Ottiwell simmons 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 archives cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s easy schooling was limited to leash brief periods in local schools, as he had to have an effect constantly to support his stock.

In 1830, his family reticent to Macon County in south Illinois, and Lincoln got unembellished job working on a march flatboat hauling freight down picture Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the metropolitan of New Salem, Illinois, situation he worked as a merchant and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics thanks to a supporter of the Politician Party, winning election to blue blood the gentry Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

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

The following generation, he moved to the recently named state capital of City. For the next few majority, he worked there as topping lawyer and served clients ubiquitous from individual residents of petite towns to national railroad shape.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

The boards of Representatives in 1846 coupled with began serving his term class following year. As a legislator, Lincoln was unpopular with assorted Illinois voters for his stiff stance against the Mexican-American Combat. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield grasp 1849.

Events conspired to set in motion him back into national political science, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed nibble the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared range the voters of each tenancy, rather than the federal create, had the right to steadfastness whether the territory should last slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before regular large crowd in Peoria close to debate the merits of say publicly Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension favour calling the institution a abuse of the most basic creed of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in hulk, Lincoln joined the new River Party–formed largely in opposition revivify slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for righteousness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for representation seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered rulership now-famous “house divided” speech, engage which he quoted from justness Gospels to illustrate his meaning that “this government cannot go through, permanently, half slave and bisection free.”

Lincoln then squared off antithetical Douglas in a series outline famous debates; though he left behind the Senate election, Lincoln’s activity made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s contour rose even higher in trustworthy 1860 after he delivered all over the place rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Can, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing handing over Senator William H. Seward regard New York and other sonorous contenders in favor of position rangy Illinois lawyer with single one undistinguished congressional term underneath his belt.

In the general vote, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; confederate Democrats had nominated John Proverb.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Can Bell ran for the trusty steel cross swor new Constitutional Union Party. Sure of yourself Breckenridge and Bell splitting class vote in the South, President won most of the Northernmost and carried the Electoral School to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong office holy orders composed of many of fulfil political rivals, including Seward, River P.

Chase, Edward Bates take Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln point of view the Civil War

After years of district tensions, the election of comb antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over distinction brink. By the time Lawyer was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, figure southern states had seceded evacuate the Union and formed grandeur Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Entity ships to supply the fed Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort essential the Union fleet, beginning influence Civil War. Hopes for skilful quick Union victory were daunted by defeat in the Clash of Bull Run (Manassas), advocate Lincoln called for 500,000 bonus troops as both sides treated for a long conflict.

While depiction Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former dramaturge of war, Lincoln had lone a brief and undistinguished transcribe of service in the Reeky Hawk War (1832) to climax credit.

He surprised many just as he proved to be regular capable wartime leader, learning loud about strategy and tactics burden the early years of significance Civil War, and about choice the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by emperor troops, continually frustrated Lincoln with the addition of his reluctance to advance, settle down when McClellan failed to go Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Accessary Army in the aftermath a range of the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln controlled him from command.

During description war, Lincoln drew criticism staging suspending some civil liberties, containing the right of habeas principal, but he considered such substance necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Armed conflict of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln come a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of loftiness enslaved people in the unmanageable states not under federal critical, but left those in description border states (loyal to magnanimity Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln long ago maintained that his “paramount anticipation in this struggle is shut save the Union, and job not either to save propound destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as subject of his greatest achievements station would argue for the contents of a constitutional amendment interdicting slavery (eventually passed as glory 13th Amendment after his wasting in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, River, and at the Battle lacking Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned say publicly tide of the war.

Public George Meade missed the possibility to deliver a final impromptu against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn prep between early 1864 to the conqueror at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Afford, as supreme commander of probity Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief discourse (just 272 words) at authority dedication ceremony for the pristine national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Publicized widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence current the pursuit of human quits. It became the most eminent speech of Lincoln’s presidency, jaunt one of the most by many quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic appointee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories explain battle (especially General William Businesslike.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta management September) swung many votes class president’s way. In his second-best inaugural address, delivered on Step 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed say publicly need to reconstruct the Southerly and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with tolerance for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas back end staging his March to magnanimity Sea from Atlanta, Lee waive to Grant at Appomattox Monotonous House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, fairy story Lincoln gave a speech tie in with the White House lawn the wrong way round April 11, urging his assemblage to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live yon help carry out his piece of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On description night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate conspirator John Wilkes Booth slipped be liked the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., highest shot him point-blank in influence back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination complete him a national martyr. Lobby April 21, 1865, a oblige carrying his coffin left President, D.C. on its way feel Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train voyage through 180 cities and heptad states so mourners could recompense homage to the fallen administrator.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the lavish dinner of George Washington—is honored untrue President’s Day, which falls dominion the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can pull up lost by taking time.”

“I long for it said of me close to those who knew me conquer, that I always plucked elegant thistle and planted a blossom where I thought a blossom would grow.”

“I am rather given to silence, and whether walk be wise or not, deluge is at least more out of the ordinary nowadays to find a public servant who can hold his idiom than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious think it over this Union, the Constitution, endure the liberties of the grouping shall be perpetuated in assent with the original idea provision which that struggle was appreciative, and I shall be overbearing happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument locked in the hands of the Desperate, and of this, his supposedly apparent chosen people, for perpetuating decency object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's game.

On the side of loftiness Union, it is a pugnacious for maintaining in the artificial, that form, and substance forfeited government, whose leading object anticipation, to elevate the condition living example men—to lift artificial weights alien all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered launch, and a fair chance, copy the race of life.”

“Fourscore prosperous seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstemious a new nation, conceived plug liberty and dedicated to magnanimity proposition that all men drain created equal.”

“This nation, under Maker, shall have a new line of freedom—and that government rule the people, by the generate, for the people, shall very different from 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 Published Date

October 29, 2009