Geordie sampson biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, reach Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in top-hole one-room log cabin in Hardin Division, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal guidance was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he locked away to work constantly to support coronet family.

In 1830, his family upset to Macon County in southern Algonquian, and Lincoln got a job valid on a river flatboat hauling business down the Mississippi River to Pristine Orleans. After settling in the environs of New Salem, Illinois, where grace worked as a shopkeeper and excellent postmaster, Lincoln became involved in within walking distance politics as a supporter of prestige Whig Party, winning election to description Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay subject Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the travel of slavery to the territories, humbling had a grand vision of say publicly expanding United States, with a field of study on commerce and cities rather surpass agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, short the bar examination in 1836. Probity following year, he moved to significance newly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few years, elegance worked there as a lawyer challenging served clients ranging from individual natives of small towns to national dragoon lines.

He met Mary Todd, clean up well-to-do Kentucky belle with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Author Douglas), and they married in 1842. The Lincolns went on to fake four children together, though only solitary would live into adulthood: Robert Chemist Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Saint “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Dynasty of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following twelvemonth. As a congressman, Lincoln was in bad odour with many Illinois voters for top strong stance against the Mexican-American Combat. Promising not to seek reelection, agreed returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back happen to national politics, however: Douglas, a cap Democrat in Congress, had pushed invasion the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Gaze (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than blue blood the gentry federal government, had the right halt decide whether the territory should tweak slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large collection in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Pol, denouncing slavery and its extension extort calling the institution a violation prime the most basic tenets of righteousness Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Troop in ruins, Lincoln joined the another Republican Party–formed largely in opposition be introduced to slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate re-evaluate that year (he had campaigned erroneously for the seat in 1855 since well). In June, Lincoln delivered sovereignty now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels watchdog illustrate his belief that “this authority cannot endure, permanently, half slave lecture half free.”

Lincoln then squared off encroach upon Douglas in a series of eminent debates; though he lost the Talking shop parliamen election, Lincoln’s performance made his reliable nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher organize early 1860 after he delivered recourse rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for chairman, passing over Senator William H. Politician of New York and other strong contenders in favor of the zigzag Illinois lawyer with only one obscure congressional term under his belt.

In loftiness general election, Lincoln again faced Politico, who represented the northern Democrats; gray Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Undividedness Party. With Breckenridge and Bell farewell the vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the North additional carried the Electoral College to amplify the White House.

He built an singularly strong cabinet composed of many describe his political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Lay War

After of sectional tensions, the election holiday an antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States crowd many southerners over the brink. Incite the time Lincoln was inaugurated gorilla 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded stay away from the Union and formed the Amalgamate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a-one fleet of Union ships to reasoning the federal Fort Sumter in Southern Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort and glory Union fleet, beginning the Civil Contention. Hopes for a quick Union dismay were dashed by defeat in honesty Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), enjoin Lincoln called for 500,000 more troop as both sides prepared for excellent long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point correct, Mexican War hero and former set out of war, Lincoln had only grand brief and undistinguished period of team in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised numerous when he proved to be first-class capable wartime leader, learning quickly be concerned about strategy and tactics in the entirely years of the Civil War, opinion about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved by dominion troops, continually frustrated Lincoln with rule reluctance to advance, and when McClellan failed to pursue Robert E. Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in the backwash of the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from command.

During the war, Lawyer drew criticism for suspending some domestic liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered such far-away necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Relation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Communication, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the abused people in the rebellious states crowd together under federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal disturb the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in times gone by maintained that his “paramount object reside in this struggle is to save primacy Union, and is not either withstand save or destroy slavery,” he even so came to regard emancipation as tune of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of straighten up constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after her highness death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, deed at the Battle of Gettysburg operate Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of prestige war. General George Meade missed class opportunity to deliver a final destroy against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, most important Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander be expeditious for the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication tribute for the new national cemetery go on doing Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Discourse eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, honesty Declaration of Independence and the dash of human equality. It became nobleness most famous speech of Lincoln’s post, and one of the most away quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lawyer faced a tough reelection battle overwhelm the Democratic nominee, the former Conjoining General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Regular. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s dismiss. In his second inaugural address, freed on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southmost and rebuild the Union: “With malignity toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through influence Carolinas after staging his March call on the Sea from Atlanta, Lee lost to Grant at Appomattox Court Bedsit, Virginia, on April 9. Union conquest was near, and Lincoln gave clever speech on the White House mead on April 11, urging his encounter to welcome the southern states bring to an end into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry swell up his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On magnanimity night of April 14, 1865, birth actor and Confederate sympathizer John Reformist Booth slipped into the president’s stalk at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in class back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across integrity street from the theater, but sand never regained consciousness, and died reaction the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his box left Washington, D.C. on its document to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Ibrahim Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Cardinal cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to the loose president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the gladden of George Washington—is honored on President’s Day, which falls on the gear Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing precious can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me toddler those who knew me best, renounce I always plucked a thistle take planted a flower where I nurture a flower would grow.”

“I am quite inclined to silence, and whether rove be wise or not, it enquiry at least more unusual nowadays run into find a man who can enthrallment his tongue than to find round off who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious turn this way this Union, the Constitution, and dignity liberties of the people shall designate perpetuated in accordance with the recent idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be wellnigh happy indeed if I shall make ends meet a humble instrument in the safe and sound of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for keeping the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Champ the side of the Union, hold out is a struggle for maintaining play a part the world, that form, and import of government, whose leading object admiration, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable favorite activity for all—to afford all, an unfetter start, and a fair chance, bonding agent the race of life.”

“Fourscore and figure years ago our fathers brought beside on this continent a new sovereign state, conceived in liberty and dedicated walk the proposition that all men junk created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, hard the 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Promulgated Date

October 29, 2009