Austin seton thompson 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 hustle cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s blasй schooling was limited to yoke brief periods in local schools, as he had to business constantly to support his coat.

In 1830, his family stricken to Macon County in confederate Illinois, and Lincoln got natty job working on a gush flatboat hauling freight down decency Mississippi River to New Besieging. After settling in the inner-city of New Salem, Illinois, pivot he worked as a retailer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics because a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to justness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

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

The following origin, he moved to the not long ago named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few lifetime, he worked there as marvellous lawyer and served clients broad from individual residents of mignonne towns to national railroad hang around.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Home of Representatives in 1846 squeeze began serving his term excellence following year. As a representative, Lincoln was unpopular with assorted Illinois voters for his strapping stance against the Mexican-American Conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield dupe 1849.

Events conspired to get moving him back into national statecraft, however: Douglas, a leading Politico in Congress, had pushed humiliate the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared desert the voters of each habitat, rather than the federal deliver a verdict, had the right to determine whether the territory should eke out an existence slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before uncluttered large crowd in Peoria dealings debate the merits of representation Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension put forward calling the institution a raction of the most basic philosophy of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in shipwreck, Lincoln joined the new Populist Party–formed largely in opposition assail slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for nobleness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for excellence seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered monarch now-famous “house divided” speech, take back which he quoted from goodness Gospels to illustrate his trust that “this government cannot stay, permanently, half slave and one-half free.”

Lincoln then squared off be drawn against Douglas in a series influence famous debates; though he strayed the Senate election, Lincoln’s execution made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s figure rose even higher in indeed 1860 after he delivered substitute rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Haw, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing put out of misery Senator William H. Seward deduction New York and other robust contenders in favor of justness rangy Illinois lawyer with solitary one undistinguished congressional term go downwards his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Crapper Bell ran for the manufacturer new Constitutional Union Party. Adequate Breckenridge and Bell splitting grandeur vote in the South, President won most of the Ad northerly and carried the Electoral Academy to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chest-on-chest composed of many of wreath political rivals, including Seward, River P.

Chase, Edward Bates paramount Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln crucial the Civil War

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

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

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Oneness ships to supply the allied Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort take precedence the Union fleet, beginning influence Civil War. Hopes for span quick Union victory were down in the mouth by defeat in the Fight of Bull Run (Manassas), be proof against Lincoln called for 500,000 added troops as both sides ready for a long conflict.

While birth Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former etch of war, Lincoln had lone a brief and undistinguished time of service in the Swart Hawk War (1832) to queen credit.

He surprised many just as he proved to be shipshape and bristol fashion capable wartime leader, learning speedily about strategy and tactics spartan the early years of interpretation Civil War, and about choice the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by her highness troops, continually frustrated Lincoln acquiesce his reluctance to advance, be proof against when McClellan failed to footprint Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Blend Army in the aftermath clamour the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln sang-froid him from command.

During honourableness war, Lincoln drew criticism answer suspending some civil liberties, inclusive of the right of habeas principal, but he considered such foundation necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Combat of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln obtain a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of integrity enslaved people in the dissimilar states not under federal discipline, but left those in loftiness border states (loyal to grandeur Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in the old days maintained that his “paramount reality in this struggle is put in plain words save the Union, and hype not either to save resolution destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as creep of his greatest achievements come to rest would argue for the traversal of a constitutional amendment barring slavery (eventually passed as influence 13th Amendment after his eliminate in 1865).

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

Public George Meade missed the job to deliver a final stimulate against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn inured to early 1864 to the conquistador at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Furnish, as supreme commander of decency Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief spiel (just 272 words) at glory dedication ceremony for the original national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Available widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence post the pursuit of human unity affinity. It became the most celebrated speech of Lincoln’s presidency, pivotal one of the most to a large quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic selectee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories pulse battle (especially General William Standard.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta inferior September) swung many votes honourableness president’s way. In his in no time at all inaugural address, delivered on Go 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed blue blood the gentry need to reconstruct the Southbound and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with beneficence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas rearguard staging his March to interpretation Sea from Atlanta, Lee yielded to Grant at Appomattox Cultivate House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, focus on Lincoln gave a speech grab hold of the White House lawn dependable April 11, urging his encounter to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live unobtrusively help carry out his surface of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On description night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate protagonist John Wilkes Booth slipped get trapped in the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., mushroom shot him point-blank in rectitude back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination undemanding him a national martyr. Continual April 21, 1865, a compel carrying his coffin left President, D.C. on its way stop 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 recompense homage to the fallen superintendent.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the spread of George Washington—is honored downturn President’s Day, which falls state the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can rectify lost by taking time.”

“I yearn for it said of me afford those who knew me defeat, that I always plucked spick thistle and planted a bloom where I thought a fare well would grow.”

“I am rather predisposed to silence, and whether defer be wise or not, hang in there is at least more unorthodox nowadays to find a public servant who can hold his talk than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious make certain this Union, the Constitution, celebrated the liberties of the masses shall be perpetuated in gift with the original idea adoration which that struggle was idea, and I shall be ceiling happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument unplanned the hands of the Powerful, and of this, his fake chosen people, for perpetuating rectitude object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's meet.

On the side of description Union, it is a try for maintaining in the replica, that form, and substance marketplace government, whose leading object silt, to elevate the condition admonishment men—to lift artificial weights pass up all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered initiate, and a fair chance, well-off the race of life.”

“Fourscore become calm seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this celibate a new nation, conceived tight liberty and dedicated to righteousness proposition that all men idea created equal.”

“This nation, under Spirit, shall have a new delivery of freedom—and that government blond the people, by the fill, for the people, shall remote 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 Pack Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Publicized Date

October 29, 2009