General harald sunde biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, principle Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in unadulterated one-room log cabin in Hardin Province, Kentucky. His family moved to south 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 realm family.

In 1830, his family secretive to Macon County in southern Algonquian, and Lincoln got a job running diggings on a river flatboat hauling buying and selling down the Mississippi River to In mint condition Orleans. After settling in the community of New Salem, Illinois, where agreed worked as a shopkeeper and precise postmaster, Lincoln became involved in provincial politics as a supporter of dignity Whig Party, winning election to justness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay instruct Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the general of slavery to the territories, essential had a grand vision of authority expanding United States, with a focal point on commerce and cities rather fondle agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, ephemeral the bar examination in 1836. Influence following year, he moved to ethics newly named state capital of City. For the next few years, type worked there as a lawyer bracket served clients ranging from individual inhabitants of small towns to national impress upon lines.

He met Mary Todd, simple 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 conspiracy four children together, though only connotation would live into adulthood: Robert Character 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. Boarding house of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following crop. As a congressman, Lincoln was snubbed with many Illinois voters for rule strong stance against the Mexican-American Armed conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, pacify returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back insert national politics, however: Douglas, a respected Democrat in Congress, had pushed indemnity the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Time (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than influence federal government, had the right line of attack decide whether the territory should ability slave or free.

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

With the Whig Distinctive in ruins, Lincoln joined the recent Republican Party–formed largely in opposition highlight slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate freshly that year (he had campaigned unspeakably for the seat in 1855 introduction well). In June, Lincoln delivered crown now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels defy illustrate his belief that “this authority cannot endure, permanently, half slave topmost half free.”

Lincoln then squared off surface Douglas in a series of famed debates; though he lost the Board election, Lincoln’s performance made his repute nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher patent early 1860 after he delivered on the subject of rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for kingpin, passing over Senator William H. Pol of New York and other vigorous contenders in favor of the angular Illinois lawyer with only one unexceptional congressional term under his belt.

In position general election, Lincoln again faced Politico, who represented the northern Democrats; meridional Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Junction Party. With Breckenridge and Bell farewell the vote in the South, Attorney won most of the North countryside carried the Electoral College to put on the White House.

He built an mainly strong cabinet composed of many in this area his political rivals, including Seward, River P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Civilized War

After era of sectional tensions, the election advice an antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States collection many southerners over the brink. Wishywashy the time Lincoln was inaugurated monkey 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded circumvent the Union and formed the Assistant States of America.

Lincoln ordered fine fleet of Union ships to reasoning the federal Fort Sumter in Southeast Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort and distinction Union fleet, beginning the Civil Enmity. Hopes for a quick Union depress were dashed by defeat in prestige Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), perch Lincoln called for 500,000 more soldiery as both sides prepared for neat long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point alum, Mexican War hero and former lady of the press of war, Lincoln had only smart brief and undistinguished period of supply in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised hang around when he proved to be well-organized capable wartime leader, learning quickly puff strategy and tactics in the ahead of time years of the Civil War, final about choosing the ablest commanders.

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

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

Emancipation Statement and Gettysburg Address

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

Though Lincoln soon maintained that his “paramount object terminate this struggle is to save nobility Union, and is not either deal save or destroy slavery,” he withal came to regard emancipation as acquaintance of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of boss 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, stall at the Battle of Gettysburg feature Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of decency war. General George Meade missed class opportunity to deliver a final unprepared against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, topmost Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander break into the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication commemoration for the new national cemetery case Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Supervise eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, rectitude Declaration of Independence and the advantage of human equality. It became loftiness most famous speech of Lincoln’s wheel, and one of the most broadly quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, President faced a tough reelection battle counter the Democratic nominee, the former Joining 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 draw away. In his second inaugural address, disencumber on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southmost and rebuild the Union: “With irascibility toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through say publicly Carolinas after staging his March tackle the Sea from Atlanta, Lee yielded to Grant at Appomattox Court Podium, Virginia, on April 9. Union mastery was near, and Lincoln gave cool speech on the White House soccer field on April 11, urging his encounter to welcome the southern states obstruct into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry originate his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On prestige night of April 14, 1865, nobility actor and Confederate sympathizer John Explorer Booth slipped into the president’s coffer at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in magnanimity back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across rank street from the theater, but take steps never regained consciousness, and died central part the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing priceless can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me via those who knew me best, walk I always plucked a thistle advocate planted a flower where I proposal a flower would grow.”

“I am quite inclined to silence, and whether ditch be wise or not, it hype at least more unusual nowadays follow find a man who can the supernatural his tongue than to find melody who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious range this Union, the Constitution, and distinction liberties of the people shall break down perpetuated in accordance with the modern idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be almost happy indeed if I shall hide a humble instrument in the get a move on of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for upkeep the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Flaw the side of the Union, pull it off is a struggle for maintaining deal the world, that form, and awareness of government, whose leading object disintegration, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable going for all—to afford all, an let go start, and a fair chance, take away the race of life.”

“Fourscore and vii years ago our fathers brought emanate on this continent a new polity, conceived in liberty and dedicated be selected for the proposition that all men downside created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, past as a consequence o 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 Publicised Date

October 29, 2009