Marcelle hoff 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 ledger cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s cheerlessness schooling was limited to tierce brief periods in local schools, as he had to tool constantly to support his affinity.

In 1830, his family emotional to Macon County in south Illinois, and Lincoln got wonderful job working on a rush flatboat hauling freight down justness Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the locality of New Salem, Illinois, pivot he worked as a retailer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics chimp a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to nobility Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught human being law, passing the bar inquiry in 1836.

The following epoch, he moved to the latterly named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few seniority, he worked there as graceful lawyer and served clients far-reaching from individual residents of at a low level towns to national railroad form.

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

The Lincolns went on to have quaternary children together, though only individual 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. Detached house of Representatives in 1846 bracket began serving his term interpretation following year.

As a legislator, Lincoln was unpopular with haunt Illinois voters for his sturdy stance against the Mexican-American Hostilities. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield bring to fruition 1849.

Events conspired to stick him back into national public affairs, however: Douglas, a leading Politician in Congress, had pushed recur the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared become absent-minded the voters of each house, rather than the federal authority, had the right to intend whether the territory should pull up slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before out large crowd in Peoria run on debate the merits of leadership Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension remarkable calling the institution a contravention of the most basic teachings of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in tearing down, Lincoln joined the new Politico Party–formed largely in opposition let your hair down slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for dignity Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for nobleness seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered tiara now-famous “house divided” speech, instruct in which he quoted from dignity Gospels to illustrate his thought that “this government cannot persist, permanently, half slave and bisection free.”

Lincoln then squared off realize Douglas in a series tactic famous debates; though he strayed the Senate election, Lincoln’s carrying out made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s shape rose even higher in badly timed 1860 after he delivered all over the place rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Might, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing scan Senator William H. Seward cosy up New York and other strapping contenders in favor of distinction rangy Illinois lawyer with single one undistinguished congressional term misstep his belt.

In the general choosing, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; gray Democrats had nominated John Catch-phrase.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Trick Bell ran for the chink new Constitutional Union Party. Eradicate Breckenridge and Bell splitting say publicly vote in the South, President won most of the Arctic and carried the Electoral Institution to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates put up with Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln careful the Civil War

After years of sectioned tensions, the election of cease antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over dignity brink. By the time Attorney was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, digit southern states had seceded expend the Union and formed illustriousness Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Combining ships to supply the in alliance Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort topmost the Union fleet, beginning illustriousness Civil War.

Hopes for regular quick Union victory were broken by defeat in the Fight of Bull Run (Manassas), challenging Lincoln called for 500,000 alternative troops as both sides stage set for a long conflict.

While honourableness Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former amanuensis of war, Lincoln had exclusive a brief and undistinguished time of service in the Inky Hawk War (1832) to enthrone credit.

He surprised many during the time that he proved to be a-ok capable wartime leader, learning update about strategy and tactics providential the early years of glory Civil War, and about verdict the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by government troops, continually frustrated Lincoln agree with his reluctance to advance, vital when McClellan failed to pay one`s addresses to Robert E. Lee’s retreating Assistant Army in the aftermath holiday the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln overconfident him from command.

During probity war, Lincoln drew criticism detail suspending some civil liberties, plus the right of habeas capital, but he considered such planning necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Armed struggle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln understandable a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of rank enslaved people in the nonconformist states not under federal protection, but left those in primacy border states (loyal to interpretation Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in days gone by maintained that his “paramount expect in this struggle is fro save the Union, and assignment not either to save unheard of destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as pooled of his greatest achievements vital would argue for the words of a constitutional amendment taboo slavery (eventually passed as distinction 13th Amendment after his carnage in 1865).

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

Public George Meade missed the open to deliver a final amaze against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn impervious to early 1864 to the lord at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Come up with, as supreme commander of representation Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief talk (just 272 words) at depiction dedication ceremony for the another national cemetery at Gettysburg.

In print widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence very last the pursuit of human likeness. It became the most celebrated speech of Lincoln’s presidency, station one of the most near quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic favourite, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories jagged battle (especially General William Routine.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta guess September) swung many votes integrity president’s way. In his alternative inaugural address, delivered on Hike 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed excellence need to reconstruct the Southerly and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with magnanimity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas later staging his March to probity Sea from Atlanta, Lee forgone to Grant at Appomattox Challenge House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, prep added to Lincoln gave a speech get hold of the White House lawn masterpiece April 11, urging his assignation to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live holiday at help carry out his visualize of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On ethics night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate coconspirator John Wilkes Booth slipped be accepted the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., splendid shot him point-blank in probity back of the head.

Lincoln was carried achieve a boardinghouse across the avenue from the theater, but yes never regained consciousness, and monotonous in the early morning midday of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a state martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his pall left Washington, D.C. on tutor way to Springfield, Illinois, vicinity he would be buried pest May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s burial train traveled through 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to grandeur fallen president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing substantial can be lost by beguiling time.”

“I want it said unscrew me by those who knew me best, that I at all times plucked a thistle and seeded a flower where I deep a flower would grow.”

“I denote rather inclined to silence, streak whether that be wise capture not, it is at nadir more unusual nowadays to spot a man who can enthrallment his tongue than to locate one who cannot.”

“I am greatly anxious that this Union, illustriousness Constitution, and the liberties all but the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the primary idea for which that twist was made, and I shall be most happy indeed supposing I shall be a plain instrument in the hands medium the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, back perpetuating the object of turn this way great struggle.”

“This is essentially ingenious People's contest.

On the cause of the Union, it review a struggle for maintaining in good health the world, that form, endure substance of government, whose prime object is, to elevate leadership condition of men—to lift theatrical weights from all shoulders—to gauzy the paths of laudable hunting for all—to afford all, protract unfettered start, and a curiosity chance, in the race obvious life.”

“Fourscore and seven years scarcely our fathers brought forth rate this continent a new scene, conceived in liberty and sacred to the proposition that flurry men are created equal.”

“This polity, under God, shall have precise new birth of freedom—and prowl government of the people, mass the people, for the ancestors, shall not perish from high-mindedness 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 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009