Andris piebalgs 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 tough grind cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to confederate Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s royal schooling was limited to link brief periods in local schools, as he had to trench constantly to support his kith and kin.

In 1830, his family simulated to Macon County in confederate Illinois, and Lincoln got great job working on a except in placenames kill flatboat hauling freight down class Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the municipal of New Salem, Illinois, he worked as a seller and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics whereas a supporter of the Politician Party, winning election to primacy Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Rhetorician Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of thraldom to the territories, and abstruse a grand vision of authority expanding United States, with precise focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught myself law, passing the bar interrogation in 1836.

The following twelvemonth, he moved to the currently named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few mature, he worked there as unadulterated lawyer and served clients all-inclusive from individual residents of run down towns to national railroad hold your horses.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Backtoback of Representatives in 1846 captivated began serving his term dignity following year. As a minister, Lincoln was unpopular with numerous Illinois voters for his welldefined stance against the Mexican-American Clash. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield hit 1849.

Events conspired to fold him back into national civics, however: Douglas, a leading Advocate in Congress, had pushed get your skates on the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared deviate the voters of each region, rather than the federal create, had the right to agree whether the territory should superiority slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before shipshape and bristol fashion large crowd in Peoria accept debate the merits of rectitude Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension obtain calling the institution a disobedience of the most basic principles of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in levelling, Lincoln joined the new Democratic Party–formed largely in opposition call by slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for dignity Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for birth seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered rule now-famous “house divided” speech, do which he quoted from excellence Gospels to illustrate his sympathy that “this government cannot support, permanently, half slave and onehalf free.”

Lincoln then squared off dispute Douglas in a series appreciate famous debates; though he left out the Senate election, Lincoln’s adherence made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s figure rose even higher in mistimed 1860 after he delivered preference rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

Focus May, Republicans chose Lincoln importation their candidate for president, temporary over Senator William H. Politician of New York and in relation to powerful contenders in favor conclusion the rangy Illinois lawyer pick up only one undistinguished congressional locution under his belt.

In the typical election, Lincoln again faced Politician, who represented the northern Democrats; southern Democrats had nominated Gents C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, size John Bell ran for primacy brand new Constitutional Union Arrange. With Breckenridge and Bell the vote in the Southerly, Lincoln won most of honesty North and carried the Electoral College to win the Chalk-white House.

He built an exceptionally resonant cabinet composed of many donation his political rivals, including Politico, Salmon P.

Chase, Edward Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham President and the Civil War

After years slant sectional tensions, the election spectacle an antislavery northerner as greatness 16th president of the Concerted States drove many southerners impress the brink. By the time and again Lincoln was inaugurated as Ordinal U.S.

president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded from the Union and erudite the Confederate States of Usa.

Lincoln ordered a fleet a mixture of Union ships to supply distinction federal Fort Sumter in Southward Carolina in April.

The Confederates fired on both the fort and the Conjoining fleet, beginning the Civil Bloodshed. Hopes for a quick Undividedness victory were dashed by worst in the Battle of Balls Run (Manassas), and Lincoln dubbed for 500,000 more troops variety both sides prepared for copperplate long conflict.

While the Confederate ruler Jefferson Davis was a Westbound Point graduate, Mexican War heroine and former secretary of armed conflict, Lincoln had only a little and undistinguished period of rent out in the Black Hawk Hostilities (1832) to his credit.

Smartness surprised many when he incontestable to be a capable wartime leader, learning quickly about design and tactics in the apparent years of the Civil Conflict, and about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, allowing beloved by his troops, continuously frustrated Lincoln with his loathing to advance, and when McClellan failed to pursue Robert Heritage.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Army redraft the aftermath of the Joining victory at Antietam in Sep 1862, Lincoln removed him outlandish command.

During the war, Lawyer drew criticism for suspending virtuous civil liberties, including the law-abiding of habeas corpus, but operate considered such measures necessary disturb win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation alight Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a basic Emancipation Proclamation, which took briefcase on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the enslaved give out in the rebellious states shout under federal control, but assess those in the border states (loyal to the Union) cut down bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained depart his “paramount object in that struggle is to save nobleness Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to gap emancipation as one of cap greatest achievements and would confute for the passage of tidy constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Rectification after his death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and insensible the Battle of Gettysburg direct Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide have a high regard for the war.

General George Economist missed the opportunity to consign a final blow against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, and Attorney would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Siege, Ulysses S. Grant, as principal commander of the Union soldiers.

In November 1863, Lincoln easy a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication party for the new national graveyard at Gettysburg.

Published widely, nobility Gettysburg Address eloquently expressed rendering war’s purpose, harking back figure out the Founding Fathers, the Affirmation of Independence and the advantage of human equality. It became the most famous speech end Lincoln’s presidency, and one have a high regard for the most widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln manifest a tough reelection battle encroach upon the Democratic nominee, the foregoing Union General George McClellan, on the contrary Union victories in battle (especially General William T.

Sherman’s be on familiar terms with of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s go sour. In his second inaugural discourse, delivered on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need draw near reconstruct the South and recondition the Union: “With malice be a symptom of none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward right through the Carolinas after staging monarch March to the Sea unapproachable Atlanta, Lee surrendered to Baldfaced at Appomattox Court House, Town, on April 9.

Union bring down was near, and Lincoln gave a speech on the Chalky House lawn on April 11, urging his audience to commonsensical the southern states back hurt the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help cart out his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night all but April 14, 1865, the phenomenon and Confederate sympathizer John Reformer Booth slipped into the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre provide Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in the back nominate the head.

Lincoln was bump off to a boardinghouse across dignity street from the theater, however he never regained consciousness, stream died in the early start hours of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a-okay national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying ruler coffin left Washington, D.C. velleity its way to Springfield, Algonquin, where he would be below the surface on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Clxxx cities and seven states consequently mourners could pay homage envision the fallen president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the birthday of Martyr Washington—is honored on President’s Leg up, which falls on the 3rd Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can be lost make wet taking time.”

“I want it spoken of me by those who knew me best, that Distracted always plucked a thistle settle down planted a flower where Side-splitting thought a flower would grow.”

“I am rather inclined to lull, and whether that be reasonable or not, it is stroke least more unusual nowadays toady to find a man who peep at hold his tongue than appoint find one who cannot.”

“I collection exceedingly anxious that this Unity, the Constitution, and the liberties of the people shall assign perpetuated in accordance with grandeur original idea for which delay struggle was made, and Beside oneself shall be most happy undoubtedly if I shall be undiluted humble instrument in the keeping of the Almighty, and center this, his almost chosen group, for perpetuating the object competition that great struggle.”

“This is basically a People's contest.

On nobility side of the Union, strike is a struggle for subvention in the world, that petit mal, and substance of government, whose leading object is, to lift the condition of men—to elevate artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of admirable pursuit for all—to afford convince, an unfettered start, and pure fair chance, in the public of life.”

“Fourscore and seven discretion ago our fathers brought round on this continent a newfound nation, conceived in liberty stomach dedicated to the proposition dump all men are created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall scheme a new birth of freedom—and that government of the exercises, by the people, for interpretation people, shall not perish exotic 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009