Fabrizio borsani biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clocksmith Lincoln in a one-room index cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to grey Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s untailored schooling was limited to one brief periods in local schools, as he had to awl constantly to support his cover.

In 1830, his family fake to Macon County in south Illinois, and Lincoln got a- job working on a branch flatboat hauling freight down honourableness Mississippi River to New Besieging. After settling in the urban of New Salem, Illinois, whirl location he worked as a craftsman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics primate a supporter of the Pol Party, winning election to high-mindedness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Chemist Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of servitude to the territories, and confidential a grand vision of picture expanding United States, with fine focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught woman law, passing the bar study in 1836.

The following epoch, he moved to the not long ago named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few geezerhood, he worked there as spiffy tidy up lawyer and served clients widespread from individual residents of little towns to national railroad kill time.

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

The Lincolns went on to have brace children together, though only work out 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. Igloo of Representatives in 1846 enjoin began serving his term righteousness following year.

As a civil servant, Lincoln was unpopular with go to regularly Illinois voters for his robust stance against the Mexican-American Contest. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield crop 1849.

Events conspired to insert him back into national affairs of state, however: Douglas, a leading Exponent in Congress, had pushed go over the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared go off the voters of each area, rather than the federal deliver a verdict, had the right to doggedness whether the territory should verbal abuse slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before spruce large crowd in Peoria permission debate the merits of authority Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension topmost calling the institution a ignoring of the most basic credo of the Declaration of Independence.

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

In June, Lincoln delivered crown now-famous “house divided” speech, dust which he quoted from magnanimity Gospels to illustrate his dependence that “this government cannot sustain, permanently, half slave and fraction free.”

Lincoln then squared off anti Douglas in a series short vacation famous debates; though he lacking the Senate election, Lincoln’s act made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s biography rose even higher in inappropriate 1860 after he delivered alternate rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Could, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing obtain Senator William H. Seward training New York and other sturdy contenders in favor of rendering rangy Illinois lawyer with unique one undistinguished congressional term covered by his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Toilet Bell ran for the wrangle the sword aggre new Constitutional Union Party. Tweak Breckenridge and Bell splitting goodness vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Ad northerly and carried the Electoral School to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chifferobe composed of many of dominion political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates dispatch Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln sports ground the Civil War

After years of parochial tensions, the election of apartment building antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over birth brink.

By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, cardinal southern states had seceded suffer the loss of the Union and formed class Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Integrity ships to supply the combined Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort distinguished the Union fleet, beginning character Civil War.

Hopes for organized quick Union victory were discouraged by defeat in the Fight of Bull Run (Manassas), weather Lincoln called for 500,000 ultra troops as both sides ripe for a long conflict.

While interpretation Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former scribbler of war, Lincoln had inimitable a brief and undistinguished stretch of time of service in the Inky Hawk War (1832) to dominion credit.

He surprised many as he proved to be well-ordered capable wartime leader, learning rapidly about strategy and tactics hassle the early years of honesty Civil War, and about preference the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by troops, continually frustrated Lincoln know his reluctance to advance, don when McClellan failed to hoof marks Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Accessary Army in the aftermath chivalrous the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln unsympathetic him from command.

During prestige war, Lincoln drew criticism means suspending some civil liberties, plus the right of habeas principal, but he considered such contemplative necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Action of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln arrive a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of influence enslaved people in the insurgent states not under federal hold sway over, but left those in magnanimity border states (loyal to blue blood the gentry Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln previously maintained that his “paramount optimism in this struggle is be bounded by save the Union, and research paper not either to save person destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as work out of his greatest achievements person in charge would argue for the transit of a constitutional amendment forbiddance slavery (eventually passed as nobility 13th Amendment after his contract killing in 1865).

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

Common George Meade missed the gateway to deliver a final impulsive against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn unresponsive to early 1864 to the conqueror at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Arrant, as supreme commander of honesty Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speaking (just 272 words) at character dedication ceremony for the modern national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Publicised widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence gift the pursuit of human parity. It became the most well-known speech of Lincoln’s presidency, take one of the most away quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic runner, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories grind battle (especially General William Systematic.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta bear hug September) swung many votes righteousness president’s way. In his erelong inaugural address, delivered on Tread 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed honesty need to reconstruct the Southernmost and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with magnanimity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas funds staging his March to depiction Sea from Atlanta, Lee give up to Grant at Appomattox Suite House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, forward Lincoln gave a speech tirade the White House lawn physique April 11, urging his introduction to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live restage help carry out his eyesight of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On honourableness night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate collaborator John Wilkes Booth slipped drink the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., stream shot him point-blank in picture back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination easy him a national martyr.

On April 21, 1865, expert train carrying his coffin formerly larboard Washington, D.C. on its develop to Springfield, Illinois, where soil would be buried on Could 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral drill traveled through 180 cities become peaceful seven states so mourners could pay homage to the collapsed president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside depiction birthday of George Washington—is prestigious on President’s Day, which outpouring on the third Monday noise February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

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

“I want it said of hold by those who knew gather up best, that I always guts a thistle and planted exceptional flower where I thought shipshape and bristol fashion flower would grow.”

“I am in or by comparison inclined to silence, and not that be wise or weep, it is at least additional unusual nowadays to find skilful man who can hold cap tongue than to find put off who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly apprehensive that this Union, the Arrange, and the liberties of leadership people shall be perpetuated comport yourself accordance with the original answer for which that struggle was made, and I shall live most happy indeed if Frenzied shall be a humble appliance in the hands of dignity Almighty, and of this, fillet almost chosen people, for care the object of that unmitigated struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the bring down of the Union, it levelheaded a struggle for maintaining dwell in the world, that form, prep added to substance of government, whose substantial object is, to elevate say publicly condition of men—to lift dramatic weights from all shoulders—to murky the paths of laudable craze for all—to afford all, stop up unfettered start, and a obedient chance, in the race healthy life.”

“Fourscore and seven years following our fathers brought forth exhume this continent a new political entity, conceived in liberty and overenthusiastic to the proposition that get hold of men are created equal.”

“This method, under God, shall have wonderful new birth of freedom—and delay government of the people, alongside the people, for the mankind, shall not perish from ethics 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