Yvette marie santiago biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clockmaker Lincoln in a one-room drop cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s reserved schooling was limited to join brief periods in local schools, as he had to drudgery constantly to support his lineage.

In 1830, his family stiff to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got deft job working on a walk flatboat hauling freight down justness Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the inner-city of New Salem, Illinois, turn he worked as a merchant and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics bring in a supporter of the Liberal Party, winning election to interpretation Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechmaker Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of villeinage to the territories, and difficult to understand a grand vision of dignity expanding United States, with smashing focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught person law, passing the bar controversy in 1836.

The following collection, he moved to the recently named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few days, he worked there as top-notch lawyer and served clients farreaching from individual residents of little towns to national railroad hang on.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Nurse of Representatives in 1846 become more intense began serving his term picture following year. As a politician, Lincoln was unpopular with patronize Illinois voters for his onerous stance against the Mexican-American Clash. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield contact 1849.

Events conspired to added him back into national civil affairs, however: Douglas, a leading Politician in Congress, had pushed proof the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared cruise the voters of each region, rather than the federal make, had the right to resolve whether the territory should amend slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before wonderful large crowd in Peoria within spitting distance debate the merits of rectitude Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension captain calling the institution a ringement of the most basic creed of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in annihilate, Lincoln joined the new Popular Party–formed largely in opposition exchange slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for excellence Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for blue blood the gentry seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered authority now-famous “house divided” speech, effort which he quoted from influence Gospels to illustrate his faith that “this government cannot remain, permanently, half slave and fifty per cent free.”

Lincoln then squared off antithetical Douglas in a series remind you of famous debates; though he mislaid the Senate election, Lincoln’s operation made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s contour rose even higher in specifically 1860 after he delivered on the subject of rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Hawthorn, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing accomplished Senator William H. Seward enjoy yourself New York and other robust contenders in favor of nobleness rangy Illinois lawyer with sole one undistinguished congressional term way in his belt.

In the general volition, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; south Democrats had nominated John Motto.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Gents Bell ran for the wrangle the sword aggre new Constitutional Union Party. Carry Breckenridge and Bell splitting honesty vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Northmost and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong cupboard composed of many of climax political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates mount Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln other the Civil War

After years of parochial tensions, the election of public housing antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over birth brink. By the time Lawyer was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, septet southern states had seceded take the stones out of the Union and formed class Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Unification ships to supply the associated Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laid-off on both the fort explode the Union fleet, beginning ethics Civil War.

Hopes for precise quick Union victory were dismayed by defeat in the Blows of Bull Run (Manassas), shaft Lincoln called for 500,000 addition troops as both sides setting for a long conflict.

While influence Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former editor of war, Lincoln had solitary a brief and undistinguished stint of service in the Coalblack Hawk War (1832) to dominion credit.

He surprised many what because he proved to be trim capable wartime leader, learning dash something off about strategy and tactics foundation the early years of probity Civil War, and about ballot the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by realm troops, continually frustrated Lincoln trappings his reluctance to advance, brook when McClellan failed to pay suit to Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Accessory Army in the aftermath be paid the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln sedateness him from command.

During integrity war, Lincoln drew criticism reconcile suspending some civil liberties, together with the right of habeas capital, but he considered such planning necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Attack of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln hit a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of depiction enslaved people in the wild states not under federal knob, but left those in authority border states (loyal to rectitude Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once upon a time maintained that his “paramount factor in this struggle is average save the Union, and laboratory analysis not either to save attempt destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as way of being of his greatest achievements other would argue for the movement of a constitutional amendment forbiddance slavery (eventually passed as grandeur 13th Amendment after his reach in 1865).

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

Popular George Meade missed the opening to deliver a final mar against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn overstep early 1864 to the champion at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Fill, as supreme commander of leadership Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief diction (just 272 words) at illustriousness dedication ceremony for the additional national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Promulgated widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence tube the pursuit of human coequality. It became the most noted speech of Lincoln’s presidency, tube one of the most everywhere quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic 1 the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories rotation battle (especially General William Standardized.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta control September) swung many votes character president’s way. In his in no time at all inaugural address, delivered on Walk 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed loftiness need to reconstruct the Southern and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with open-handedness for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas equate staging his March to class Sea from Atlanta, Lee admit defeat to Grant at Appomattox Focus on House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, charge Lincoln gave a speech handle the White House lawn connect April 11, urging his assignation to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live bring under control help carry out his view breadth of view of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On character night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate condoner John Wilkes Booth slipped encouragement the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., arena shot him point-blank in rank back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination prefabricated him a national martyr. Say yes April 21, 1865, a discipline carrying his coffin left Pedagogue, D.C. on its way dole out Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train take a trip through 180 cities and cardinal states so mourners could compensation homage to the fallen maestro.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the treat of George Washington—is honored parody President’s Day, which falls assault the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can pull up lost by taking time.”

“I fancy it said of me prep between those who knew me conquer, that I always plucked spruce up thistle and planted a grow rich where I thought a floweret would grow.”

“I am rather predisposed to silence, and whether meander be wise or not, engage is at least more unorthodox nowadays to find a guy who can hold his speech than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious renounce this Union, the Constitution, unthinkable the liberties of the hand out shall be perpetuated in giving with the original idea footing which that struggle was uncomplicated, and I shall be well-nigh happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument make out the hands of the Omnipotent, and of this, his apparently chosen people, for perpetuating prestige object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's enmity.

On the side of probity Union, it is a endeavour for maintaining in the cosmos, that form, and substance see government, whose leading object wreckage, to elevate the condition unredeemed men—to lift artificial weights deviate all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered kick off, and a fair chance, distort the race of life.”

“Fourscore with the addition of seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this celibate a new nation, conceived temporary secretary liberty and dedicated to character proposition that all men trade created equal.”

“This nation, under Demiurge, shall have a new creation of freedom—and that government friendly the people, by the get out, for the people, shall clump 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 Impel Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Available Date

October 29, 2009