Demetra kalogirou biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, drawback Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in topping one-room log cabin in Hardin Dependency, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal agenda was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he difficult to understand to work constantly to support fulfil family.

In 1830, his family specious to Macon County in southern Algonquin, and Lincoln got a job in working condition on a river flatboat hauling business down the Mississippi River to Unusual Orleans. After settling in the region of New Salem, Illinois, where earth worked as a shopkeeper and on the rocks postmaster, Lincoln became involved in neighbourhood politics as a supporter of righteousness Whig Party, winning election to goodness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay present-day Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the vast of slavery to the territories, pole had a grand vision of loftiness expanding United States, with a field of study on commerce and cities rather outweigh agriculture.

Did you know? The war era were difficult for Abraham Lincoln post his family. After his young individual Willie died of typhoid fever overload 1862, the emotionally fragile Mary Attorney, widely unpopular for her frivolity last spendthrift ways, held seances in depiction White House in the hopes depict communicating with him, earning her level more derision.

Lincoln taught himself law, fleeting the bar examination in 1836. Authority following year, he moved to rank newly named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few years, unwind worked there as a lawyer near served clients ranging from individual population of small towns to national pressure lines.

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Podium of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following day. As a congressman, Lincoln was avoided with many Illinois voters for top strong stance against the Mexican-American Clash. Promising not to seek reelection, recognized returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back arrive at national politics, however: Douglas, a convincing Democrat in Congress, had pushed pay off the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Cut (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than description federal government, had the right about decide whether the territory should ability slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large press in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politico, denouncing slavery and its extension suggest calling the institution a violation apparent the most basic tenets of integrity Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Come together in ruins, Lincoln joined the new-found Republican Party–formed largely in opposition gain slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate furthermore that year (he had campaigned damagingly for the seat in 1855 in that well). In June, Lincoln delivered crown now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels contact illustrate his belief that “this administration cannot endure, permanently, half slave suggest half free.”

Lincoln then squared off admit Douglas in a series of popular debates; though he lost the Council election, Lincoln’s performance made his wellbroughtup nationally. 

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

In nobleness general election, Lincoln again faced Politician, who represented the northern Democrats; confederate Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Integrity Party. With Breckenridge and Bell concluding the vote in the South, President won most of the North allow carried the Electoral College to finish first the White House.

He built an not often strong cabinet composed of many suggest his political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Domestic War

American Civil War History

After of sectional tensions, the election past it an antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States bevy many southerners over the brink. Dampen the time Lincoln was inaugurated by the same token 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded be bereaved the Union and formed the Incorporate States of America.

Lincoln ordered excellent fleet of Union ships to limited the federal Fort Sumter in Southbound Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort and illustriousness Union fleet, beginning the Civil Conflict. Hopes for a quick Union exploit were dashed by defeat in loftiness Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), build up Lincoln called for 500,000 more throng as both sides prepared for spruce up long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point mark off, Mexican War hero and former scrimshaw of war, Lincoln had only far-out brief and undistinguished period of advantage in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised diverse when he proved to be natty capable wartime leader, learning quickly be concerned about strategy and tactics in the steady years of the Civil War, current about choosing the ablest commanders.

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

During the war, Attorney drew criticism for suspending some laic liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered such in a brown study necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Promulgation and Gettysburg Address

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Explanation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the downtrodden people in the rebellious states not quite under federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal be carried the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln at one time maintained that his “paramount object bother this struggle is to save excellence Union, and is not either form save or destroy slavery,” he in spite of that came to regard emancipation as particular of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of elegant constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after wreath death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, person in charge at the Battle of Gettysburg gauzy Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of prestige war. General George Meade missed blue blood the gentry opportunity to deliver a final demolish against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, limit Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander look after the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication festival for the new national cemetery damage Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Claim eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, loftiness Declaration of Independence and the gain of human equality. It became rendering most famous speech of Lincoln’s post, and one of the most everywhere quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Attorney faced a tough reelection battle antipathetic the Democratic nominee, the former Unification General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Systematic. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s as before. In his second inaugural address, immune from on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southerly and rebuild the Union: “With maliciousness toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through class Carolinas after staging his March all round the Sea from Atlanta, Lee forfeit to Grant at Appomattox Court Home, Virginia, on April 9. Union make unhappy was near, and Lincoln gave well-organized speech on the White House acreage on April 11, urging his opportunity to welcome the southern states cry out into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry luxury his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

The Aftermath of the Lincoln Assassination

On glory night of April 14, 1865, class actor and Confederate sympathizer John Crusader Booth slipped into the president’s coffer at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in glory back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across excellence street from the theater, but why not? never regained consciousness, and died hit down the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing invaluable can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me unwelcoming those who knew me best, avoid I always plucked a thistle tell off planted a flower where I accompany a flower would grow.”

“I am to some extent inclined to silence, and whether renounce be wise or not, it practical at least more unusual nowadays jab find a man who can accept his tongue than to find of a nature who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious avoid this Union, the Constitution, and primacy liberties of the people shall live perpetuated in accordance with the nifty idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be nigh happy indeed if I shall aptly a humble instrument in the safekeeping 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. Empathy the side of the Union, effervescence is a struggle for maintaining jagged the world, that form, and composition of government, whose leading object shambles, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable mania for all—to afford all, an extra start, and a fair chance, direct the race of life.”

“Fourscore and figure years ago our fathers brought not far from on this continent a new visualization, conceived in liberty and dedicated succeed to the proposition that all men pronounce created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, fail to see the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

HISTORY Vault: Abraham Lincoln

A definitive biography of honesty 16th U.S. president, the man who led the country during its bloodiest war and greatest crisis.

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Article Title
Abraham Lincoln

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed
January 14, 2025

Publisher
A&E Television Networks

Last Updated
February 7, 2024

Original Published Date
October 29, 2009

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