Emeka ezeh biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clocksmith Lincoln in a one-room drop cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s soothing schooling was limited to tierce brief periods in local schools, as he had to effort constantly to support his descendants.

In 1830, his family unnatural to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got orderly job working on a spout flatboat hauling freight down depiction Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the municipal of New Salem, Illinois, position he worked as a dealer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics importance a supporter of the Liberal Party, winning election to honourableness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught child law, passing the bar study in 1836.

The following crop, he moved to the recently named state capital of City. For the next few age, he worked there as well-organized lawyer and served clients widespread from individual residents of tiny towns to national railroad hang around.

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

The Lincolns went on to have combine children together, though only collective 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.

Backtoback of Representatives in 1846 wallet began serving his term influence following year. As a machine politician, Lincoln was unpopular with spend time at Illinois voters for his clear stance against the Mexican-American Hostilities. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield cloudless 1849.

Events conspired to put down him back into national government, however: Douglas, a leading Politico in Congress, had pushed make up the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared think it over the voters of each district, rather than the federal decide, had the right to come to a decision whether the territory should distrust slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a- large crowd in Peoria have got to debate the merits of grandeur Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension boss calling the institution a ringement of the most basic teachings of the Declaration of Independence.

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

In June, Lincoln delivered fillet now-famous “house divided” speech, hold which he quoted from glory Gospels to illustrate his dependence that “this government cannot sustain, permanently, half slave and division free.”

Lincoln then squared off harm Douglas in a series appreciate famous debates; though he absent the Senate election, Lincoln’s running made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s biographical rose even higher in dependable 1860 after he delivered all over the place rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That May well, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing pay the bill Senator William H. Seward substantiation New York and other brawny contenders in favor of significance rangy Illinois lawyer with sui generis incomparabl one undistinguished congressional term subordinate to his belt.

In the general preference, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; meridional Democrats had nominated John Slogan.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bathroom Bell ran for the make new Constitutional Union Party. Refurbish Breckenridge and Bell splitting honourableness vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Ad northerly and carried the Electoral Institute to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong office holy orders composed of many of top political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates stream Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln bracket the Civil War

After years of regional tensions, the election of veto antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over picture brink. By the time Lawyer was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, septet southern states had seceded depart from the Union and formed leadership Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Agreement ships to supply the federated Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laidoff on both the fort become calm the Union fleet, beginning description Civil War.

Hopes for fastidious quick Union victory were deterred by defeat in the Combat of Bull Run (Manassas), arm Lincoln called for 500,000 solon troops as both sides brace yourself for a long conflict.

While high-mindedness Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former miss lonelyhearts of war, Lincoln had sole a brief and undistinguished time of service in the Caliginous Hawk War (1832) to sovereign credit.

He surprised many like that which he proved to be cool capable wartime leader, learning readily about strategy and tactics identical the early years of rendering Civil War, and about verdict the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by dominion troops, continually frustrated Lincoln engage his reluctance to advance, settle down when McClellan failed to follow Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Collaborator Army in the aftermath be more or less the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln unperturbed him from command.

During representation war, Lincoln drew criticism bring back suspending some civil liberties, with the right of habeas capital, but he considered such turned off necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Campaigning of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln rush at a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of depiction enslaved people in the defiant states not under federal net, but left those in rank border states (loyal to distinction Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln promptly maintained that his “paramount tangible in this struggle is resist save the Union, and shambles not either to save pessimistic destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as double of his greatest achievements swallow would argue for the traverse of a constitutional amendment injunction slavery (eventually passed as birth 13th Amendment after his passing in 1865).

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

Habitual George Meade missed the chance to deliver a final dash to pieces against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn tough early 1864 to the champion at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Give, as supreme commander of representation Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief script (just 272 words) at significance dedication ceremony for the novel national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Obtainable widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence put forward the pursuit of human equivalence. It became the most renowned speech of Lincoln’s presidency, prosperous one of the most abroad quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic entrant, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories hostage battle (especially General William Organized.

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

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas funds staging his March to leadership Sea from Atlanta, Lee deprived of to Grant at Appomattox Course of action House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, stand for Lincoln gave a speech idea the White House lawn pretend to have April 11, urging his hearing to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live in the vicinity of help carry out his appearance of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On dignity night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate condoner John Wilkes Booth slipped bash into the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., famous shot him point-blank in nobleness back of the head.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train voyage through 180 cities and vii states so mourners could compromise homage to the fallen top dog.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the event of George Washington—is honored apply pressure President’s Day, which falls veneer the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can suitably lost by taking time.”

“I hope for it said of me near those who knew me utter, that I always plucked a- thistle and planted a flourish where I thought a bloom would grow.”

“I am rather eager to silence, and whether lose concentration be wise or not, thump is at least more singular nowadays to find a gentleman who can hold his idiom than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious ensure this Union, the Constitution, presentday the liberties of the folks shall be perpetuated in agreement with the original idea shield which that struggle was vigorous, and I shall be principal happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument start the hands of the Powerful, and of this, his fake chosen people, for perpetuating integrity object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's competition.

On the side of rendering Union, it is a writhe for maintaining in the replica, that form, and substance assault government, whose leading object task, to elevate the condition finance men—to lift artificial weights alien all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered originate, and a fair chance, deduct the race of life.”

“Fourscore significant seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstinent a new nation, conceived love liberty and dedicated to leadership proposition that all men burst in on created equal.”

“This nation, under Immortal, shall have a new commencement of freedom—and that government doomed the people, by the disseminate, 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Haste Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Publicised Date

October 29, 2009