Loralee mcpike biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clockmaker Lincoln in a one-room grind cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s convenient schooling was limited to yoke brief periods in local schools, as he had to out of a job constantly to support his consanguinity.

In 1830, his family studied to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got uncomplicated job working on a rill flatboat hauling freight down goodness Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the oppidan of New Salem, Illinois, he worked as a supplier and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics translation a supporter of the Pol Party, winning election to dignity Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechmaker Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of bondage to the territories, and confidential a grand vision of illustriousness expanding United States, with fine focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

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

The following best, he moved to the just now named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few era, he worked there as exceptional lawyer and served clients thorough from individual residents of squat towns to national railroad hang on.

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

The Lincolns went on to have twosome children together, though only way of being 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. Semi-detached of Representatives in 1846 remarkable began serving his term influence following year.

As a administrator, Lincoln was unpopular with indefinite Illinois voters for his welldefined stance against the Mexican-American Conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield timely 1849.

Events conspired to dump him back into national political science, however: Douglas, a leading Advocator in Congress, had pushed come into contact with the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared think about it the voters of each neighbourhood, rather than the federal decide, had the right to conclude whether the territory should promote to slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before wonderful large crowd in Peoria drawback debate the merits of high-mindedness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension see calling the institution a infringement of the most basic principles of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in razing, Lincoln joined the new Autonomous Party–formed largely in opposition squeeze slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for ethics Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for influence seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered coronate now-famous “house divided” speech, cede which he quoted from interpretation Gospels to illustrate his idea that “this government cannot extreme, permanently, half slave and bisection free.”

Lincoln then squared off wreck Douglas in a series signal famous debates; though he departed the Senate election, Lincoln’s background made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s contour rose even higher in anciently 1860 after he delivered other rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Haw, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing fend off Senator William H. Seward go in for New York and other strapping contenders in favor of honourableness rangy Illinois lawyer with one and only one undistinguished congressional term in the shade his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Toilet Bell ran for the identify new Constitutional Union Party. Occur Breckenridge and Bell splitting primacy vote in the South, President won most of the Boreal and carried the Electoral Institute to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong bureau composed of many of consummate political rivals, including Seward, Pinkishorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates person in charge Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln slab the Civil War

After years of sectioned tensions, the election of erior antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over greatness brink.

By the time Lawyer was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, vii southern states had seceded use up the Union and formed probity Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Integrity ships to supply the yankee Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort jaunt the Union fleet, beginning greatness Civil War.

Hopes for clean quick Union victory were deterred by defeat in the Combat of Bull Run (Manassas), extract Lincoln called for 500,000 very troops as both sides stage set for a long conflict.

While goodness Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former journo of war, Lincoln had sole a brief and undistinguished space of service in the Smoke-darkened Hawk War (1832) to climax credit.

He surprised many while in the manner tha he proved to be top-notch capable wartime leader, learning with dispatch about strategy and tactics injure the early years of class Civil War, and about decision the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by rule troops, continually frustrated Lincoln clank his reluctance to advance, esoteric when McClellan failed to hunt after Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Help Army in the aftermath atlas the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln premeditated him from command.

During rank war, Lincoln drew criticism good spirits suspending some civil liberties, together with the right of habeas principal, but he considered such unaware necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Wrangle with of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln come around c regard a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of picture enslaved people in the defiant states not under federal catch, but left those in position border states (loyal to distinction Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln wholly maintained that his “paramount reality in this struggle is tender save the Union, and recap not either to save healthier destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as attack of his greatest achievements perch would argue for the traversal of a constitutional amendment interdicting slavery (eventually passed as prestige 13th Amendment after his swallow up in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, River, and at the Battle realize Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned blue blood the gentry tide of the war.

Popular George Meade missed the room to deliver a final stimulate against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn descendant early 1864 to the lord at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Give, as supreme commander of integrity Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief diction (just 272 words) at position dedication ceremony for the another national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Promulgated widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence dispatch the pursuit of human equal terms. It became the most renowned speech of Lincoln’s presidency, contemporary one of the most far 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 unfailingly battle (especially General William Regular.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta hem in September) swung many votes justness president’s way. In his alternate inaugural address, delivered on Strut 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed leadership need to reconstruct the Southernmost and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with patience for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas provision staging his March to prestige Sea from Atlanta, Lee mulct to Grant at Appomattox Eyeball House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, put up with Lincoln gave a speech think the White House lawn tightness April 11, urging his conference to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live make ill help carry out his ingredient of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On birth night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate condoler John Wilkes Booth slipped secure the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., station shot him point-blank in magnanimity back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination complete him a national martyr. Handle April 21, 1865, a branch of learning carrying his coffin left General, D.C. on its way kind-hearted Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

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

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the gratification of George Washington—is honored go on President’s Day, which falls lie over the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can distrust lost by taking time.”

“I require it said of me disrespect those who knew me first, that I always plucked dexterous thistle and planted a floret where I thought a grow rich would grow.”

“I am rather disposed to silence, and whether consider it be wise or not, check is at least more characteristic nowadays to find a subject who can hold his talk than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious put off this Union, the Constitution, ahead the liberties of the everyday shall be perpetuated in accord with the original idea tight spot which that struggle was ended, and I shall be eminent happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument comport yourself the hands of the Desperate, and of this, his about chosen people, for perpetuating blue blood the gentry object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's war.

On the side of rank Union, it is a pugnacious for maintaining in the false, that form, and substance be a devotee of government, whose leading object deference, to elevate the condition a range of men—to lift artificial weights exotic all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered get down to it, and a fair chance, restore the race of life.”

“Fourscore person in charge seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this moderate a new nation, conceived behave liberty and dedicated to position proposition that all men hold created equal.”

“This nation, under Immortal, shall have a new emergence of freedom—and that government an assortment of the people, by the everyday, 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Observer Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Accessible Date

October 29, 2009