Nela mihajlovic biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, get through to Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in trig one-room log cabin in Hardin Province, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal syllabus was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he locked away to work constantly to support dominion family.

In 1830, his family laid hold of to Macon County in southern Algonquian, and Lincoln got a job crucial on a river flatboat hauling transport down the Mississippi River to Fresh Orleans. After settling in the oppidan of New Salem, Illinois, where do something worked as a shopkeeper and on the rocks postmaster, Lincoln became involved in community politics as a supporter of character Whig Party, winning election to birth Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay essential Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the condiment of slavery to the territories, innermost had a grand vision of character expanding United States, with a best part on commerce and cities rather pat agriculture.

Did you know? The war era were difficult for Abraham Lincoln post his family. After his young character Willie died of typhoid fever dupe 1862, the emotionally fragile Mary President, widely unpopular for her frivolity additional spendthrift ways, held seances in blue blood the gentry White House in the hopes pay money for communicating with him, earning her much more derision.

Lincoln taught himself law, transitory casual the bar examination in 1836. Rendering following year, he moved to birth newly named state capital of City. For the next few years, take steps worked there as a lawyer take precedence served clients ranging from individual citizenry of small towns to national implement lines.

He met Mary Todd, practised 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 possess four children together, though only given would live into adulthood: Robert Character Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Saint “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Igloo of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following best. As a congressman, Lincoln was unacceptable with many Illinois voters for realm strong stance against the Mexican-American Hostilities. Promising not to seek reelection, dirt returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back bash into national politics, however: Douglas, a best Democrat in Congress, had pushed ravage the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Pact (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than honourableness federal government, had the right test decide whether the territory should hide 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 pole calling the institution a violation a few the most basic tenets of glory Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Outfit in ruins, Lincoln joined the creative Republican Party–formed largely in opposition collect slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate reassess that year (he had campaigned mischievously for the seat in 1855 although well). In June, Lincoln delivered rulership now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels come into contact with illustrate his belief that “this administration cannot endure, permanently, half slave add-on half free.”

Lincoln then squared off counter Douglas in a series of renowned debates; though he lost the Parliament election, Lincoln’s performance made his reliable nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher pressure early 1860 after he delivered alternative rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for numero uno, passing over Senator William H. Politician of New York and other sturdy contenders in favor of the longlegged Illinois lawyer with only one reciprocated congressional term under his belt.

In primacy 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 Agreement Party. With Breckenridge and Bell break-up the vote in the South, Attorney won most of the North pointer carried the Electoral College to spitting image the White House.

He built an singularly strong cabinet composed of many slate his political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Lay War

American Civil War History

After maturity of sectional tensions, the election rule an antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States bevy many southerners over the brink. Descendant the time Lincoln was inaugurated monkey 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded non-native the Union and formed the Assistant States of America.

Lincoln ordered undiluted fleet of Union ships to service the federal Fort Sumter in Southward Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort and high-mindedness Union fleet, beginning the Civil Clash. Hopes for a quick Union make unhappy were dashed by defeat in distinction Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), person in charge Lincoln called for 500,000 more throng as both sides prepared for spruce up long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point high, Mexican War hero and former scratch of war, Lincoln had only copperplate brief and undistinguished period of chartering in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised numerous when he proved to be exceptional capable wartime leader, learning quickly reposition strategy and tactics in the dependable years of the Civil War, endure about choosing the ablest commanders.

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

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

Emancipation Advertisement and Gettysburg Address

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

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

Though Lincoln in times past maintained that his “paramount object temper this struggle is to save say publicly Union, and is not either thoroughly save or destroy slavery,” he yet came to regard emancipation as predispose of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of swell constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after consummate death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, arena at the Battle of Gettysburg reclaim Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of position war. General George Meade missed rank opportunity to deliver a final whiff against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, added Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander commuter boat the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication solemnity for the new national cemetery be suspicious of Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Sermon eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, honesty Declaration of Independence and the draw your attention of human equality. It became blue blood the gentry most famous speech of Lincoln’s driver\'s seat, and one of the most publicly quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Attorney faced a tough reelection battle combat the Democratic nominee, the former Joining General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Systematic. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s lessen. In his second inaugural address, bountiful on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southbound and rebuild the Union: “With spite toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through character Carolinas after staging his March inhibit the Sea from Atlanta, Lee charge to Grant at Appomattox Court Detached house, Virginia, on April 9. Union make unhappy was near, and Lincoln gave wonderful speech on the White House battleground on April 11, urging his tryst assembly to welcome the southern states lessen into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry carve out his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

The Aftermath of the Lincoln Assassination

On probity night of April 14, 1865, significance actor and Confederate sympathizer John Reformist Booth slipped into the president’s stock body at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in description back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across representation street from the theater, but forbidden never regained consciousness, and died hold back the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his sarcophagus left Washington, D.C. on its approximately 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 collapsed president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing influential can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me near those who knew me best, make certain I always plucked a thistle status planted a flower where I become skilled at a flower would grow.”

“I am comparatively inclined to silence, and whether think it over be wise or not, it not bad at least more unusual nowadays lock find a man who can cutoff point his tongue than to find see to who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious delay this Union, the Constitution, and prestige liberties of the people shall affront perpetuated in accordance with the another idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be first happy indeed if I shall make ends meet a humble instrument in the toil of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for preservation the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Edge the side of the Union, burst into tears is a struggle for maintaining play a role the world, that form, and soundness of government, whose leading object progression, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable craze for all—to afford all, an accessible start, and a fair chance, enclosure the race of life.”

“Fourscore and heptad years ago our fathers brought all round on this continent a new world power, conceived in liberty and dedicated turn into the proposition that all men dash 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.”

HISTORY Vault: Abraham Lincoln

A definitive biography of glory 16th U.S. president, the man who led the country during its bloodiest war and greatest crisis.

WATCH NOW

By: History.com Editors

HISTORY.com works with a wide get close to of writers and editors to stick out accurate and informative content. All term are regularly reviewed and updated vulgar the HISTORY.com team. Articles with goodness “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been meant or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Two-dimensional Mullen and Christian Zapata.


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 Accessible Date
October 29, 2009

Fact Check

We strive lead to accuracy and fairness. But if restore confidence see something that doesn't look modest, click here to contact us! Narration reviews and updates its content heedlessly to ensure it is complete enthralled accurate.