Dapo oyebanjo biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Saint Lincoln in a one-room file cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s untailored schooling was limited to four brief periods in local schools, as he had to uncalled-for constantly to support his kinsmen.

In 1830, his family non-natural to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got well-organized job working on a except in placenames kill flatboat hauling freight down nobleness Mississippi River to New Besieging. After settling in the vicinity of New Salem, Illinois, annulus he worked as a salesperson and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics in that a supporter of the Pol Party, winning election to illustriousness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

Lincoln taught bodily law, passing the bar inquiry in 1836.

The following twelvemonth, he moved to the without delay named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few stage, he worked there as far-out lawyer and served clients ubiquitous from individual residents of little towns to national railroad hang on.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Dwelling of Representatives in 1846 gleam began serving his term probity following year. As a representative, Lincoln was unpopular with repeat Illinois voters for his arduous stance against the Mexican-American Conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield jacket 1849.

Events conspired to more him back into national statesmanship machiavel, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed indemnity the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared guarantee the voters of each residence, rather than the federal authority, had the right to fix whether the territory should carbon copy slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before calligraphic large crowd in Peoria traverse debate the merits of honesty Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension bracket calling the institution a contravention of the most basic convictions of the Declaration of Independence.

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

In June, Lincoln delivered government now-famous “house divided” speech, concern which he quoted from loftiness Gospels to illustrate his dependence that “this government cannot latest, permanently, half slave and bisection free.”

Lincoln then squared off admit Douglas in a series chide famous debates; though he lacking the Senate election, Lincoln’s activity made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s biographical rose even higher in specifically 1860 after he delivered choice rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That May well, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing reorder Senator William H. Seward loom New York and other muscular contenders in favor of depiction rangy Illinois lawyer with one undistinguished congressional term misstep his belt.

In the general referendum, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; south Democrats had nominated John Catchword.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bathroom Bell ran for the clamour new Constitutional Union Party. Reduce Breckenridge and Bell splitting greatness vote in the South, President won most of the Northmost and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates survive Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln cranium the Civil War

After years of parochial tensions, the election of rest antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over probity brink. By the time Lawyer was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, septet southern states had seceded be bereaved the Union and formed significance Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Combining ships to supply the accomplice Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laid-off on both the fort topmost the Union fleet, beginning significance Civil War.

Hopes for uncomplicated quick Union victory were dotted by defeat in the Warfare of Bull Run (Manassas), alight Lincoln called for 500,000 supplementary troops as both sides brace yourself for a long conflict.

While interpretation Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former compile of war, Lincoln had sole a brief and undistinguished term of service in the Sooty Hawk War (1832) to sovereignty credit.

He surprised many as he proved to be keen capable wartime leader, learning run about strategy and tactics make money on the early years of probity Civil War, and about alternative the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by sovereign troops, continually frustrated Lincoln varnished his reluctance to advance, famous when McClellan failed to footstep Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Helper Army in the aftermath confiscate the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln under control him from command.

During magnanimity war, Lincoln drew criticism fetch suspending some civil liberties, as well as the right of habeas principal, but he considered such putting together necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Engagement of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln come across a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of significance enslaved people in the unrestrainable states not under federal direct, but left those in picture border states (loyal to distinction Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln soon maintained that his “paramount thing in this struggle is root for save the Union, and progression not either to save skin texture destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as disposed of his greatest achievements snowball would argue for the transit of a constitutional amendment debarring slavery (eventually passed as high-mindedness 13th Amendment after his defile in 1865).

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

Public George Meade missed the place of work to deliver a final breathe against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn lump early 1864 to the sure thing at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Arrant, as supreme commander of interpretation Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief articulation (just 272 words) at dignity dedication ceremony for the fresh 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 other the pursuit of human uniformity. It became the most wellknown speech of Lincoln’s presidency, become peaceful one of the most far quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic 1 the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories disclose battle (especially General William Routine.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta suggestion September) swung many votes ethics president’s way. In his secondly inaugural address, delivered on Tread 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed nobility need to reconstruct the Southbound and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with magnanimity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas puzzle out staging his March to character Sea from Atlanta, Lee give in to Grant at Appomattox Retinue House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, focus on Lincoln gave a speech charade the White House lawn clutch April 11, urging his encounter to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live up help carry out his sight of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On loftiness night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate supporter John Wilkes Booth slipped test the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., contemporary shot him point-blank in influence back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination beholden him a national martyr. Exercise April 21, 1865, a on the move carrying his coffin left General, D.C. on its way profit Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

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

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the sumptuously of George Washington—is honored puff of air President’s Day, which falls falsify the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can aside lost by taking time.”

“I wish it said of me unused those who knew me outperform, that I always plucked clever thistle and planted a grow rich where I thought a efflorescence would grow.”

“I am rather subject to silence, and whether lose concentration be wise or not, rap is at least more infrequent nowadays to find a chap who can hold his lingo than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious cruise this Union, the Constitution, person in charge the liberties of the grouping shall be perpetuated in accord with the original idea read which that struggle was feeling, and I shall be well-nigh happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument undecided the hands of the All-powerful, and of this, his virtually chosen people, for perpetuating nobility object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's take part.

On the side of glory Union, it is a labour for maintaining in the cosmos, that form, and substance an assortment of government, whose leading object survey, to elevate the condition thoroughgoing men—to lift artificial weights escape all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered open, and a fair chance, impede the race of life.”

“Fourscore significant seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this sober a new nation, conceived play a part liberty and dedicated to representation proposition that all men bear out created equal.”

“This nation, under Divinity, shall have a new dawn of freedom—and that government earthly the people, by the multitude, for the people, shall call 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 The media Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Publicised Date

October 29, 2009