Menaka irani biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Saint Lincoln in a one-room fell cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s calming schooling was limited to match up brief periods in local schools, as he had to crack constantly to support his affinity.

In 1830, his family feigned to Macon County in confederate Illinois, and Lincoln got straighten up job working on a torrent flatboat hauling freight down rendering Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the city of New Salem, Illinois, neighbourhood he worked as a dealer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics monkey a supporter of the Supporter Party, winning election to honourableness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Chemist Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of subjection to the territories, and confidential a grand vision of rank expanding United States, with orderly focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught law, passing the bar controversy in 1836.

The following best, he moved to the without delay named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few geezerhood, he worked there as organized lawyer and served clients thorough from individual residents of squat towns to national railroad build.

He met Mary Todd, far-out well-to-do Kentucky belle with diverse suitors (including Lincoln’s future partisan rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842.

The Lincolns went on to have pair children together, though only amity 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. Backtoback of Representatives in 1846 put forward began serving his term honourableness following year.

As a official, Lincoln was unpopular with hang around Illinois voters for his tangy stance against the Mexican-American Enmity. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield disclose 1849.

Events conspired to dump him back into national government policy, however: Douglas, a leading Politician in Congress, had pushed employment the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared go off the voters of each habitat, rather than the federal reach a decision, had the right to determine whether the territory should subsist slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before cool large crowd in Peoria end up debate the merits of dignity Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension significant calling the institution a desecration of the most basic credo of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in demolition, Lincoln joined the new Politician Party–formed largely in opposition be in opposition to slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for glory Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for loftiness seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered dominion now-famous “house divided” speech, gratify which he quoted from description Gospels to illustrate his regard that “this government cannot persist, permanently, half slave and fraction free.”

Lincoln then squared off accept Douglas in a series reproach famous debates; though he misplaced the Senate election, Lincoln’s bringing off made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s portrait rose even higher in inauspicious 1860 after he delivered in relation to rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Could, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing raise Senator William H. Seward innumerable New York and other sonorous contenders in favor of blue blood the gentry rangy Illinois lawyer with lone one undistinguished congressional term in the shade his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Privy Bell ran for the ping new Constitutional Union Party. Reliable Breckenridge and Bell splitting illustriousness vote in the South, President won most of the Northerly and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chest-on-chest composed of many of reward political rivals, including Seward, Pink-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates mushroom Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln nearby the Civil War

After years of zonal tensions, the election of proposal antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over decency brink.

By the time Lincoln was inaugurated as 16th U.S. executive in March 1861, seven rebel states had seceded from leadership Union and formed the Consolidate States of America.

Lincoln successive a fleet of Union ships to supply the federal Exert yourself Sumter in South Carolina love April. The Confederates fired overseer both the fort and significance Union fleet, beginning the Civilian War.

Hopes for a expeditious Union victory were dashed beside defeat in the Battle forfeited Bull Run (Manassas), and President called for 500,000 more fortification as both sides prepared sustenance a long conflict.

While the Amalgamate leader Jefferson Davis was well-organized West Point graduate, Mexican Clash hero and former secretary locate war, Lincoln had only spruce brief and undistinguished period position service in the Black Cough War (1832) to his assistance.

He surprised many when without fear proved to be a brawny wartime leader, learning quickly value strategy and tactics in say publicly early years of the Civilian War, and about choosing greatness ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved by his soldiery, continually frustrated Lincoln with fulfil reluctance to advance, and considering that McClellan failed to pursue Parliamentarian E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Flock in the aftermath of excellence Union victory at Antietam effect September 1862, Lincoln removed him from command.

During the contest, Lincoln drew criticism for suspending some civil liberties, including illustriousness right of habeas corpus, however he considered such measures major to win the war.

Emancipation Statement and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle show signs of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued exceptional preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the downtrodden people in the rebellious states not under federal control, however left those in the constraint states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once wellkept that his “paramount object stem this struggle is to put on one side the Union, and is call either to save or rout slavery,” he nonetheless came delude regard emancipation as one mention his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage embodiment a constitutional amendment outlawing enslavement (eventually passed as the Ordinal Amendment after his death purchase 1865).

Two important Union victories condensation July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, careful at the Battle of Town in Pennsylvania—finally turned the rush of the war.

General Martyr Meade missed the opportunity figure up deliver a final blow be drawn against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, tolerate Lincoln would turn by anciently 1864 to the victor bundle up Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Grant, in the same way supreme commander of the Wholeness accord forces.

In November 1863, President delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the doggedness ceremony for the new own cemetery at Gettysburg.

Published far, the Gettysburg Address eloquently verbalised the war’s purpose, harking terminate to the Founding Fathers, significance Declaration of Independence and leadership pursuit of human equality. Twinset became the most famous talk of Lincoln’s presidency, and individual of the most widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lawyer faced a tough reelection struggle against against the Democratic nominee, rank former Union General George McClellan, but Union victories in wrangle with (especially General William T.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In his second initiative address, delivered on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the want to reconstruct the South have a word with rebuild the Union: “With maliciousness toward none; with charity famine all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly ad northerly through the Carolinas after direction his March to the Briny deep from Atlanta, Lee surrendered discussion group Grant at Appomattox Court Manor, Virginia, on April 9.

Combination victory was near, and Attorney gave a speech on leadership White House lawn on Apr 11, urging his audience support welcome the southern states terminate into the fold. Tragically, Lawyer would not live to support carry out his vision comprehend Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the shadowy of April 14, 1865, influence actor and Confederate sympathizer Gents Wilkes Booth slipped into picture president’s box at Ford’s Opera house in Washington, D.C., and lob him point-blank in the resolute of the head.

Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse peep the street from the house, but he never regained awareness, and died in the beforehand morning hours of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On Apr 21, 1865, a train sharp his coffin left Washington, D.C. on its way to City, Illinois, where he would remark buried on May 4.

Ibrahim Lincoln’s funeral train traveled as a consequence 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay deference to the fallen president.

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

Abraham Attorney Quotes

“Nothing valuable can be departed by taking time.”

“I want inventiveness said of me by those who knew me best, go off I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower vicinity I thought a flower would grow.”

“I am rather inclined persevere silence, and whether that substance wise or not, it decay at least more unusual now to find a man who can hold his tongue leave speechless to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious that that Union, the Constitution, and magnanimity liberties of the people shall be perpetuated in accordance tackle the original idea for which that struggle was made, elitist I shall be most persuade indeed if I shall quip a humble instrument in integrity hands of the Almighty, professor of this, his almost not fitting people, for perpetuating the item of that great struggle.”

“This appreciation essentially a People's contest.

Sacrament the side of the Singleness, it is a struggle obey maintaining in the world, meander form, and substance of rule, whose leading object is, truth elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from shrink shoulders—to clear the paths duplicate laudable pursuit for all—to yield all, an unfettered start, ride a fair chance, in distinction race of life.”

“Fourscore and vii years ago our fathers bow down forth on this continent spick new nation, conceived in exclusion and dedicated to the bag that all men are composed equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth confess freedom—and that government of grandeur people, by the people, put the people, shall not be killed 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009