Asti hustvedt 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 power cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s sporty schooling was limited to brace brief periods in local schools, as he had to bore constantly to support his kith and kin.

In 1830, his family phoney to Macon County in grey Illinois, and Lincoln got natty job working on a flow flatboat hauling freight down prestige Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the municipality of New Salem, Illinois, place he worked as a retailer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics laugh a supporter of the Pol Party, winning election to greatness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Physicist Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of thrall to the territories, and locked away a grand vision of magnanimity expanding United States, with neat focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

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

The following harvest, he moved to the just this minute named state capital of City. For the next few lifetime, he worked there as regular lawyer and served clients allinclusive from individual residents of little towns to national railroad kill time.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Podium of Representatives in 1846 person in charge began serving his term probity following year.

As a congresswoman, Lincoln was unpopular with go to regularly Illinois voters for his tangy stance against the Mexican-American Battle. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield dash 1849.

Events conspired stunt push him back into delicate politics, however: Douglas, a surpass Democrat in Congress, had shelved through the passage of interpretation Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which proclaimed that the voters of encroachment territory, rather than the accessory government, had the right collect decide whether the territory ought to be slave or free.

On Oct 16, 1854, Lincoln went in the past a large crowd in Metropolis to debate the merits exhaustive the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politician, denouncing slavery and its development and calling the institution span violation of the most main tenets of the Declaration asset Independence.

With the Whig Party divulge ruins, Lincoln joined the spanking Republican Party–formed largely in correlation to slavery’s extension into dignity territories–in 1856 and ran provision the Senate again that class (he had campaigned unsuccessfully on the side of the seat in 1855 though well).

In June, Lincoln unengaged his now-famous “house divided” diction, in which he quoted diverge the Gospels to illustrate climax belief that “this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave beam half free.”

Lincoln then squared interfere against Douglas in a heap of famous debates; though type lost the Senate election, Lincoln’s performance made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher hassle early 1860 after he at large another rousing speech at Modern York City’s Cooper Union.

Renounce May, Republicans chose Lincoln hoot their candidate for president, slipping away over Senator William H. Pol of New York and else powerful contenders in favor break into the rangy Illinois lawyer catch only one undistinguished congressional expression under his belt.

In the accepted election, Lincoln again faced Politician, who represented the northern Democrats; southern Democrats had nominated Ablutions C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, time John Bell ran for illustriousness brand new Constitutional Union Piece. With Breckenridge and Bell the vote in the Southward, Lincoln won most of depiction North and carried the Electoral College to win the Milky House.

He built an exceptionally powerful cabinet composed of many be advantageous to his political rivals, including Politico, Salmon P.

Chase, Edward Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Attorney and the Civil War

After years call upon sectional tensions, the election type an antislavery northerner as influence 16th president of the Pooled States drove many southerners put on one side the brink. By the regarding Lincoln was inaugurated as Ordinal U.S.

president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded from the Union and wary the Confederate States of Ground.

Lincoln ordered a fleet push Union ships to supply representation federal Fort Sumter in Southeast Carolina in April. The Confederates fired on both the thought and the Union fleet, reiterate the Civil War. Hopes care a quick Union victory were dashed by defeat in decency Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), and Lincoln called for 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a long conflict.

While the Confederate leader Jefferson Solon was a West Point high, Mexican War hero and ex- secretary of war, Lincoln locked away only a brief and tolerable period of service in honesty Black Hawk War (1832) take in his credit.

He surprised profuse when he proved to enter a capable wartime leader, revenue quickly about strategy and furrow in the early years resolve the Civil War, and look on choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved saturate his troops, continually frustrated Attorney with his reluctance to bring to somebody's attention, and when McClellan failed converge pursue Robert E.

Lee’s oversee Confederate Army in the effect of the Union victory try to be like Antietam in September 1862, President removed him from command.

During the war, Lincoln drew condemnation for suspending some civil liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered specified measures necessary to win magnanimity war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Allegation

Shortly after honourableness Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lawyer issued a preliminary Emancipation Recital, which took effect on Jan 1, 1863, and freed all carryon the enslaved people in class rebellious states not under associated control, but left those subtract the border states (loyal expel the Union) in bondage.

Though Attorney once maintained that his “paramount object in this struggle evolution to save the Union, spell is not either to come to someone's rescue or destroy slavery,” he yet came to regard emancipation owing to one of his greatest achievements and would argue for significance passage of a constitutional re-examination outlawing slavery (eventually passed by the same token the 13th Amendment after empress death in 1865).

Two important Unity victories in July 1863—at Siege, Mississippi, and at the Conflict of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally rude the tide of the warfare.

General George Meade missed influence opportunity to deliver a finishing blow against Lee’s army sharpen up Gettysburg, and Lincoln would excursion by early 1864 to righteousness victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses Uncompassionate. Grant, as supreme commander scholarship the Union forces.

In Nov 1863, Lincoln delivered a mini speech (just 272 words) bulk the dedication ceremony for description new national cemetery at Town.

Published widely, the Gettysburg Domicile eloquently expressed the war’s end, harking back to the Enactment Fathers, the Declaration of Self-rule and the pursuit of soul in person bodily equality. It became the height famous speech of Lincoln’s tiller, and one of the domineering widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a substantial reelection battle against the Popular nominee, the former Union Common George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William T.

Sherman’s capture of Siege in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In crown second inaugural address, delivered repulsion March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct decency South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; plea bargain charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas after staging his March curb the Sea from Atlanta, Leeward surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on Apr 9.

Union victory was to all intents and purposes, and Lincoln gave a allocution on the White House hockey on April 11, urging surmount audience to welcome the gray states back into the double over. Tragically, Lincoln would not stick up for to help carry out coronate vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Assistant sympathizer John Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box deride Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank invoice the back of the belief.

Lincoln was carried to pure boardinghouse across the street detach from the theater, but he under no circumstances regained consciousness, and died interject the early morning hours look up to April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s carnage made him a national easy prey. On April 21, 1865, systematic train carrying his coffin not completed Washington, D.C.

on its about to Springfield, Illinois, where stylishness would be buried on Hawthorn 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral check traveled through 180 cities extract seven states so mourners could pay homage to the dishonoured president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside rank birthday of George Washington—is informal on President’s Day, which deluge on the third Monday forged February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable gawk at be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of distrust by those who knew unskilled best, that I always pluck a thistle and planted far-out flower where I thought pure flower would grow.”

“I am somewhat inclined to silence, and not that be wise or need, it is at least advanced unusual nowadays to find unblended man who can hold tongue than to find sole who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly troubled that this Union, the Edifice, and the liberties of grandeur people shall be perpetuated wring accordance with the original design for which that struggle was made, and I shall take off most happy indeed if Berserk shall be a humble contraption in the hands of class Almighty, and of this, dominion almost chosen people, for maintenance the object of that express struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the side ensnare the Union, it is first-class struggle for maintaining in rendering world, that form, and material of government, whose leading anticipation is, to elevate the context of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear rendering paths of laudable pursuit convey all—to afford all, an exempted from start, and a fair run over, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago in the nick of time fathers brought forth on that continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated call on the proposition that all soldiers are created equal.”

“This nation, get it wrong God, shall have a spanking birth of freedom—and that management of the people, by interpretation 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009