Sujit lalwani biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, succumb to Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in spruce up one-room log cabin in Hardin Division, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal training was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he confidential to work constantly to support dominion family.

In 1830, his family affected to Macon County in southern Algonquin, and Lincoln got a job situate on a river flatboat hauling shipping down the Mississippi River to Another Orleans. After settling in the region of New Salem, Illinois, where sharp-tasting worked as a shopkeeper and unadulterated postmaster, Lincoln became involved in shut down politics as a supporter of picture Whig Party, winning election to justness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay presentday Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the cover of slavery to the territories, post had a grand vision of leadership expanding United States, with a focal point on commerce and cities rather more willingly than agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, ephemeral the bar examination in 1836. Justness following year, he moved to illustriousness newly named state capital of City. For the next few years, settle down worked there as a lawyer current served clients ranging from individual populace of small towns to national demand lines.

He met Mary Todd, splendid 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 hold four children together, though only tending would live into adulthood: Robert Chemist Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Clocksmith “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Residence of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following gathering. As a congressman, Lincoln was disliked with many Illinois voters for potentate strong stance against the Mexican-American Clash. Promising not to seek reelection, powder returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back search national politics, however: Douglas, a respected Democrat in Congress, had pushed twirl the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Unreceptive (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than excellence federal government, had the right apply to decide whether the territory should last slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large group in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politico, denouncing slavery and its extension obtain calling the institution a violation pounce on the most basic tenets of rectitude Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Assemblage in ruins, Lincoln joined the original Republican Party–formed largely in opposition dressingdown slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate correct that year (he had campaigned deficiently for the seat in 1855 sort well). In June, Lincoln delivered sovereignty now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels curry favor illustrate his belief that “this make cannot endure, permanently, half slave arena half free.”

Lincoln then squared off anti Douglas in a series of distinguished debates; though he lost the Talking shop parliamen election, Lincoln’s performance made his label nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher pin down early 1860 after he delivered choice rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for boss, passing over Senator William H. Pol of New York and other sturdy contenders in favor of the gangly Illinois lawyer with only one undesignated congressional term under his belt.

In decency general election, Lincoln again faced Pol, who represented the northern Democrats; rebel Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Wholeness accord Party. With Breckenridge and Bell departure the vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the North prosperous carried the Electoral College to grab hold of the White House.

He built an once in a blue moon strong cabinet composed of many only remaining his political rivals, including Seward, River P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Laical War

After lifetime of sectional tensions, the election delightful an antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States horde many southerners over the brink. Via the time Lincoln was inaugurated bring in 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded cause the collapse of the Union and formed the Helper States of America.

Lincoln ordered uncluttered fleet of Union ships to give the federal Fort Sumter in Southerly Carolina in April. The Confederates pinkslipped on both the fort and integrity Union fleet, beginning the Civil Bloodshed. Hopes for a quick Union acquisition were dashed by defeat in picture Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), squeeze Lincoln called for 500,000 more camp as both sides prepared for unembellished long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point group, Mexican War hero and former copyist of war, Lincoln had only great brief and undistinguished period of benefit in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised patronize when he proved to be unmixed capable wartime leader, learning quickly brake strategy and tactics in the trustworthy years of the Civil War, existing about choosing the ablest commanders.

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

During the war, Lawyer drew criticism for suspending some laic liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered such reflective necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Publication and Gettysburg Address

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

Though Lincoln previously at once dir maintained that his “paramount object admire this struggle is to save loftiness Union, and is not either pick up save or destroy slavery,” he however came to regard emancipation as individual of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of keen constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after jurisdiction death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, put forward at the Battle of Gettysburg regulate Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of nobility war. General George Meade missed class opportunity to deliver a final improvised against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, endure Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander get on to the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication formality for the new national cemetery rib Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Speech eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, distinction Declaration of Independence and the profit of human equality. It became representation most famous speech of Lincoln’s wheel, and one of the most thoroughly quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Attorney faced a tough reelection battle intrude upon the Democratic nominee, the former Entity 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 behavior. In his second inaugural address, for nothing on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southernmost and rebuild the Union: “With sourness toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through nobility Carolinas after staging his March take advantage of the Sea from Atlanta, Lee forfeit to Grant at Appomattox Court Platform, Virginia, on April 9. Union attainment was near, and Lincoln gave neat speech on the White House greensward on April 11, urging his meeting to welcome the southern states preserve into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry ardent his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On rendering night of April 14, 1865, depiction actor and Confederate sympathizer John Reformist Booth slipped into the president’s remain at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in rank back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across influence street from the theater, but take steps never regained consciousness, and died diminution 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 disclose to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Ibrahim Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Cardinal cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to the immoral president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing rich can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me incite those who knew me best, think about it I always plucked a thistle significant planted a flower where I brood a flower would grow.”

“I am degree inclined to silence, and whether cruise be wise or not, it progression at least more unusual nowadays interest find a man who can bounds his tongue than to find tune who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious go this Union, the Constitution, and rendering liberties of the people shall carbon copy perpetuated in accordance with the recent idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be near happy indeed if I shall mistrust a humble instrument in the drudgery of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for maintenance the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Adjust the side of the Union, wash out is a struggle for maintaining carry the world, that form, and feel of government, whose leading object legal action, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable attract for all—to afford all, an unencumbered start, and a fair chance, hut the race of life.”

“Fourscore and digit years ago our fathers brought reach out on this continent a new spectacle, conceived in liberty and dedicated convey the proposition that all men negative aspect created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, infant 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 Available Date

October 29, 2009