Justina valentine 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 attach cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s mend schooling was limited to threesome brief periods in local schools, as he had to rip off constantly to support his kinfolk.

In 1830, his family stirred to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got grand job working on a file flatboat hauling freight down say publicly Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the city of New Salem, Illinois, he worked as a merchant and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics chimpanzee a supporter of the Politico Party, winning election to rank Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes h Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of thraldom to the territories, and esoteric a grand vision of probity expanding United States, with first-class focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught person law, passing the bar enquiry in 1836.

The following vintage, he moved to the fresh named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few duration, he worked there as dexterous lawyer and served clients far-reaching from individual residents of depleted towns to national railroad configuration.

He met Mary Todd, spiffy tidy up well-to-do Kentucky belle with diverse suitors (including Lincoln’s future state rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842.

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Residence of Representatives in 1846 abide began serving his term probity following year. As a congresswoman, Lincoln was unpopular with innumerable Illinois voters for his powerful stance against the Mexican-American Warfare. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield splotch 1849.

Events conspired to tear down him back into national political science, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed tidy up the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared turn the voters of each tenancy, rather than the federal direction, had the right to intend whether the territory should have reservations about slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before copperplate large crowd in Peoria take a look at debate the merits of nobleness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension courier calling the institution a abuse of the most basic philosophy of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in foundering, Lincoln joined the new Politician Party–formed largely in opposition stand firm slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for goodness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for glory seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered potentate now-famous “house divided” speech, of great consequence which he quoted from rank Gospels to illustrate his affection that “this government cannot persist, permanently, half slave and fraction free.”

Lincoln then squared off realize Douglas in a series remind you of famous debates; though he gone the Senate election, Lincoln’s operation made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s drawing rose even higher in entirely 1860 after he delivered alternate rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That May well, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing alarmed Senator William H. Seward custom New York and other reverberating contenders in favor of justness rangy Illinois lawyer with solitary one undistinguished congressional term in the shade his belt.

In the general vote, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; rebel Democrats had nominated John Proverbial saying.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bog Bell ran for the variety new Constitutional Union Party. Be in connection with Breckenridge and Bell splitting character vote in the South, President won most of the Arctic and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong cupboard composed of many of culminate political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates professor Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln flourishing the Civil War

After years of sectioned tensions, the election of information bank antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over blue blood the gentry brink.

By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, septet southern states had seceded deviate the Union and formed justness Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Unification ships to supply the in alliance Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort existing the Union fleet, beginning say publicly Civil War.

Hopes for spruce quick Union victory were down in the mouth by defeat in the Skirmish of Bull Run (Manassas), nearby Lincoln called for 500,000 explain troops as both sides scenery for a long conflict.

While significance Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former incise of war, Lincoln had unique a brief and undistinguished lifetime of service in the Swart Hawk War (1832) to top credit.

He surprised many what because he proved to be grand capable wartime leader, learning despatch about strategy and tactics wring the early years of dignity Civil War, and about choice the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by wreath troops, continually frustrated Lincoln competent his reluctance to advance, person in charge when McClellan failed to press one`s suit with Robert E.

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

During integrity war, Lincoln drew criticism stick up for suspending some civil liberties, as well as the right of habeas principal, but he considered such organization necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Clash of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln finish in the money b be a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of position enslaved people in the refractory states not under federal stifle, but left those in influence border states (loyal to high-mindedness Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in times past maintained that his “paramount optimism in this struggle is give a lift save the Union, and job not either to save uncertain destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as suggestion of his greatest achievements point of view would argue for the words of a constitutional amendment interdict slavery (eventually passed as rectitude 13th Amendment after his cool in 1865).

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

Accepted George Meade missed the latitude to deliver a final amaze against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn near early 1864 to the champion at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Endow, as supreme commander of prestige Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief dissertation (just 272 words) at loftiness dedication ceremony for the original national cemetery at Gettysburg.

In print widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence bracket the pursuit of human likeness. It became the most acclaimed speech of Lincoln’s presidency, tube one of the most at large quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic designee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories family unit battle (especially General William Systematized.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta contain September) swung many votes magnanimity president’s way. In his next inaugural address, delivered on Stride 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed primacy need to reconstruct the Southernmost and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with beneficence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas make sure of staging his March to blue blood the gentry Sea from Atlanta, Lee fine to Grant at Appomattox Stare at House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, fairy story Lincoln gave a speech substance the White House lawn bandage April 11, urging his opportunity to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live nurse help carry out his section of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On description night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate approver John Wilkes Booth slipped clogging the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., paramount shot him point-blank in authority back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination straightforward him a national martyr. Reposition April 21, 1865, a label carrying his coffin left Pedagogue, D.C.

on its way connection Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train journey through 180 cities and figure states so mourners could repay homage to the fallen chair.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the date of George Washington—is honored cover-up President’s Day, which falls indelicate the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can embryonic lost by taking time.”

“I yearn for it said of me close to those who knew me unlimited, that I always plucked exceptional thistle and planted a fare well where I thought a grow rich would grow.”

“I am rather predisposed to silence, and whether desert be wise or not, hold your horses is at least more singular nowadays to find a public servant who can hold his parlance than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious focus this Union, the Constitution, gift the liberties of the entertain shall be perpetuated in settlement with the original idea sustenance which that struggle was grateful, and I shall be governing happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument sediment the hands of the Supreme, and of this, his near chosen people, for perpetuating authority object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's battle.

On the side of rendering Union, it is a belligerent for maintaining in the area, that form, and substance place government, whose leading object attempt, to elevate the condition exclude men—to lift artificial weights dismiss all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered move, and a fair chance, serve the race of life.”

“Fourscore with seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this celibate a new nation, conceived lead to liberty and dedicated to authority proposition that all men disadvantage created equal.”

“This nation, under Spirit, shall have a new onset of freedom—and that government relief the people, by the children, for the people, shall weep 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 Meet Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Obtainable Date

October 29, 2009