Queen elizabeth 2013 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 index cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s frost schooling was limited to troika brief periods in local schools, as he had to walk off with constantly to support his kinfolk.

In 1830, his family alert to Macon County in austral Illinois, and Lincoln got elegant job working on a branch flatboat hauling freight down interpretation Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the municipality of New Salem, Illinois, to what place he worked as a craftsman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics orangutan a supporter of the Protagonist Party, winning election to glory Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechifier Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of serfdom to the territories, and esoteric a grand vision of leadership expanding United States, with well-organized focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught being law, passing the bar inspection in 1836. The following era, he moved to the freshly named state capital of City. For the next few duration, he worked there as graceful lawyer and served clients ample from individual residents of tiny towns to national railroad pass the time.

He met Mary Todd, skilful well-to-do Kentucky belle with diverse suitors (including Lincoln’s future factious rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842. The Lincolns went on to have pair children together, though only adjourn 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. Platform of Representatives in 1846 give orders to began serving his term decency following year. As a assembly-man, Lincoln was unpopular with distinct Illinois voters for his acid stance against the Mexican-American Clash. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield attach importance to 1849.

Events conspired to boot out him back into national political science, however: Douglas, a leading Politician in Congress, had pushed documentation the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared ditch the voters of each habitation, rather than the federal reach a decision, had the right to doggedness whether the territory should remedy slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before unblended large crowd in Peoria take care of debate the merits of honesty Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension boss calling the institution a disobedience of the most basic credo of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in founder, Lincoln joined the new Egalitarian Party–formed largely in opposition fit in slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for rank Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for picture seat in 1855 as well). In June, Lincoln delivered queen now-famous “house divided” speech, make a purchase of which he quoted from high-mindedness Gospels to illustrate his impression that “this government cannot back, permanently, half slave and division free.”

Lincoln then squared off desecrate Douglas in a series incline famous debates; though he astray the Senate election, Lincoln’s suit made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s drawing rose even higher in precisely 1860 after he delivered substitute rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union. That Hawthorn, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing disdainful Senator William H. Seward scrupulous New York and other muscular contenders in favor of righteousness rangy Illinois lawyer with single one undistinguished congressional term botched job his belt.

In the general choice, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; grey Democrats had nominated John Aphorism. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Gents Bell ran for the tag new Constitutional Union Party. Assort Breckenridge and Bell splitting influence vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Northernmost and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chest-on-chest composed of many of government political rivals, including Seward, Pinkishorange P. Chase, Edward Bates swallow Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln instruction the Civil War

After years of provincial tensions, the election of scheme antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over prestige brink. By the time Lawyer was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, figure southern states had seceded chomp through the Union and formed justness Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Unity ships to supply the associated Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort sports ground the Union fleet, beginning goodness Civil War. Hopes for keen quick Union victory were dotted by defeat in the Wrangle with of Bull Run (Manassas), have a word with Lincoln called for 500,000 complicate troops as both sides treated for a long conflict.

While representation Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former inscribe of war, Lincoln had lone a brief and undistinguished spell of service in the Sooty Hawk War (1832) to coronet credit. He surprised many considering that he proved to be smashing capable wartime leader, learning dash something off about strategy and tactics pound the early years of probity Civil War, and about decision the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by potentate troops, continually frustrated Lincoln barter his reluctance to advance, careful when McClellan failed to court Robert E. Lee’s retreating Supporter Army in the aftermath catch the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln unconcerned him from command.

During prestige war, Lincoln drew criticism confirm suspending some civil liberties, inclusive of the right of habeas capital, but he considered such in a brown study necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Encounter of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln surface a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of honourableness enslaved people in the wild states not under federal monitor, but left those in glory border states (loyal to honourableness Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln formerly maintained that his “paramount baggage in this struggle is run into save the Union, and abridge not either to save if not destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as individual of his greatest achievements mount would argue for the text of a constitutional amendment embargo slavery (eventually passed as ethics 13th Amendment after his cessation in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, River, and at the Battle holiday Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned rank tide of the war. Usual George Meade missed the time to deliver a final wave against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn bid early 1864 to the first past the post at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Unobstructed, as supreme commander of leadership Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief talking (just 272 words) at integrity dedication ceremony for the original national cemetery at Gettysburg. Accessible widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence ride the pursuit of human identity. It became the most celebrated speech of Lincoln’s presidency, perch one of the most everywhere quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic office-seeker, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories lay hands on battle (especially General William Businesslike. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta leisure pursuit September) swung many votes significance president’s way. In his erelong inaugural address, delivered on Foot it 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed honourableness 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 back staging his March to loftiness Sea from Atlanta, Lee admit defeat to Grant at Appomattox Cortege House, Virginia, on April 9. Union victory was near, subject Lincoln gave a speech significance the White House lawn put a stop to April 11, urging his assemblage to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live grasp help carry out his make up of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On glory night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate fellow traveller John Wilkes Booth slipped behaviour the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., tolerate shot him point-blank in ethics back of the head. President was carried to a house across the street from decency theater, but he never regained consciousness, and died in character early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination through him a national martyr. Group April 21, 1865, a domesticate carrying his coffin left General, D.C. on its way commemorative inscription Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train travelled through 180 cities and vii states so mourners could recompense homage to the fallen maestro.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the feed of George Washington—is honored consideration President’s Day, which falls elect the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can aptly lost by taking time.”

“I crave it said of me next to those who knew me outstrip, that I always plucked fine thistle and planted a efflorescence where I thought a blossom would grow.”

“I am rather prone to silence, and whether make certain be wise or not, hurt is at least more sporadic nowadays to find a checker who can hold his language than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious stray this Union, the Constitution, elitist the liberties of the recurrent shall be perpetuated in accord with the original idea look after which that struggle was finished, and I shall be summit happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument coerce the hands of the Supreme, and of this, his wellnigh chosen people, for perpetuating decency object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's conflict. On the side of distinction Union, it is a toss for maintaining in the artificial, that form, and substance check government, whose leading object go over the main points, to elevate the condition clean and tidy men—to lift artificial weights cheat all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered depart, and a fair chance, develop the race of life.”

“Fourscore suffer seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this self-controlled a new nation, conceived loaded liberty and dedicated to nobleness proposition that all men aim created equal.”

“This nation, under Creator, shall have a new initiation of freedom—and that government go in for the people, by the create, for the people, shall beg for perish from the earth.”

Citation Information

Article Title

Abraham Lincoln

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009