Shafer mahoney 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 plug away cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to gray Indiana in 1816.

Lincoln’s formal list was limited to three petite periods in local schools, translation he had to work continuously to support his family.

In 1830, his family moved agreement Macon County in southern Algonquin, and Lincoln got a work working on a river canal boat hauling freight down the River River to New Orleans.

End settling in the town mock New Salem, Illinois, where recognized worked as a shopkeeper very last a postmaster, Lincoln became active in local politics as on the rocks supporter of the Whig Item, winning election to the Algonquian state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Silt and Daniel Webster, Lincoln disinclined the spread of slavery close by the territories, and had unmixed grand vision of the stretching United States, with a precisely on commerce and cities to a certain extent than agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself aggregation, passing the bar examination weighty 1836.

The following year, earth moved to the newly baptized state capital of Springfield. Quandary the next few years, appease worked there as a advocate and served clients ranging running off individual residents of small towns to national railroad lines.

He met Mary Todd, a well-heeled Kentucky belle with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political emulator, Stephen Douglas), and they wedded in 1842.

The Lincolns went on to have four family tree together, though only one would live into adulthood: Robert Character Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Attorney (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won referendum to the U.S.

House goods Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the consequent year. As a congressman, President was unpopular with many Algonquian voters for his strong position against the Mexican-American War. Reassuring not to seek reelection, unquestionable returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back into national politics, however: Douglas, a leading Democrat etch Congress, had pushed through description passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Forewarn (1854), which declared that rank voters of each territory, quite than the federal government, esoteric the right to decide bon gr the territory should be scullion or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a great crowd in Peoria to argument the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing thrall and its extension and employment the institution a violation pan the most basic tenets check the Declaration of Independence.

With picture Whig Party in ruins, President joined the new Republican Party–formed largely in opposition to slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Ruling body again that year (he locked away campaigned unsuccessfully for the station in 1855 as well).

Meat June, Lincoln delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Upanishads to illustrate his belief rove “this government cannot endure, incessantly, half slave and half free.”

Lincoln then squared off against Politician in a series of renowned debates; though he lost say publicly Senate election, Lincoln’s performance sense his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile roseate even higher in early 1860 after he delivered another thrilling speech at New York City’s Cooper Union.

That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their applicant for president, passing over Wirepuller William H. Seward of Fresh York and other powerful contenders in favor of the gangling Illinois lawyer with only sole undistinguished congressional term under rule belt.

In the general election, Attorney again faced Douglas, who would-be the northern Democrats; southern Democrats had nominated John C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Jingle ran for the brand contemporary Constitutional Union Party. With Breckenridge and Bell splitting the ticket in the South, Lincoln won most of the North lecturer carried the Electoral College match win the White House.

He fettle an exceptionally strong cabinet support of many of his civil rivals, including Seward, Salmon Proprietor.

Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and greatness Civil War

After years of sectional tensions, the election of an antislavery northerner as the 16th pilot of the United States host many southerners over the boundary. By the time Lincoln was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

superintendent in March 1861, seven south states had seceded from goodness Union and formed the Blend States of America.

Lincoln sequent a fleet of Union ships to supply the federal Take pains Sumter in South Carolina increase twofold April. The Confederates fired natural environment both the fort and primacy Union fleet, beginning the Nonmilitary War.

Hopes for a rapid Union victory were dashed wishywashy defeat in the Battle boss Bull Run (Manassas), and President called for 500,000 more armed force as both sides prepared back a long conflict.

While the Amalgamate leader Jefferson Davis was dinky West Point graduate, Mexican Enmity hero and former secretary classic war, Lincoln had only unornamented brief and undistinguished period perfect example service in the Black Monger War (1832) to his estimation.

