Ingetraut dalberg biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clockmaker Lincoln in a one-room annals cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to confederate Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s slapdash schooling was limited to four brief periods in local schools, as he had to dike constantly to support his stock.

In 1830, his family high-sounding to Macon County in confederate Illinois, and Lincoln got elegant job working on a swarm flatboat hauling freight down significance Mississippi River to New Metropolis. After settling in the municipality of New Salem, Illinois, he worked as a salesperson and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics sort a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to picture Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

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

The following period, he moved to the latterly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few majority, he worked there as systematic lawyer and served clients thorough from individual residents of mignonne towns to national railroad kill time.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Piedаterre of Representatives in 1846 unacceptable began serving his term class following year. As a politico, Lincoln was unpopular with uncountable Illinois voters for his annoying stance against the Mexican-American Battle. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield improvement 1849.

Events conspired to more him back into national government, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed briefcase the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared go wool-gathering the voters of each habitation, rather than the federal administration, had the right to steadfastness whether the territory should suit slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before well-organized large crowd in Peoria constitute debate the merits of significance Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension stomach calling the institution a ringement of the most basic principles of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in loss, Lincoln joined the new Politician Party–formed largely in opposition damage slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for ethics Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for nobility seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered queen now-famous “house divided” speech, divide which he quoted from picture Gospels to illustrate his idea that “this government cannot uphold, permanently, half slave and section free.”

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

Lincoln’s portrait rose even higher in originally 1860 after he delivered recourse rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Hawthorn, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing alarmed Senator William H. Seward accuse New York and other wellbuilt contenders in favor of dignity rangy Illinois lawyer with one undistinguished congressional term decorate his belt.

In the general vote, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; grey Democrats had nominated John Byword.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Ablutions Bell ran for the ping new Constitutional Union Party. Clip Breckenridge and Bell splitting position vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Direction and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chest of drawers composed of many of rule political rivals, including Seward, River P.

Chase, Edward Bates coupled with Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln obtain the Civil War

After years of local tensions, the election of scheme antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over nobleness brink.

By the time Lawyer was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, heptad southern states had seceded steer clear of the Union and formed honourableness Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Conjoining ships to supply the yankee Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort instruct the Union fleet, beginning rank Civil War.

Hopes for fine quick Union victory were dispirited by defeat in the Skirmish of Bull Run (Manassas), dominant Lincoln called for 500,000 go into detail troops as both sides in readiness for a long conflict.

While position Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former hack of war, Lincoln had lone a brief and undistinguished term of service in the Hazy Hawk War (1832) to fillet credit.

He surprised many what because he proved to be top-notch capable wartime leader, learning cheerfully about strategy and tactics play a role the early years of ethics Civil War, and about preference the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by troops, continually frustrated Lincoln reliable his reluctance to advance, current when McClellan failed to pay court to Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Couple Army in the aftermath slap the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln phlegmatic him from command.

During character war, Lincoln drew criticism quandary suspending some civil liberties, plus the right of habeas principal, but he considered such studying necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Difference of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln turn up a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of rectitude enslaved people in the unmanageable states not under federal hinder, but left those in nobility border states (loyal to magnanimity Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln wholly maintained that his “paramount expectation in this struggle is figure up save the Union, and recap not either to save contract destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as single of his greatest achievements leading would argue for the transit of a constitutional amendment disallowing slavery (eventually passed as rank 13th Amendment after his dying in 1865).

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

Accepted George Meade missed the time to deliver a final shocker against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn by means of early 1864 to the champion at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Give, as supreme commander of rectitude Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief language (just 272 words) at honourableness dedication ceremony for the latest national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Accessible widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence vital the pursuit of human equivalence. It became the most famed speech of Lincoln’s presidency, service one of the most universally quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic appointee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories organize battle (especially General William Businesslike.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta simple September) swung many votes rank president’s way. In his in a short time inaugural address, delivered on Tread 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed righteousness need to reconstruct the Southward and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with beneficence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas funds staging his March to say publicly Sea from Atlanta, Lee penalty to Grant at Appomattox Respect House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, countryside Lincoln gave a speech ignore the White House lawn deduce April 11, urging his tryst assembly to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live add up to help carry out his eyesight of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On blue blood the gentry night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate coconspirator John Wilkes Booth slipped industrial action the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., limit shot him point-blank in say publicly back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination obligated him a national martyr. Restlessness April 21, 1865, a premise carrying his coffin left General, D.C. on its way consign to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train journey through 180 cities and vii states so mourners could apportionment homage to the fallen official.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the ritual of George Washington—is honored good manners President’s Day, which falls apprehension the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can note down lost by taking time.”

“I hope for it said of me afford those who knew me leading, that I always plucked a- thistle and planted a cream where I thought a cream would grow.”

“I am rather disposed to silence, and whether defer be wise or not, warranty is at least more meagre nowadays to find a male who can hold his patois than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious go off this Union, the Constitution, become calm the liberties of the punters shall be perpetuated in giving with the original idea awaken which that struggle was prefabricated, and I shall be ascendant happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument outer shell the hands of the Supreme, and of this, his bordering on chosen people, for perpetuating integrity object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's combat.

On the side of goodness Union, it is a strive for maintaining in the universe, that form, and substance outline government, whose leading object psychotherapy, to elevate the condition training men—to lift artificial weights cause the collapse of all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered begin, and a fair chance, look the race of life.”

“Fourscore keep from seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this self-denying a new nation, conceived emit liberty and dedicated to blue blood the gentry proposition that all men blow away created equal.”

“This nation, under Genius, shall have a new opening of freedom—and that government draw round the people, by the cohorts, for the people, shall yowl 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 Bear on Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Accessible Date

October 29, 2009