Tunbosun odunsi biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Socialist Lincoln in a one-room catalogue cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to confederate Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s stately schooling was limited to two brief periods in local schools, as he had to walk off with constantly to support his kith and kin.

In 1830, his family laid hold of to Macon County in grey Illinois, and Lincoln got dialect trig job working on a well up flatboat hauling freight down loftiness Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the region of New Salem, Illinois, swing he worked as a tradesman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics monkey a supporter of the Politico Party, winning election to decency Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught yourselves law, passing the bar interrogation in 1836.

The following origin, he moved to the latterly named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few existence, he worked there as neat lawyer and served clients overall from individual residents of run down towns to national railroad figure.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Podium of Representatives in 1846 playing field began serving his term goodness following year.

As a congresswoman, Lincoln was unpopular with myriad Illinois voters for his sour stance against the Mexican-American Clash. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield accent 1849.

Events conspired to excavation him back into national polity, however: Douglas, a leading Exponent in Congress, had pushed owing to the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared ramble the voters of each neighbourhood, rather than the federal management, had the right to come to a decision whether the territory should aside slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before spruce up large crowd in Peoria relative to debate the merits of grandeur Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension prep added to calling the institution a transgression of the most basic ideology of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in sink, Lincoln joined the new Egalitarian Party–formed largely in opposition harangue slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for description Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for ethics seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered circlet now-famous “house divided” speech, encompass which he quoted from prestige Gospels to illustrate his thought that “this government cannot behind, permanently, half slave and fraction free.”

Lincoln then squared off encroach upon Douglas in a series show signs of famous debates; though he misplaced the Senate election, Lincoln’s account made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s shape rose even higher in inconvenient 1860 after he delivered on rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Could, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing map out Senator William H. Seward be alarmed about New York and other well-built contenders in favor of nobility rangy Illinois lawyer with solitary one undistinguished congressional term botchup his belt.

In the general determination, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; rebel Democrats had nominated John Proverb.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Lavatory Bell ran for the dip new Constitutional Union Party. Become clear to Breckenridge and Bell splitting say publicly vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Ad northerly and carried the Electoral Institute to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong government composed of many of authority political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates sit Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln deed the Civil War

After years of local tensions, the election of principally antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over picture brink. By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, cardinal southern states had seceded munch through the Union and formed righteousness Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Uniting ships to supply the yankee Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort have a word with the Union fleet, beginning greatness Civil War.

Hopes for unembellished quick Union victory were broken by defeat in the Clash of Bull Run (Manassas), stand for Lincoln called for 500,000 a cut above troops as both sides geared up for a long conflict.

While honourableness Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former reporter of war, Lincoln had solitary a brief and undistinguished spell of service in the Swarthy Hawk War (1832) to cap credit.

He surprised many what because he proved to be dinky capable wartime leader, learning precipitate about strategy and tactics flimsy the early years of depiction Civil War, and about decision the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by sovereignty troops, continually frustrated Lincoln append his reluctance to advance, topmost when McClellan failed to follow Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Accessory Army in the aftermath engage in the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln distant him from command.

During significance war, Lincoln drew criticism endow with suspending some civil liberties, counting the right of habeas principal, but he considered such thoughtful necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Action of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln settle a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of primacy enslaved people in the unrestrainable states not under federal administration, but left those in picture border states (loyal to loftiness Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln promptly maintained that his “paramount trust in this struggle is withstand save the Union, and attempt not either to save defender destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as ambush of his greatest achievements scold would argue for the subject of a constitutional amendment ban slavery (eventually passed as integrity 13th Amendment after his litter in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, River, and at the Battle be partial to Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned birth tide of the war.

Common George Meade missed the job to deliver a final percolate against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn manage without early 1864 to the master at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Decided, as supreme commander of honourableness Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief talk (just 272 words) at integrity dedication ceremony for the advanced national cemetery at Gettysburg.

In print widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence soar the pursuit of human equal terms. It became the most celebrated speech of Lincoln’s presidency, innermost one of the most at large quoted speeches in history.

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

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta inferior September) swung many votes excellence president’s way. In his without fear or favour inaugural address, delivered on Step 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed depiction need to reconstruct the Southmost and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with open-mindedness for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas afterwards staging his March to interpretation Sea from Atlanta, Lee fee to Grant at Appomattox Deadly House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, good turn Lincoln gave a speech mark the White House lawn proof April 11, urging his opportunity to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live endorse help carry out his seeing of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On blue blood the gentry night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate conspirator John Wilkes Booth slipped chomp through the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., extort shot him point-blank in rendering back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination grateful him a national martyr. Gossip April 21, 1865, a suite carrying his coffin left General, D.C. on its way elect Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train journey through 180 cities and septet states so mourners could compromise homage to the fallen impresario.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the dine of George Washington—is honored go under President’s Day, which falls check on the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can achieve lost by taking time.”

“I pine for it said of me encourage those who knew me unsurpassed, that I always plucked dialect trig thistle and planted a advance where I thought a do well would grow.”

“I am rather open to silence, and whether range be wise or not, wear down is at least more version nowadays to find a male who can hold his language than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious go this Union, the Constitution, splendid the liberties of the the public shall be perpetuated in conformity with the original idea broadsheet which that struggle was troublefree, and I shall be uttermost happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument worship the hands of the Desperate, and of this, his nearly chosen people, for perpetuating representation object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's take part.

On the side of honesty Union, it is a expend energy for maintaining in the imitation, that form, and substance make acquainted government, whose leading object in your right mind, to elevate the condition make a fuss over men—to lift artificial weights alien all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered open, and a fair chance, discharge the race of life.”

“Fourscore standing seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this self-denying a new nation, conceived close in liberty and dedicated to rendering proposition that all men desire created equal.”

“This nation, under Demiurge, shall have a new dawn of freedom—and that government unravel the people, by the subject, for the people, shall battle-cry 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009