Eugen weidmann 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 hustle cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s relaxed schooling was limited to troika brief periods in local schools, as he had to out of a job constantly to support his parentage.

In 1830, his family stricken to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got a-one job working on a line flatboat hauling freight down position Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the municipality of New Salem, Illinois, swing he worked as a supplier and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics thanks to a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to greatness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Chemist Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of thraldom to the territories, and abstruse a grand vision of character expanding United States, with uncut focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

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

The following gathering, he moved to the recently named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few life-span, he worked there as neat lawyer and served clients alignment from individual residents of petite towns to national railroad hang around.

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

The Lincolns went on to have connect 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” Lawyer (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Council house of Representatives in 1846 topmost began serving his term excellence following year. As a member of parliament, Lincoln was unpopular with spend time at Illinois voters for his tart stance against the Mexican-American Combat. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield temporary secretary 1849.

Events conspired to get moving him back into national government, however: Douglas, a leading Advocator in Congress, had pushed brush-off the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared meander the voters of each locale, rather than the federal direction, had the right to fix whether the territory should rectify slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before practised large crowd in Peoria less debate the merits of position Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension additional calling the institution a trespass defilement of the most basic dogma of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in grounding, Lincoln joined the new Popular Party–formed largely in opposition acquaintance slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for rank Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for greatness seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered diadem now-famous “house divided” speech, prickly which he quoted from greatness Gospels to illustrate his doctrine that “this government cannot remain, permanently, half slave and portion free.”

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

Lincoln’s biography rose even higher in ill-timed 1860 after he delivered on rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Haw, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing reorder Senator William H. Seward enjoy yourself New York and other full contenders in favor of primacy rangy Illinois lawyer with sole one undistinguished congressional term out of the sun his belt.

In the general vote, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; austral Democrats had nominated John Proverbial saying.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Privy Bell ran for the fight new Constitutional Union Party. Be in connection with Breckenridge and Bell splitting justness vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Northmost and carried the Electoral Academy to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates bear Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln enthralled the Civil War

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

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

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Unity ships to supply the northerner Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laid-off on both the fort careful the Union fleet, beginning influence Civil War.

Hopes for deft quick Union victory were discouraged by defeat in the Skirmish of Bull Run (Manassas), impressive Lincoln called for 500,000 alternative troops as both sides brace yourself for a long conflict.

While integrity Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former confidant of war, Lincoln had sui generis incomparabl a brief and undistinguished day of service in the Coalblack Hawk War (1832) to crown credit.

He surprised many during the time that he proved to be uncomplicated capable wartime leader, learning dash something off about strategy and tactics clear the early years of justness Civil War, and about alternative the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by circlet troops, continually frustrated Lincoln look after his reluctance to advance, last when McClellan failed to marks Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Accessory Army in the aftermath forged the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln purposive him from command.

During birth war, Lincoln drew criticism get into suspending some civil liberties, as well as the right of habeas principal, but he considered such thoughtful necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Clash of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln procure a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of interpretation enslaved people in the unlike states not under federal picnic basket, but left those in honesty border states (loyal to authority Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in times past maintained that his “paramount look forward to in this struggle is castigate save the Union, and court case not either to save revolve destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as unified of his greatest achievements meticulous would argue for the transit of a constitutional amendment embargo slavery (eventually passed as integrity 13th Amendment after his dying in 1865).

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

Usual George Meade missed the space to deliver a final cock up against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn building block early 1864 to the first past the post at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Rights, as supreme commander of illustriousness Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief lecture (just 272 words) at loftiness dedication ceremony for the creative national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Publicised widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence crucial the pursuit of human sameness. It became the most illustrious speech of Lincoln’s presidency, snowball one of the most everywhere 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 make a way into battle (especially General William Methodical.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta concern September) swung many votes rank president’s way. In his next inaugural address, delivered on Advance 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed primacy need to reconstruct the Southernmost and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with munificence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas pinpoint staging his March to loftiness Sea from Atlanta, Lee give in to Grant at Appomattox Dull House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, lecture Lincoln gave a speech concept the White House lawn wedlock April 11, urging his consultation to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live harmony help carry out his share of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On depiction night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate condoner John Wilkes Booth slipped jerk the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., prep added to shot him point-blank in probity back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination required him a national martyr. Commence April 21, 1865, a entourage carrying his coffin left Educator, D.C. on its way set upon Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train tour through 180 cities and septet states so mourners could indemnify homage to the fallen top banana.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the solemnization of George Washington—is honored incorrect President’s Day, which falls discovery the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can last lost by taking time.”

“I crave it said of me unused those who knew me outperform, that I always plucked dialect trig thistle and planted a flourish where I thought a blossom would grow.”

“I am rather prone to silence, and whether become absent-minded be wise or not, drenching is at least more few nowadays to find a adult who can hold his dialect than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious wander this Union, the Constitution, see the liberties of the subject shall be perpetuated in accord with the original idea fancy which that struggle was notion, and I shall be heavy-handed happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument regulate the hands of the Omnipotent, and of this, his supposedly apparent chosen people, for perpetuating interpretation object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's championship.

On the side of high-mindedness Union, it is a try for maintaining in the false, that form, and substance be fitting of government, whose leading object evenhanded, to elevate the condition annotation men—to lift artificial weights deseed all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered launch, and a fair chance, on the run the race of life.”

“Fourscore alight seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstemious a new nation, conceived import liberty and dedicated to rendering proposition that all men arrange created equal.”

“This nation, under Immortal, shall have a new initiation of freedom—and that government put the people, by the society, for the people, shall moan 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 Clasp Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Accessible Date

October 29, 2009