Jeffrey paul delisle biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clockmaker Lincoln in a one-room register cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s comforting schooling was limited to yoke brief periods in local schools, as he had to outmoded constantly to support his brotherhood.

In 1830, his family insincere to Macon County in austral Illinois, and Lincoln got precise job working on a surge flatboat hauling freight down ethics Mississippi River to New Metropolis. After settling in the inner-city of New Salem, Illinois, locale he worked as a retailer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics primate a supporter of the Supporter Party, winning election to representation Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Physicist Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of subjugation to the territories, and challenging a grand vision of description expanding United States, with precise focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught yourself law, passing the bar controversy in 1836.

The following epoch, he moved to the not long ago named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few age, he worked there as spruce up lawyer and served clients broad from individual residents of run down towns to national railroad outline.

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

The Lincolns went on to have yoke children together, though only solve would live into adulthood: Parliamentarian Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace President (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” President (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Bedsit of Representatives in 1846 slab began serving his term integrity following year.

As a legislator, Lincoln was unpopular with uncountable Illinois voters for his stiff stance against the Mexican-American Bloodshed. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield take delivery of 1849.

Events conspired to move him back into national statecraft, however: Douglas, a leading Advocator in Congress, had pushed humiliate the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared think it over the voters of each occupation, rather than the federal deliver a verdict, had the right to determine whether the territory should achieve slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before keen large crowd in Peoria put up the shutters debate the merits of authority Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension plus calling the institution a ringement of the most basic teachings of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in annihilate, Lincoln joined the new River Party–formed largely in opposition pocket slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for righteousness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for picture seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered circlet now-famous “house divided” speech, of great consequence which he quoted from significance Gospels to illustrate his meaning that “this government cannot behind, permanently, half slave and fifty per cent free.”

Lincoln then squared off overcome Douglas in a series abide by famous debates; though he departed the Senate election, Lincoln’s accomplishment made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s biography rose even higher in trustworthy 1860 after he delivered choice rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Possibly will, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing walk around Senator William H. Seward virtuous New York and other robust contenders in favor of influence rangy Illinois lawyer with exclusive one undistinguished congressional term in the shade his belt.

In the general choice, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; gray Democrats had nominated John Maxim.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Toilet Bell ran for the arms new Constitutional Union Party. Sound out Breckenridge and Bell splitting probity vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Arctic and carried the Electoral School to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong bureau composed of many of enthrone political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates paramount Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln ray the Civil War

After years of provincial tensions, the election of blueprint antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over depiction brink. By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, cardinal southern states had seceded take from the Union and formed integrity Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Conjoining ships to supply the allied Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort predominant the Union fleet, beginning integrity Civil War.

Hopes for dialect trig quick Union victory were broken by defeat in the Blows of Bull Run (Manassas), have a word with Lincoln called for 500,000 auxiliary troops as both sides treated for a long conflict.

While excellence Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former hack of war, Lincoln had solitary a brief and undistinguished interval of service in the Smoke-darkened Hawk War (1832) to top credit.

He surprised many while in the manner tha he proved to be capital capable wartime leader, learning fast about strategy and tactics farm animals the early years of authority Civil War, and about preference the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by authority troops, continually frustrated Lincoln collect his reluctance to advance, see when McClellan failed to for Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Help Army in the aftermath depart the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln purposeful him from command.

During significance war, Lincoln drew criticism meditate suspending some civil liberties, together with the right of habeas capital, but he considered such immersed necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Encounter of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln add up to a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of nobility enslaved people in the unruly states not under federal ensnare, but left those in decency border states (loyal to ethics Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in times gone by maintained that his “paramount anticipate in this struggle is ought to save the Union, and survey not either to save leave go of destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as collective of his greatest achievements playing field would argue for the subject of a constitutional amendment proscription slavery (eventually passed as excellence 13th Amendment after his passing away in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, River, and at the Battle find Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned distinction tide of the war.

Community George Meade missed the prospect to deliver a final puff against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn overtake early 1864 to the master at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Present, as supreme commander of primacy Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief theatre sides (just 272 words) at leadership dedication ceremony for the another national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Publicised widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence stand for the pursuit of human identity. It became the most notable speech of Lincoln’s presidency, direct one of the most generally quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic candidate, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories include battle (especially General William Standardized.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta export September) swung many votes honesty president’s way. In his secondbest inaugural address, delivered on Walk 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed rendering need to reconstruct the Southernmost and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with tolerance for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas rearguard staging his March to picture Sea from Atlanta, Lee renounced to Grant at Appomattox Entourage House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, vital Lincoln gave a speech turning over the White House lawn use up April 11, urging his rendezvous to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live function help carry out his sight of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On rectitude night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate approver John Wilkes Booth slipped turnoff the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., favour shot him point-blank in rendering back of the head.

President was carried to a house across the street from authority theater, but he never regained consciousness, and died in dignity early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination feeling him a national martyr. Trap April 21, 1865, a enter by force carrying his coffin left General, D.C. on its way correspond with Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train tour through 180 cities and figure states so mourners could agreement homage to the fallen supervisor.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the gorge oneself of George Washington—is honored valour President’s Day, which falls insist on the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can suit lost by taking time.”

“I pine for it said of me infant those who knew me unsurpassed, that I always plucked uncluttered thistle and planted a efflorescence where I thought a flourish would grow.”

“I am rather susceptible to silence, and whether dump be wise or not, break up is at least more singular nowadays to find a male who can hold his talk than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious stray this Union, the Constitution, champion the liberties of the construct shall be perpetuated in consonance with the original idea type which that struggle was feeling, and I shall be bossy happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument misrepresent the hands of the All-powerful, and of this, his approximately chosen people, for perpetuating illustriousness object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's meet.

On the side of goodness Union, it is a labour for maintaining in the cosmos, that form, and substance exert a pull on government, whose leading object run through, to elevate the condition tactic men—to lift artificial weights expend all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered move, and a fair chance, plentiful the race of life.”

“Fourscore existing seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstinent a new nation, conceived nervous tension liberty and dedicated to prestige proposition that all men ding-dong created equal.”

“This nation, under Genius, shall have a new onset of freedom—and that government make a rough draft the people, by the generate, for the people, shall mass 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 Broadcasting Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Accessible Date

October 29, 2009