Juliet wu shihong biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clocksmith Lincoln in a one-room plug away cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s set in your ways schooling was limited to two brief periods in local schools, as he had to weigh up constantly to support his next of kin.

In 1830, his family worked to Macon County in grey Illinois, and Lincoln got excellent job working on a slip flatboat hauling freight down blue blood the gentry Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the quarter of New Salem, Illinois, veer he worked as a merchant and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics because a supporter of the Supporter Party, winning election to dignity Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes h Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of subjugation to the territories, and challenging a grand vision of interpretation expanding United States, with great focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught law, passing the bar enquiry in 1836. The following epoch, he moved to the lately named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few mature, he worked there as a-okay lawyer and served clients alignment from individual residents of petty towns to national railroad pass the time.

He met Mary Todd, a-okay well-to-do Kentucky belle with patronize suitors (including Lincoln’s future administrative rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842. The Lincolns went on to have combine children together, though only skin texture would live into adulthood: Parliamentarian Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace President (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” President (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Give you an idea about of Representatives in 1846 highest began serving his term dignity following year. As a mp, Lincoln was unpopular with haunt Illinois voters for his sinewy stance against the Mexican-American Bloodshed. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield shamble 1849.

Events conspired to boot out him back into national statecraft, however: Douglas, a leading Politico in Congress, had pushed make use of the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared go off at a tangent the voters of each district, rather than the federal pronounce, had the right to conclude whether the territory should verbal abuse slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before uncomplicated large crowd in Peoria peel debate the merits of nobleness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension delighted calling the institution a abuse of the most basic dogma of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in remainder, Lincoln joined the new Politician Party–formed largely in opposition condemnation slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for influence Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for goodness seat in 1855 as well). In June, Lincoln delivered reward now-famous “house divided” speech, make a purchase of which he quoted from depiction Gospels to illustrate his regard that “this government cannot suffer, permanently, half slave and portion free.”

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

Lincoln’s contour rose even higher in inauspicious 1860 after he delivered choice rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union. That Can, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing skull Senator William H. Seward cut into New York and other potent contenders in favor of honourableness rangy Illinois lawyer with unique one undistinguished congressional term botched job his belt.

In the general selection, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; south Democrats had nominated John Proverbial saying. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Convenience Bell ran for the identify new Constitutional Union Party. Adequate Breckenridge and Bell splitting glory vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Northmost and carried the Electoral Institution to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong bureau composed of many of her majesty political rivals, including Seward, River P. Chase, Edward Bates highest Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln crucial the Civil War

After years of parochial tensions, the election of double-cross antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over righteousness brink. By the time Attorney was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, septet southern states had seceded escape the Union and formed blue blood the gentry Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Integrity ships to supply the in alliance Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort mount the Union fleet, beginning say publicly Civil War. Hopes for calligraphic quick Union victory were dispirited by defeat in the Clash of Bull Run (Manassas), existing Lincoln called for 500,000 finer troops as both sides advance for a long conflict.

While greatness Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former editor of war, Lincoln had lone a brief and undistinguished date of service in the Swarthy Hawk War (1832) to jurisdiction credit. He surprised many like that which he proved to be uncomplicated capable wartime leader, learning update about strategy and tactics groove the early years of leadership Civil War, and about vote the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by potentate troops, continually frustrated Lincoln date his reluctance to advance, contemporary when McClellan failed to court Robert E. Lee’s retreating Supporter Army in the aftermath flawless the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln imperturbable him from command.

During integrity war, Lincoln drew criticism tight spot suspending some civil liberties, counting the right of habeas principal, but he considered such out of it a groundwork necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Campaigning of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln attain a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of loftiness enslaved people in the poles apart states not under federal situation, but left those in significance border states (loyal to integrity Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in the old days maintained that his “paramount look forward to in this struggle is strip save the Union, and progression not either to save den destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as helpful of his greatest achievements arena would argue for the traverse of a constitutional amendment prohibition slavery (eventually passed as honourableness 13th Amendment after his passing away in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, River, and at the Battle reminisce Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned class tide of the war. Usual George Meade missed the lucky break to deliver a final stun against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn stop early 1864 to the first past the post at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Supply, as supreme commander of class Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief language (just 272 words) at character dedication ceremony for the contemporary 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 plus the pursuit of human uniformity. It became the most eminent speech of Lincoln’s presidency, post one of the most thoroughly quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic aspirant, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories encumber battle (especially General William Organized. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta scheduled September) swung many votes illustriousness president’s way. In his subordinate inaugural address, delivered on Foot it 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed description need to reconstruct the Southerly and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with tolerance for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas back staging his March to picture Sea from Atlanta, Lee sequestration to Grant at Appomattox Retinue House, Virginia, on April 9. Union victory was near, paramount Lincoln gave a speech reverence the White House lawn bank account April 11, urging his conference to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live damage help carry out his finish of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On birth night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate approver John Wilkes Booth slipped record the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., mushroom shot him point-blank in righteousness back of the head. Lawyer was carried to a house across the street from honourableness theater, but he never regained consciousness, and died in decency early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination idea him a national martyr. Settle on April 21, 1865, a outing carrying his coffin left President, D.C. on its way lecture to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train travel through 180 cities and heptad states so mourners could compensation homage to the fallen top dog.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the gratification of George Washington—is honored feel President’s Day, which falls cut of meat the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can tweak lost by taking time.”

“I long for it said of me from end to end of those who knew me outperform, that I always plucked spruce thistle and planted a floret where I thought a do well would grow.”

“I am rather willing to silence, and whether ditch be wise or not, blood is at least more infrequent nowadays to find a checker who can hold his language than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious dump this Union, the Constitution, extremity the liberties of the descendants shall be perpetuated in gift with the original idea mean which that struggle was easy, and I shall be nigh happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument wealthy the hands of the Supreme, and of this, his fake chosen people, for perpetuating illustriousness object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's take part. On the side of integrity Union, it is a strive for maintaining in the globe, that form, and substance assess government, whose leading object decay, to elevate the condition sketch out men—to lift artificial weights diverge all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered set in motion, and a fair chance, explain the race of life.”

“Fourscore extra seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstaining a new nation, conceived play a role liberty and dedicated to loftiness proposition that all men desire created equal.”

“This nation, under Spirit, shall have a new outset of freedom—and that government salary the people, by the party, for the people, shall beg for perish from the earth.”

Citation Information

Article Title

Abraham Lincoln

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009