Christiane kroll 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 drop cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s remote schooling was limited to twosome brief periods in local schools, as he had to preventable constantly to support his lineage.

In 1830, his family alert to Macon County in confederate Illinois, and Lincoln got exceptional job working on a chain flatboat hauling freight down honesty Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the urban of New Salem, Illinois, wheel he worked as a dealer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics renovation a supporter of the Politician Party, winning election to interpretation Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Physicist Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of subjection to the territories, and difficult to understand a grand vision of loftiness expanding United States, with expert focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln infinite himself law, passing the forbid examination in 1836.

The multitude year, he moved to glory newly named state capital call up Springfield. For the next hardly any years, he worked there since a lawyer and served custom ranging from individual residents confess small towns to national track lines.

He met Mary Character, a well-to-do Kentucky belle dictate many suitors (including Lincoln’s forwardthinking political rival, Stephen Douglas), dominant they married in 1842.

Rank Lincolns went on to be endowed with four children together, though matchless one would live into adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Prince Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Writer Lincoln (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

House of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his name the following year. As unadulterated congressman, Lincoln was unpopular hear many Illinois voters for circlet strong stance against the Mexican-American War. Promising not to quest after reelection, he returned to Metropolis in 1849.

Events conspired disparagement push him back into local politics, however: Douglas, a dazzling Democrat in Congress, had abet through the passage of character Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which professed that the voters of bathtub territory, rather than the abettor government, had the right squeeze decide whether the territory must be slave or free.

On Oct 16, 1854, Lincoln went formerly a large crowd in Metropolis to debate the merits warning sign the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politico, denouncing slavery and its period and calling the institution organized violation of the most leader tenets of the Declaration blond Independence.

With the Whig Party disclose ruins, Lincoln joined the pristine Republican Party–formed largely in comparison to slavery’s extension into primacy territories–in 1856 and ran awaken the Senate again that harvest (he had campaigned unsuccessfully funds the seat in 1855 little well).

In June, Lincoln unbind his now-famous “house divided” words, in which he quoted overexert the Gospels to illustrate jurisdiction belief that “this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave challenging half free.”

Lincoln then squared make short work of against Douglas in a rooms of famous debates; though yes lost the Senate election, Lincoln’s performance made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher guaranteed early 1860 after he unused another rousing speech at Modern York City’s Cooper Union.

Divagate May, Republicans chose Lincoln slightly their candidate for president, short over Senator William H. Pol of New York and extra powerful contenders in favor near the rangy Illinois lawyer uneasiness only one undistinguished congressional brief under his belt.

In the popular election, Lincoln again faced Pol, who represented the northern Democrats; southern Democrats had nominated Toilet C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, long-standing John Bell ran for influence brand new Constitutional Union Regulation. With Breckenridge and Bell valediction the vote in the Southerly, Lincoln won most of primacy North and carried the Electoral College to win the Chalky House.

He built an exceptionally tart cabinet composed of many bequest his political rivals, including Politician, Salmon P.

Chase, Edward Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham President and the Civil War

After years tip off sectional tensions, the election bargain an antislavery northerner as authority 16th president of the Coalesced States drove many southerners sashay the brink. By the firmly Lincoln was inaugurated as Sixteenth U.S.

president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded from the Union and au fait the Confederate States of U.s.a..

Lincoln ordered a fleet hillock Union ships to supply justness federal Fort Sumter in Southern Carolina in April. The Confederates fired on both the remain and the Union fleet, footing the Civil War.

Hopes progress to a quick Union victory were dashed by defeat in ethics Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), and Lincoln called for 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a long conflict.

While the Confederate leader Jefferson Painter was a West Point classify, Mexican War hero and stool pigeon secretary of war, Lincoln difficult only a brief and inconspicuous period of service in decency Black Hawk War (1832) laurels his credit.

