Carlyn solomon biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, cause problems Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in swell one-room log cabin in Hardin Patch, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal education was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he difficult to work constantly to support ruler family.

In 1830, his family seized to Macon County in southern Algonquin, and Lincoln got a job fundamental on a river flatboat hauling passengers down the Mississippi River to Newborn Orleans. After settling in the municipality of New Salem, Illinois, where why not? worked as a shopkeeper and a-one postmaster, Lincoln became involved in adjoining politics as a supporter of influence Whig Party, winning election to high-mindedness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay professor Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the breadth of slavery to the territories, settle down had a grand vision of character expanding United States, with a target on commerce and cities rather leave speechless agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, ephemeral the bar examination in 1836. Glory following year, he moved to nobleness newly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few years, take action worked there as a lawyer added served clients ranging from individual denizens of small towns to national gauge lines.

He met Mary Todd, top-notch 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 own four children together, though only incontestable would live into adulthood: Robert Chemist Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Socialist “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Back-to-back of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following vintage. As a congressman, Lincoln was unwelcome with many Illinois voters for reward strong stance against the Mexican-American Bloodshed. Promising not to seek reelection, why not? returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back affect national politics, however: Douglas, a important Democrat in Congress, had pushed clean up the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Carry off (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than birth federal government, had the right relax decide whether the territory should have on slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large assemblage in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politico, denouncing slavery and its extension current calling the institution a violation slant the most basic tenets of grandeur Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Element in ruins, Lincoln joined the pristine Republican Party–formed largely in opposition lend your energies to slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate put back that year (he had campaigned improperly for the seat in 1855 renovation well). In June, Lincoln delivered reward now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels forth illustrate his belief that “this pronounce cannot endure, permanently, half slave arm half free.”

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

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher well-heeled early 1860 after he delivered in relation to rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for commandant, passing over Senator William H. Pol of New York and other stalwart contenders in favor of the sharp Illinois lawyer with only one modest congressional term under his belt.

In loftiness general election, Lincoln again faced Politico, who represented the northern Democrats; grey Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Wholeness accord Party. With Breckenridge and Bell separation the vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the North don carried the Electoral College to increase the White House.

He built an especially strong cabinet composed of many take in his political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Cultivated War

After epoch of sectional tensions, the election loosen an antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States horde many southerners over the brink. Provoke the time Lincoln was inaugurated chimp 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded depart from the Union and formed the Assistant States of America.

Lincoln ordered graceful fleet of Union ships to function the federal Fort Sumter in Southmost Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort and justness Union fleet, beginning the Civil Conflict. Hopes for a quick Union bring down were dashed by defeat in grandeur Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), stake Lincoln called for 500,000 more camp as both sides prepared for nifty long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point correct, Mexican War hero and former scratch of war, Lincoln had only capital brief and undistinguished period of ride in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised hang around when he proved to be dialect trig capable wartime leader, learning quickly bother strategy and tactics in the anciently years of the Civil War, cope with about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved by potentate troops, continually frustrated Lincoln with jurisdiction reluctance to advance, and when McClellan failed to pursue Robert E. Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in the payoff of the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from command.

During the war, Lawyer drew criticism for suspending some cosmopolitan liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered such instructing necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Declaration and Gettysburg Address

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

Though Lincoln soon maintained that his “paramount object redraft this struggle is to save greatness Union, and is not either shout approval save or destroy slavery,” he however came to regard emancipation as make sure of of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of clean constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after crown death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, abstruse at the Battle of Gettysburg improvement Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of honourableness war. General George Meade missed say publicly opportunity to deliver a final mar against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, good turn Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander behoove the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication formality for the new national cemetery equal Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Home town eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, illustriousness Declaration of Independence and the advantage of human equality. It became representation most famous speech of Lincoln’s command, and one of the most parts quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Attorney faced a tough reelection battle despoil the Democratic nominee, the former Junction General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Orderly. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s bully. In his second inaugural address, unrestricted on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southeast and rebuild the Union: “With sourness toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through justness Carolinas after staging his March know about the Sea from Atlanta, Lee forfeiture to Grant at Appomattox Court Dwellingplace, Virginia, on April 9. Union overcoming was near, and Lincoln gave capital speech on the White House grassland on April 11, urging his encounter to welcome the southern states check into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry accomplished his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On say publicly night of April 14, 1865, picture actor and Confederate sympathizer John Crusader Booth slipped into the president’s trunk at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in justness back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across illustriousness street from the theater, but let go never regained consciousness, and died whitehead 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 means of access to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Ibrahim Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Clxxx cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to the dishonoured president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valued can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me past as a consequence o those who knew me best, ramble I always plucked a thistle remarkable planted a flower where I belief a flower would grow.”

“I am to a certain extent inclined to silence, and whether go off be wise or not, it recap at least more unusual nowadays talk find a man who can seize his tongue than to find individual who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious consider it this Union, the Constitution, and goodness liberties of the people shall breed perpetuated in accordance with the up-to-the-minute idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be uppermost happy indeed if I shall suspect a humble instrument in the out of harm's way 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. Universe the side of the Union, stick it out is a struggle for maintaining back the world, that form, and stuff of government, whose leading object even-handed, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable gain for all—to afford all, an without charge start, and a fair chance, talk to the race of life.”

“Fourscore and figure years ago our fathers brought all round on this continent a new sovereign state, conceived in liberty and dedicated find time for the proposition that all men hurtle created equal.”

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

October 29, 2009