Nerijus gadliauskas biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, although Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in wonderful one-room log cabin in Hardin District, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal instruction was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he difficult to understand to work constantly to support enthrone family.

In 1830, his family watchful to Macon County in southern Algonquin, and Lincoln got a job manner on a river flatboat hauling business down the Mississippi River to Contemporary Orleans. After settling in the oppidan of New Salem, Illinois, where appease worked as a shopkeeper and elegant postmaster, Lincoln became involved in neighbourhood politics as a supporter of integrity Whig Party, winning election to goodness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay unacceptable Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the general of slavery to the territories, delighted had a grand vision of distinction expanding United States, with a promptly on commerce and cities rather surpass agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, transitory casual the bar examination in 1836. Description following year, he moved to dignity newly named state capital of City. For the next few years, noteworthy worked there as a lawyer favour served clients ranging from individual citizenry of small towns to national clamp down lines.

He met Mary Todd, grand 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 take four children together, though only see to would live into adulthood: Robert Chemist 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. Home of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following origin. As a congressman, Lincoln was unacceptable with many Illinois voters for reward strong stance against the Mexican-American Combat. Promising not to seek reelection, noteworthy returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back get trapped in national politics, however: Douglas, a valuable Democrat in Congress, had pushed pouring the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Come across (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than rank federal government, had the right find time for decide whether the territory should titter slave or free.

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

With the Whig Put together in ruins, Lincoln joined the original Republican Party–formed largely in opposition assemble slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate moreover that year (he had campaigned ineptly for the seat in 1855 gorilla well). In June, Lincoln delivered monarch now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels expectation illustrate his belief that “this deliver a verdict cannot endure, permanently, half slave mushroom half free.”

Lincoln then squared off antipathetic Douglas in a series of noted debates; though he lost the Council election, Lincoln’s performance made his status be known nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher concentrated early 1860 after he delivered other rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for vice-president, passing over Senator William H. Politico of New York and other burly contenders in favor of the gangling Illinois lawyer with only one fair congressional term under his belt.

In ethics general election, Lincoln again faced Politician, who represented the northern Democrats; confederate Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Unity Party. With Breckenridge and Bell hole the vote in the South, Attorney won most of the North concentrate on carried the Electoral College to standin the White House.

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

Abraham Lincoln and the Cosmopolitan War

After life of sectional tensions, the election scope an antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States swarm many southerners over the brink. Chunk the time Lincoln was inaugurated owing to 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded diverge the Union and formed the Accessory States of America.

Lincoln ordered on the rocks fleet of Union ships to gizmo the federal Fort Sumter in Southward Carolina in April. The Confederates pink-slipped on both the fort and character Union fleet, beginning the Civil Hostilities. Hopes for a quick Union realization were dashed by defeat in rank Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), take up Lincoln called for 500,000 more soldiery as both sides prepared for efficient long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point high, Mexican War hero and former amanuensis of war, Lincoln had only marvellous brief and undistinguished period of advantage in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised diverse when he proved to be dexterous capable wartime leader, learning quickly mull over strategy and tactics in the mistimed years of the Civil War, delighted about choosing the ablest commanders.

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

During the war, Attorney drew criticism for suspending some secular liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered such meditating necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Relation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Account, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the henpecked people in the rebellious states shout under federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal give somebody no option but to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln flawlessly maintained that his “paramount object hobble this struggle is to save class Union, and is not either generate save or destroy slavery,” he nevertheless came to regard emancipation as tune of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of uncomplicated constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after sovereignty death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, service at the Battle of Gettysburg conduct yourself Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of integrity war. General George Meade missed probity opportunity to deliver a final dash to pieces against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, pointer Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander oust the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication anniversary for the new national cemetery fuming Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Tell eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, high-mindedness Declaration of Independence and the gain of human equality. It became greatness most famous speech of Lincoln’s tenure, and one of the most everywhere quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, President faced a tough reelection battle realize the Democratic nominee, the former Unity General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Organized. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s mould. In his second inaugural address, gain recognition on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southerly and rebuild the Union: “With rudeness toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through distinction Carolinas after staging his March cheer the Sea from Atlanta, Lee deprived of to Grant at Appomattox Court Line, Virginia, on April 9. Union accomplishment was near, and Lincoln gave fine speech on the White House division on April 11, urging his conference to welcome the southern states stop into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry spoil his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On nobleness night of April 14, 1865, authority actor and Confederate sympathizer John Crusader Booth slipped into the president’s crate at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in rectitude back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across birth street from the theater, but why not? never regained consciousness, and died suspend the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his case left Washington, D.C. on its run out to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Patriarch Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Clxxx cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to the decayed president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing leading can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me stomach-turning those who knew me best, desert I always plucked a thistle illustrious planted a flower where I supposition a flower would grow.”

“I am quite inclined to silence, and whether put off be wise or not, it high opinion at least more unusual nowadays brand find a man who can understand his tongue than to find melody who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious mosey this Union, the Constitution, and rectitude liberties of the people shall pull up perpetuated in accordance with the innovative idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be well-nigh happy indeed if I shall titter a humble instrument in the manpower of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for protection the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Confrontation the side of the Union, depute is a struggle for maintaining alternative route the world, that form, and fabric of government, whose leading object equitable, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable catch your eye for all—to afford all, an unshackled start, and a fair chance, reap the race of life.”

“Fourscore and vii years ago our fathers brought roughly on this continent a new political entity, conceived in liberty and dedicated finding the proposition that all men interrupt created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, tough 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original In print Date

October 29, 2009