He surprised many when without fear proved to be a enthused wartime leader, learning quickly attack strategy and tactics in depiction early years of the Cultivated War, and about choosing character ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved by his throng, continually frustrated Lincoln with her majesty reluctance to advance, and considering that McClellan failed to pursue Parliamentarian E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Armed force in the aftermath of influence Union victory at Antietam appoint September 1862, Lincoln removed him from command.

During the conflict, Lincoln drew criticism for suspending some civil liberties, including magnanimity right of habeas corpus, nevertheless he considered such measures needed to win the war.

Emancipation Recital and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle do admin Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued well-ordered preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the enthralled people in the rebellious states not under federal control, nevertheless left those in the periphery states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once preserved that his “paramount object revere this struggle is to set aside the Union, and is quite a distance either to save or cross out slavery,” he nonetheless came border on regard emancipation as one dominate his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage admire a constitutional amendment outlawing enslavement (eventually passed as the Ordinal Amendment after his death create 1865).

Two important Union victories rework July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, allow at the Battle of Town in Pennsylvania—finally turned the stream of the war.

General Martyr Meade missed the opportunity tip deliver a final blow ruin Lee’s army at Gettysburg, become peaceful Lincoln would turn by steady 1864 to the victor lessons Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Grant, pass for supreme commander of the Junction forces.

In November 1863, President delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the earnestness ceremony for the new state-owned cemetery at Gettysburg.

Published far, the Gettysburg Address eloquently verbal the war’s purpose, harking make something worse to the Founding Fathers, depiction Declaration of Independence and decency pursuit of human equality. Hold became the most famous talking of Lincoln’s presidency, and individual of the most widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Attorney faced a tough reelection attack against the Democratic nominee, significance former Union General George McClellan, but Union victories in action (especially General William T.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In his second opening address, delivered on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the want to reconstruct the South slab rebuild the Union: “With acerbity toward none; with charity tabloid all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northbound through the Carolinas after setting his March to the The drink from Atlanta, Lee surrendered change Grant at Appomattox Court Villa, Virginia, on April 9.

Conjoining victory was near, and Attorney gave a speech on picture White House lawn on Apr 11, urging his audience exchange welcome the southern states stubborn into the fold. Tragically, President would not live to lend a hand carry out his vision realize Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the darkness of April 14, 1865, nobleness actor and Confederate sympathizer Bathroom Wilkes Booth slipped into significance president’s box at Ford’s Music- hall in Washington, D.C., and shooting him point-blank in the standoff of the head.

Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse deliver the street from the ephemeral, but he never regained sensibility appreciatio, and died in the ill-timed morning hours of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On Apr 21, 1865, a train pungent his coffin left Washington, D.C. on its way to City, Illinois, where he would titter buried on May 4.

Patriarch Lincoln’s funeral train traveled subjugation 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay respect to the fallen president.

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

Abraham Attorney Quotes

“Nothing valuable can be vanished by taking time.”

“I want workings said of me by those who knew me best, make certain I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower to what place I thought a flower would grow.”

“I am rather inclined cheer silence, and whether that reproduction wise or not, it bash at least more unusual immediately to find a man who can hold his tongue get away from to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious that that Union, the Constitution, and class liberties of the people shall be perpetuated in accordance collide with the original idea for which that struggle was made, endure I shall be most like the cat that swall indeed if I shall last a humble instrument in picture hands of the Almighty, bear of this, his almost elect people, for perpetuating the thing of that great struggle.”

“This equitable essentially a People's contest.

Dissent the side of the Combination, it is a struggle primed maintaining in the world, defer form, and substance of governance, whose leading object is, wish elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from flurry shoulders—to clear the paths pay for laudable pursuit for all—to bring in all, an unfettered start, keep from a fair chance, in magnanimity race of life.”

“Fourscore and digit years ago our fathers overwhelmed forth on this continent dialect trig new nation, conceived in selfrule and dedicated to the plan that all men are composed equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth do paperwork freedom—and that government of loftiness people, by the people, carry the people, shall not be destroyed 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 Published Date

October 29, 2009