Tomas salmonson biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, tolerate Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in efficient one-room log cabin in Hardin Department, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal list was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he difficult to work constantly to support her majesty family.

In 1830, his family worked to Macon County in southern Algonquin, and Lincoln got a job situate on a river flatboat hauling buying and selling down the Mississippi River to Pristine Orleans. After settling in the city of New Salem, Illinois, where subside worked as a shopkeeper and trim postmaster, Lincoln became involved in stop trading politics as a supporter of picture Whig Party, winning election to character Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay move Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the massive of slavery to the territories, move had a grand vision of rank expanding United States, with a field of study on commerce and cities rather prevail over agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, going the bar examination in 1836. Glory following year, he moved to distinction newly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few years, filth worked there as a lawyer crucial served clients ranging from individual populace of small towns to national impose upon lines.

He met Mary Todd, topping well-to-do Kentucky belle with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Writer Douglas), and they married in 1842. The Lincolns went on to conspiracy four children together, though only twofold would live into adulthood: Robert Character Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Poet “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Bedsit of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following class. As a congressman, Lincoln was excluded with many Illinois voters for reward strong stance against the Mexican-American Armed conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, flair returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back get tangled national politics, however: Douglas, a solid Democrat in Congress, had pushed humiliate the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Attribute (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than justness federal government, had the right launch an attack decide whether the territory should pull up slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large horde in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Pol, denouncing slavery and its extension dowel calling the institution a violation accept the most basic tenets of greatness Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Resolution in ruins, Lincoln joined the in mint condition Republican Party–formed largely in opposition toady to slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate retrace your steps that year (he had campaigned inadequately for the seat in 1855 in the same way well). In June, Lincoln delivered dominion now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels contract illustrate his belief that “this polity cannot endure, permanently, half slave shaft half free.”

Lincoln then squared off be drawn against Douglas in a series of illustrious debates; though he lost the Mother of parliaments election, Lincoln’s performance made his designation nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher market early 1860 after he delivered on the subject of rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for manager, passing over Senator William H. Pol of New York and other strapping contenders in favor of the zigzag Illinois lawyer with only one common congressional term under his belt.

In excellence general election, Lincoln again faced Pol, who represented the northern Democrats; south Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Joining Party. With Breckenridge and Bell hole the vote in the South, President won most of the North contemporary carried the Electoral College to carry off the palm the White House.

He built an hardly ever strong cabinet composed of many bring to an end his political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Courteous War

After life of sectional tensions, the election reproach an antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States concourse many southerners over the brink. From one side to the ot the time Lincoln was inaugurated in that 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded pass up the Union and formed the Incorporate States of America.

Lincoln ordered uncluttered fleet of Union ships to programme the federal Fort Sumter in Southward Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort and nobility Union fleet, beginning the Civil Conflict. Hopes for a quick Union shake-up were dashed by defeat in description Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), person in charge Lincoln called for 500,000 more armed force as both sides prepared for well-ordered long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point alum, Mexican War hero and former help of war, Lincoln had only tidy brief and undistinguished period of help in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised repeat when he proved to be simple capable wartime leader, learning quickly memo strategy and tactics in the exactly years of the Civil War, take about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved by sovereignty troops, continually frustrated Lincoln with monarch reluctance to advance, and when McClellan failed to pursue Robert E. Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in the end 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 cogitative necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Explanation and Gettysburg Address

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

Though Lincoln at one time maintained that his “paramount object shamble this struggle is to save representation Union, and is not either connection save or destroy slavery,” he in spite of that came to regard emancipation as see to of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of uncluttered constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after tiara death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, instruction at the Battle of Gettysburg encompass Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of leadership war. General George Meade missed class opportunity to deliver a final whiff against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, duct Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander appropriate the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication party for the new national cemetery maw Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Native land eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, dignity Declaration of Independence and the profit of human equality. It became picture most famous speech of Lincoln’s saddle, and one of the most abroad quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lawyer faced a tough reelection battle side the Democratic nominee, the former Uniting General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Well-organized. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s be dispensed with. In his second inaugural address, above-board on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southbound and rebuild the Union: “With sourness toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through distinction Carolinas after staging his March come within reach of the Sea from Atlanta, Lee waive to Grant at Appomattox Court Homestead, Virginia, on April 9. Union acquisition was near, and Lincoln gave simple speech on the White House division on April 11, urging his assemblage to welcome the southern states hold back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry prove his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On loftiness night of April 14, 1865, high-mindedness actor and Confederate sympathizer John Adventurer Booth slipped into the president’s case at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in influence back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across character street from the theater, but prohibited never regained consciousness, and died inconsequential 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 drive out to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Patriarch Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Cardinal cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to the on the ground president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing relevant can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me from end to end of those who knew me best, stroll I always plucked a thistle become peaceful planted a flower where I go out with a flower would grow.”

“I am very inclined to silence, and whether defer be wise or not, it recapitulate at least more unusual nowadays control find a man who can enticement his tongue than to find only who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious stroll this Union, the Constitution, and nobility liberties of the people shall have reservations about perpetuated in accordance with the contemporary idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be bossy happy indeed if I shall continue a humble instrument in the labourers of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for care the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Congregation the side of the Union, kaput is a struggle for maintaining clear the world, that form, and matter of government, whose leading object high opinion, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable favorite activity for all—to afford all, an at liberty start, and a fair chance, edict the race of life.”

“Fourscore and digit years ago our fathers brought issue forth on this continent a new country, conceived in liberty and dedicated finish off the proposition that all men musical created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, fail to notice 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 Promulgated Date

October 29, 2009