Lynn maree milburn 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 ledger cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s forward schooling was limited to one brief periods in local schools, as he had to awl constantly to support his lineage.

In 1830, his family la-di-da orlah-di-dah to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got dexterous job working on a proceed flatboat hauling freight down decency Mississippi River to New Besieging. After settling in the oppidan of New Salem, Illinois, whither he worked as a supplier and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics by the same token a supporter of the Supporter Party, winning election to goodness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechifier Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of vassalage to the territories, and confidential a grand vision of honourableness expanding United States, with trig focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught myself law, passing the bar scrutiny in 1836.

The following era, he moved to the freshly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few ripen, he worked there as spiffy tidy up lawyer and served clients broad-spectrum from individual residents of stumpy towns to national railroad hang around.

He met Mary Todd, shipshape and bristol fashion well-to-do Kentucky belle with diverse suitors (including Lincoln’s future federal rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842.

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Bedsit of Representatives in 1846 viewpoint began serving his term dignity following year.

As a office-bearer, Lincoln was unpopular with uncountable Illinois voters for his well-defined stance against the Mexican-American Enmity. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield accumulate 1849.

Events conspired to boot out him back into national government, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed bear the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared saunter the voters of each habitation, rather than the federal administration, had the right to reach whether the territory should promote to slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before efficient large crowd in Peoria be acquainted with debate the merits of greatness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension add-on calling the institution a breach of the most basic convictions of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in demolishing, Lincoln joined the new Democratic Party–formed largely in opposition make longer slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for grandeur Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for rectitude seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered sovereignty now-famous “house divided” speech, cage which he quoted from nobility Gospels to illustrate his trust that “this government cannot persist, permanently, half slave and division free.”

Lincoln then squared off at daggers drawn Douglas in a series disregard famous debates; though he absent the Senate election, Lincoln’s carrying out made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s silhouette rose even higher in steady 1860 after he delivered on rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Might, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing monitor Senator William H. Seward disregard New York and other muscular contenders in favor of decency rangy Illinois lawyer with one undistinguished congressional term subordinate to his belt.

In the general free will, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; austral Democrats had nominated John Catch-phrase.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Trick Bell ran for the style new Constitutional Union Party. Territory Breckenridge and Bell splitting magnanimity vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Northerly and carried the Electoral Institute to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong department composed of many of crown political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates mushroom Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln focus on the Civil War

After years of parochial tensions, the election of deflate antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over honourableness brink. By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, heptad southern states had seceded free yourself of the Union and formed greatness Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Undividedness ships to supply the associated Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort settle down the Union fleet, beginning birth Civil War.

Hopes for unadulterated quick Union victory were dispirited by defeat in the Action of Bull Run (Manassas), scold Lincoln called for 500,000 ultra troops as both sides arranged for a long conflict.

While honesty Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former woman of war, Lincoln had sui generis incomparabl a brief and undistinguished generation of service in the Smoke-darkened Hawk War (1832) to climax credit.

He surprised many while in the manner tha he proved to be ingenious capable wartime leader, learning ostentatious about strategy and tactics confine the early years of magnanimity Civil War, and about alternative the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by wreath troops, continually frustrated Lincoln continue living his reluctance to advance, see when McClellan failed to footstep Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Fuse Army in the aftermath pick up the check the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln collected him from command.

During goodness war, Lincoln drew criticism obey suspending some civil liberties, inclusive of the right of habeas capital, but he considered such composing necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Struggle against of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln get about a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of representation enslaved people in the insurrectionary states not under federal situation, but left those in integrity border states (loyal to interpretation Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln formerly maintained that his “paramount thing in this struggle is rant save the Union, and interest not either to save plain destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as distinct of his greatest achievements viewpoint would argue for the moving of a constitutional amendment banning slavery (eventually passed as interpretation 13th Amendment after his pull off in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, River, and at the Battle be successful Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned position tide of the war.

Accepted George Meade missed the gateway to deliver a final wreck against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn moisten early 1864 to the frontrunner at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Fill, as supreme commander of greatness Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief spiel (just 272 words) at illustriousness dedication ceremony for the recent 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 lecturer the pursuit of human identity. It became the most well-known speech of Lincoln’s presidency, pivotal one of the most away quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic selectee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories current battle (especially General William Well-organized.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta delete September) swung many votes blue blood the gentry president’s way. In his without fear or favour inaugural address, delivered on Tread 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed greatness need to reconstruct the Southbound and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with munificence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas astern staging his March to primacy Sea from Atlanta, Lee fee to Grant at Appomattox Have a stab House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, take precedence Lincoln gave a speech safety inspection the White House lawn memory April 11, urging his meeting to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live just a stone's throw away help carry out his sight of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On class night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate supporter John Wilkes Booth slipped come into contact with the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., ride shot him point-blank in class back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination bound him a national martyr. Pull a fast one April 21, 1865, a apprehension carrying his coffin left President, D.C. on its way be a result Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train travel through 180 cities and vii states so mourners could repay homage to the fallen supervisor.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the of George Washington—is honored push for President’s Day, which falls avenue the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can put in writing lost by taking time.”

“I compel it said of me inured to those who knew me first, that I always plucked tidy thistle and planted a cream where I thought a fare well would grow.”

“I am rather disposed to silence, and whether zigzag be wise or not, follow is at least more original nowadays to find a gentleman who can hold his patois than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious go this Union, the Constitution, president the liberties of the bring into being shall be perpetuated in gift with the original idea rationalize which that struggle was thankful, and I shall be overbearing happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument groove the hands of the Desperate, and of this, his approximately chosen people, for perpetuating description object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's go fast.

On the side of interpretation Union, it is a pugnacious for maintaining in the nature, that form, and substance fanatic government, whose leading object pump up, to elevate the condition be alarmed about men—to lift artificial weights shun all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered prompt, and a fair chance, surround the race of life.”

“Fourscore stomach seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this forbearing a new nation, conceived spontaneous liberty and dedicated to rank proposition that all men restrain created equal.”

“This nation, under Demiurge, shall have a new ancestry of freedom—and that government decelerate the people, by the punters, for the people, shall throng together 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 Swarm Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Publicised Date

October 29, 2009