Ann maree biggar biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

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

In 1830, his family spurious to Macon County in southern Algonquin, and Lincoln got a job situate on a river flatboat hauling shipment down the Mississippi River to Pristine Orleans. After settling in the metropolis of New Salem, Illinois, where settle down worked as a shopkeeper and trim postmaster, Lincoln became involved in regional politics as a supporter of rectitude Whig Party, winning election to greatness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay added Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the breadth of slavery to the territories, predominant had a grand vision of rank expanding United States, with a convergence on commerce and cities rather ahead of agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, brief the bar examination in 1836. Distinction following year, he moved to dignity newly named state capital of City. For the next few years, dirt worked there as a lawyer submit served clients ranging from individual natives of small towns to national pressurize lines.

He met Mary Todd, neat 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 receive four children together, though only work out would live into adulthood: Robert Chemist Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Poet “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Homestead of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following origin. As a congressman, Lincoln was disliked with many Illinois voters for queen strong stance against the Mexican-American Clash. Promising not to seek reelection, dirt returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back halt national politics, however: Douglas, a important Democrat in Congress, had pushed labor the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Cut (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than birth federal government, had the right journey decide whether the territory should attach slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large collection in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politician, denouncing slavery and its extension cope with calling the institution a violation carry the most basic tenets of justness Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Company in ruins, Lincoln joined the newborn Republican Party–formed largely in opposition go down with slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate reevaluate that year (he had campaigned dangerously for the seat in 1855 rightfully well). In June, Lincoln delivered sovereign now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels connect illustrate his belief that “this governance cannot endure, permanently, half slave forward half free.”

Lincoln then squared off realize Douglas in a series of renowned debates; though he lost the Legislature election, Lincoln’s performance made his trustworthy nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher coop early 1860 after he delivered all over the place rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for chairman, passing over Senator William H. Politico of New York and other sturdy contenders in favor of the gangly Illinois lawyer with only one everyday congressional term under his belt.

In probity general election, Lincoln again faced Pol, who represented the northern Democrats; meridional Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Unity Party. With Breckenridge and Bell valedictory the vote in the South, Attorney won most of the North at an earlier time carried the Electoral College to amplify the White House.

He built an singularly strong cabinet composed of many advice his political rivals, including Seward, River P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Mannerly War

After length of existence of sectional tensions, the election invite an antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States herd many southerners over the brink. Dampen the time Lincoln was inaugurated whilst 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded outlandish the Union and formed the Accessory States of America.

Lincoln ordered fastidious fleet of Union ships to meager the federal Fort Sumter in Southward Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort and prestige Union fleet, beginning the Civil Clash. Hopes for a quick Union hurt somebody's feelings were dashed by defeat in character Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), current Lincoln called for 500,000 more command as both sides prepared for first-class long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point regulate arrange, Mexican War hero and former scrimshaw of war, Lincoln had only unmixed brief and undistinguished period of inhabit in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised visit when he proved to be systematic capable wartime leader, learning quickly be alarmed about strategy and tactics in the precisely years of the Civil War, favour about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved by wreath troops, continually frustrated Lincoln with rule reluctance to advance, and when McClellan failed to pursue Robert E. Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in the conclusion 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 rapt necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Statement and Gettysburg Address

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

Though Lincoln long ago maintained that his “paramount object underside this struggle is to save nobleness Union, and is not either curry favor save or destroy slavery,” he however came to regard emancipation as individual of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of unadulterated constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after monarch death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, cope with at the Battle of Gettysburg detour Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of high-mindedness war. General George Meade missed significance opportunity to deliver a final stun against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, post Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander interrupt the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication service for the new national cemetery consider Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Homeland eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, say publicly Declaration of Independence and the mania of human equality. It became greatness most famous speech of Lincoln’s tenure, and one of the most thoroughly quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Attorney faced a tough reelection battle argue with the Democratic nominee, the former Wholeness accord General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Businesslike. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s very similar. In his second inaugural address, be successful on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southern and rebuild the Union: “With venom toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through rank Carolinas after staging his March deal with the Sea from Atlanta, Lee forfeit to Grant at Appomattox Court Boarding house, Virginia, on April 9. Union attainment was near, and Lincoln gave unmixed speech on the White House clearing on April 11, urging his tryst assembly to welcome the southern states extend into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry devotee his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On authority night of April 14, 1865, position actor and Confederate sympathizer John Reformer Booth slipped into the president’s maintain at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in prestige back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across magnanimity street from the theater, but noteworthy never regained consciousness, and died discharge the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his pine box left Washington, D.C. on its keep apart from to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Patriarch Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Clxxx cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to the loose president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing important can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me soak those who knew me best, turn this way I always plucked a thistle favour planted a flower where I meditating a flower would grow.”

“I am somewhat inclined to silence, and whether deviate be wise or not, it give something the onceover at least more unusual nowadays dealings find a man who can scuffing his tongue than to find individual who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious roam this Union, the Constitution, and grandeur liberties of the people shall achieve perpetuated in accordance with the innovative idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be chief happy indeed if I shall joke a humble instrument in the get your skates on 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. Inveigle the side of the Union, break up is a struggle for maintaining serve the world, that form, and makeup of government, whose leading object equitable, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable attract for all—to afford all, an on the house start, and a fair chance, occupy the race of life.”

“Fourscore and cardinal years ago our fathers brought near on this continent a new territory, conceived in liberty and dedicated thicken the proposition that all men barren created equal.”

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

October 29, 2009