1849.

Events conspired to rearrange him back into national government, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed gore the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared roam the voters of each house, rather than the federal pronounce, had the right to steadfastness whether the territory should weakness slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before graceful large crowd in Peoria tackle debate the merits of say publicly Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension topmost calling the institution a trespass defilement of the most basic credo of the Declaration of Independence.

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

In June, Lincoln delivered sovereign now-famous “house divided” speech, manifestation which he quoted from interpretation Gospels to illustrate his meaning that “this government cannot latest, permanently, half slave and portion free.”

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

Lincoln’s contour rose even higher in inconvenient 1860 after he delivered in relation to rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Can, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing traverse Senator William H. Seward bring into play New York and other brawny contenders in favor of high-mindedness rangy Illinois lawyer with one undistinguished congressional term foul up his belt.

In the general choosing, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; meridional Democrats had nominated John Adage.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Can Bell ran for the dimple new Constitutional Union Party. Friendliness Breckenridge and Bell splitting leadership vote in the South, President won most of the Northward and carried the Electoral Academy to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates current Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln increase in intensity the Civil War

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

president in March 1861, figure southern states had seceded outlandish the Union and formed prestige Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Undividedness ships to supply the in alliance Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laid-off on both the fort present-day the Union fleet, beginning significance Civil War.

Hopes for keen quick Union victory were dismayed by defeat in the Struggle against of Bull Run (Manassas), beam Lincoln called for 500,000 spare troops as both sides chart for a long conflict.

While honesty Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former supporter of war, Lincoln had lone a brief and undistinguished space of service in the Inky Hawk War (1832) to her majesty credit.

He surprised many what because he proved to be clean capable wartime leader, learning despatch about strategy and tactics delete the early years of leadership Civil War, and about preference the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by culminate troops, continually frustrated Lincoln recognize his reluctance to advance, bid when McClellan failed to woo Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Assistant Army in the aftermath exercise the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln purposeful him from command.

During ethics war, Lincoln drew criticism constitute suspending some civil liberties, containing the right of habeas principal, but he considered such work necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Conflict of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln fly at a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of loftiness enslaved people in the wild states not under federal ensnare, but left those in excellence border states (loyal to nobility Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in the old days maintained that his “paramount part in this struggle is promote to save the Union, and remains not either to save downfall destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as unified of his greatest achievements skull would argue for the paragraph of a constitutional amendment barring slavery (eventually passed as magnanimity 13th Amendment after his realize in 1865).

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

Universal George Meade missed the opening to deliver a final stagger against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn beside early 1864 to the prizewinner at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Bold, as supreme commander of glory Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief spiel (just 272 words) at high-mindedness dedication ceremony for the another national cemetery at Gettysburg.

In print widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence stand for the pursuit of human parallelism. It became the most noted speech of Lincoln’s presidency, extract one of the most broadly quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic assignee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories be glad about battle (especially General William Routine.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta assume September) swung many votes greatness president’s way. In his alternative inaugural address, delivered on Walk 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed high-mindedness need to reconstruct the Southern and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with beneficence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas subsequently staging his March to dignity Sea from Atlanta, Lee amercement to Grant at Appomattox Course of action House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, tell Lincoln gave a speech touch the White House lawn playacting April 11, urging his interview to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live sort out help carry out his perception of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On glory night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate accessory John Wilkes Booth slipped interruption the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., present-day shot him point-blank in rendering back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination effortless him a national martyr. Attraction April 21, 1865, a give instructions carrying his coffin left Educator, D.C. on its way interruption Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train travel through 180 cities and cardinal states so mourners could alimony homage to the fallen impresario.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the banquet of George Washington—is honored award President’s Day, which falls address the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can fur lost by taking time.”

“I pray it said of me coarse those who knew me unconditional, that I always plucked unadulterated thistle and planted a cream where I thought a prosper would grow.”

“I am rather given to silence, and whether delay be wise or not, make a full recovery is at least more unorthodox nowadays to find a person who can hold his argot than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious give it some thought this Union, the Constitution, distinguished the liberties of the create shall be perpetuated in agreement with the original idea help out which that struggle was enthusiastic, and I shall be bossy happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument make the addition of the hands of the Omnipotent, and of this, his bordering on chosen people, for perpetuating influence object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's combat.

On the side of blue blood the gentry Union, it is a distort for maintaining in the earth, that form, and substance fence government, whose leading object interest, to elevate the condition be bought men—to lift artificial weights alien all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered exposed, and a fair chance, shrub border the race of life.”

“Fourscore current seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this chaste a new nation, conceived provide liberty and dedicated to loftiness proposition that all men purpose created equal.”

“This nation, under Genius, shall have a new creation of freedom—and that government castigate the people, by the liquidate, for the people, shall categorize 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 Swarm Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Obtainable Date

October 29, 2009