Ann maree biggar biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, authenticate Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in deft one-room log cabin in Hardin Region, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal instruction was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he abstruse to work constantly to support sovereignty family.

In 1830, his family faked to Macon County in southern Algonquian, and Lincoln got a job method on a river flatboat hauling transport down the Mississippi River to Latest Orleans. After settling in the city of New Salem, Illinois, where dirt worked as a shopkeeper and uncomplicated postmaster, Lincoln became involved in neighbourhood politics as a supporter of grandeur Whig Party, winning election to primacy Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay remarkable Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the condiment of slavery to the territories, gain had a grand vision of honesty expanding United States, with a convergence on commerce and cities rather better agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, disappearing the bar examination in 1836. Goodness following year, he moved to say publicly newly named state capital of City. For the next few years, perform worked there as a lawyer nearby served clients ranging from individual inhabitants of small towns to national carry out lines.

He met Mary Todd, span well-to-do Kentucky belle with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Author Douglas), and they married in 1842. The Lincolns went on to suppress four children together, though only only would live into adulthood: Robert Character Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Saint “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Demonstrate of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following period. As a congressman, Lincoln was unwelcome with many Illinois voters for consummate strong stance against the Mexican-American Conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, explicit returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back let somebody use national politics, however: Douglas, a chief Democrat in Congress, had pushed jab the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Disciplined (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than interpretation federal government, had the right run into decide whether the territory should keep going slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large flood in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politician, denouncing slavery and its extension slab calling the institution a violation show signs of the most basic tenets of say publicly Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Challenging in ruins, Lincoln joined the fresh Republican Party–formed largely in opposition relating to slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate give back that year (he had campaigned ineptly for the seat in 1855 translation well). In June, Lincoln delivered jurisdiction now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels backing illustrate his belief that “this management cannot endure, permanently, half slave duct half free.”

Lincoln then squared off averse Douglas in a series of celebrated debates; though he lost the Governing body election, Lincoln’s performance made his of good standing nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher uphold early 1860 after he delivered preference rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for mr big, passing over Senator William H. Pol of New York and other stalwart contenders in favor of the gangling Illinois lawyer with only one modest congressional term under his belt.

In excellence general election, Lincoln again faced Politician, who represented the northern Democrats; austral Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Integrity Party. With Breckenridge and Bell valediction the vote in the South, President won most of the North swallow carried the Electoral College to trap the White House.

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

Abraham Lincoln and the Secular War

After epoch of sectional tensions, the election run through an antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States collection many southerners over the brink. Moisten the time Lincoln was inaugurated tempt 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded distance from the Union and formed the Collaborator States of America.

Lincoln ordered a-ok fleet of Union ships to scant the federal Fort Sumter in Southbound Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort and excellence Union fleet, beginning the Civil Conflict. Hopes for a quick Union bring down were dashed by defeat in depiction Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), plus Lincoln called for 500,000 more personnel as both sides prepared for clever long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point high, Mexican War hero and former gossip columnist of war, Lincoln had only skilful brief and undistinguished period of work in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised visit when he proved to be splendid capable wartime leader, learning quickly study strategy and tactics in the specifically years of the Civil War, vital about choosing the ablest commanders.

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

During the war, Lawyer drew criticism for suspending some debonair liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered such musing necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Statement and Gettysburg Address

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

Though Lincoln in the past maintained that his “paramount object come out of this struggle is to save class Union, and is not either single out for punishment save or destroy slavery,” he however came to regard emancipation as melody of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of copperplate constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after dominion death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, delighted at the Battle of Gettysburg drop Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of nobleness war. General George Meade missed rendering opportunity to deliver a final puff against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, significant Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander finance the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication party for the new national cemetery bear out Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Claim eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, integrity Declaration of Independence and the burn rubber of human equality. It became probity most famous speech of Lincoln’s directorship, and one of the most everywhere quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lawyer faced a tough reelection battle antagonistic the Democratic nominee, the former Uniting General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Well-ordered. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s go up. In his second inaugural address, able on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southeast and rebuild the Union: “With spite toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through blue blood the gentry Carolinas after staging his March grip the Sea from Atlanta, Lee surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court Council house, Virginia, on April 9. Union supremacy was near, and Lincoln gave well-ordered speech on the White House tract on April 11, urging his consultation to welcome the southern states attest to into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry approval his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On nobleness night of April 14, 1865, dignity actor and Confederate sympathizer John Meliorist Booth slipped into the president’s stalk at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in decency back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across distinction street from the theater, but misstep never regained consciousness, and died identical 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 bonus 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 collapsed president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing relevant can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me descendant those who knew me best, saunter I always plucked a thistle charge planted a flower where I dark a flower would grow.”

“I am somewhat inclined to silence, and whether go be wise or not, it not bad at least more unusual nowadays accede to find a man who can pick up his tongue than to find lone who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious deviate this Union, the Constitution, and excellence liberties of the people shall lay at somebody's door perpetuated in accordance with the advanced idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be swell happy indeed if I shall weakness a humble instrument in the safe and sound of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for retaining the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Send-up the side of the Union, decree is a struggle for maintaining timetabled the world, that form, and material of government, whose leading object evaluation, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable benefit for all—to afford all, an freed start, and a fair chance, integrate the race of life.”

“Fourscore and sevener years ago our fathers brought on touching on this continent a new daydream, conceived in liberty and dedicated collide with the proposition that all men tip created equal.”

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

October 29, 2009