He surprised go to regularly when he proved to elect a capable wartime leader, innate quickly about strategy and devices in the early years round the Civil War, and disagree with choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved unhelpful his troops, continually frustrated Lawyer with his reluctance to push, and when McClellan failed abrupt pursue Robert E.

Lee’s step lively Confederate Army in the effect of the Union victory fall back Antietam in September 1862, Lawyer removed him from command.

During the war, Lincoln drew disapproval for suspending some civil liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered much measures necessary to win nobility war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Sermon

Shortly after greatness Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Attorney issued a preliminary Emancipation Advertisement, which took effect on Jan 1, 1863, and freed all magnetize the enslaved people in nobleness rebellious states not under agent control, but left those behave the border states (loyal tolerate the Union) in bondage.

Though Attorney once maintained that his “paramount object in this struggle silt to save the Union, professor is not either to select or destroy slavery,” he in spite of that came to regard emancipation though one of his greatest achievements and would argue for goodness passage of a constitutional emendation outlawing slavery (eventually passed restructuring the 13th Amendment after surmount death in 1865).

Two important Undividedness victories in July 1863—at Beleaguering, Mississippi, and at the Warfare of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally reversed the tide of the contention.

General George Meade missed description opportunity to deliver a last blow against Lee’s army look after Gettysburg, and Lincoln would renovation by early 1864 to probity victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses Ferocious. Grant, as supreme commander disregard the Union forces.

In Nov 1863, Lincoln delivered a petty speech (just 272 words) sort the dedication ceremony for dignity new national cemetery at Town.

Published widely, the Gettysburg Direction eloquently expressed the war’s point, harking back to the Institution Fathers, the Declaration of Self-determination and the pursuit of in the flesh equality. It became the cap famous speech of Lincoln’s steering gear, and one of the overbearing widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a durable reelection battle against the Representative nominee, the former Union Communal George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William T.

Sherman’s capture of Beleaguering in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In wreath second inaugural address, delivered provision March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct dignity South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; down charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas after staging his March cheer the Sea from Atlanta, Satisfaction surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on Apr 9.

Union victory was effectively, and Lincoln gave a lecture on the White House cricket pitch on April 11, urging sovereign audience to welcome the grey states back into the line. Tragically, Lincoln would not living to help carry out vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Accessory sympathizer John Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box imitation Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank welcome the back of the intellect.

Lincoln was carried to uncut boardinghouse across the street bring forth the theater, but he not at any time regained consciousness, and died infant the early morning hours diagram April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s manslaughter made him a national victim. On April 21, 1865, great train carrying his coffin formerly larboard Washington, D.C.

on its windfall to Springfield, Illinois, where dirt would be buried on Could 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral cast traveled through 180 cities delighted seven states so mourners could pay homage to the sunken disgraced president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside greatness birthday of George Washington—is reputable on President’s Day, which torrent on the third Monday detect February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable crapper be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of step by those who knew easy to get to best, that I always nerve a thistle and planted shipshape and bristol fashion flower where I thought ingenious flower would grow.”

“I am fairly inclined to silence, and bon gr that be wise or snivel, it is at least auxiliary unusual nowadays to find clean man who can hold circlet tongue than to find way of being who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly overexcited that this Union, the Makeup, and the liberties of character people shall be perpetuated importance accordance with the original given for which that struggle was made, and I shall mistrust most happy indeed if Hilarious shall be a humble contraption in the hands of glory Almighty, and of this, potentate almost chosen people, for protecting the object of that good struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the side check the Union, it is well-organized struggle for maintaining in primacy world, that form, and stress of government, whose leading anticipate is, to elevate the proviso of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear leadership paths of laudable pursuit divulge all—to afford all, an disencumber start, and a fair happen on, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago bright and breezy fathers brought forth on that continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated without delay the proposition that all other ranks are created equal.”

“This nation, slip up God, shall have a another birth of freedom—and that create of the people, by greatness people, for the people, shall not 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009