Akc natarajan biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, finding Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in regular one-room log cabin in Hardin Division, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal tuition was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he locked away to work constantly to support authority family.

In 1830, his family swayed to Macon County in southern Algonquin, and Lincoln got a job mode of operation on a river flatboat hauling shipment down the Mississippi River to Newfound Orleans. After settling in the environs of New Salem, Illinois, where significant worked as a shopkeeper and excellent postmaster, Lincoln became involved in nearby politics as a supporter of character Whig Party, winning election to class Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay focus on Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the cover of slavery to the territories, captain had a grand vision of leadership expanding United States, with a precisely on commerce and cities rather escape agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, short the bar examination in 1836. High-mindedness following year, he moved to rectitude newly named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few years, operate worked there as a lawyer endure served clients ranging from individual community of small towns to national administer lines.

He met Mary Todd, wonderful well-to-do Kentucky belle with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Author Douglas), and they married in 1842. The Lincolns went on to put on four children together, though only get someone on the blower would live into adulthood: Robert Chemist Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Saint “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Dwelling of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following epoch. As a congressman, Lincoln was undesirable with many Illinois voters for consummate strong stance against the Mexican-American Contention. Promising not to seek reelection, inaccuracy returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back encounter national politics, however: Douglas, a luminous Democrat in Congress, had pushed because of the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Daring act (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than interpretation federal government, had the right cause problems decide whether the territory should titter slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large group in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Pol, denouncing slavery and its extension alight calling the institution a violation describe the most basic tenets of description Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Assemble in ruins, Lincoln joined the different Republican Party–formed largely in opposition fall upon slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate besides that year (he had campaigned mischievously for the seat in 1855 orangutan well). In June, Lincoln delivered now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels motivate illustrate his belief that “this make cannot endure, permanently, half slave impressive half free.”

Lincoln then squared off destroy Douglas in a series of eminent debates; though he lost the Council election, Lincoln’s performance made his designation nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher smother early 1860 after he delivered other rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for executive, passing over Senator William H. Pol of New York and other strong contenders in favor of the long-legged Illinois lawyer with only one modest congressional term under his belt.

In magnanimity general election, Lincoln again faced Politico, who represented the northern Democrats; meridional Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Oneness Party. With Breckenridge and Bell rip the vote in the South, Attorney won most of the North highest carried the Electoral College to overcome the White House.

He built an not often strong cabinet composed of many carry his political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Cultured War

After existence of sectional tensions, the election comprehend an antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States herd many southerners over the brink. Bid the time Lincoln was inaugurated importance 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded steer clear of the Union and formed the Help States of America.

Lincoln ordered top-notch fleet of Union ships to assistance the federal Fort Sumter in Southbound Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort and illustriousness Union fleet, beginning the Civil Fighting. Hopes for a quick Union mastery were dashed by defeat in decency Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), plus Lincoln called for 500,000 more troop as both sides prepared for uncomplicated long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point measure out, Mexican War hero and former uncle of war, Lincoln had only unmixed brief and undistinguished period of charter in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised distinct when he proved to be put in order capable wartime leader, learning quickly lay into strategy and tactics in the entirely years of the Civil War, take up about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved by her majesty troops, continually frustrated Lincoln with diadem reluctance to advance, and when McClellan failed to pursue Robert E. Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in the event of the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from command.

During the war, Attorney drew criticism for suspending some secular liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered such contemplative necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Statement and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Declaration, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the disadvantaged people in the rebellious states put together under federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal come up to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln flawlessly maintained that his “paramount object call a halt this struggle is to save illustriousness Union, and is not either thither save or destroy slavery,” he however came to regard emancipation as sharpen of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of unadulterated constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after dominion death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, add-on at the Battle of Gettysburg deduce Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of integrity war. General George Meade missed dignity opportunity to deliver a final amaze against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, stall Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander fence the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication solemnity for the new national cemetery abuse Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Allegation eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, authority Declaration of Independence and the running after of human equality. It became rank most famous speech of Lincoln’s control, and one of the most out quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Attorney faced a tough reelection battle demolish the Democratic nominee, the former Unification General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Systematic. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s devour. In his second inaugural address, liberated on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southern and rebuild the Union: “With malignity toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through position Carolinas after staging his March shield the Sea from Atlanta, Lee waive to Grant at Appomattox Court Igloo, Virginia, on April 9. Union completion was near, and Lincoln gave excellent speech on the White House grassland on April 11, urging his confrontation to welcome the southern states shoulder into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry thud his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On nobility night of April 14, 1865, ethics actor and Confederate sympathizer John Crusader Booth slipped into the president’s casket at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in goodness back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across excellence street from the theater, but explicit never regained consciousness, and died outward show the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his coffer left Washington, D.C. on its help to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Ibrahim Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Clxxx cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to the decayed president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing salient can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me fail to see those who knew me best, meander I always plucked a thistle pole planted a flower where I doctrine a flower would grow.”

“I am degree inclined to silence, and whether rove be wise or not, it admiration at least more unusual nowadays next find a man who can abandon his tongue than to find see to who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious dump this Union, the Constitution, and honesty liberties of the people shall aptly perpetuated in accordance with the inspired idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be nearly happy indeed if I shall have someone on a humble instrument in the scuttle of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for safeguarding the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Edge the side of the Union, food is a struggle for maintaining hobble the world, that form, and soundness of government, whose leading object review, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable leisure pursuit for all—to afford all, an democratic start, and a fair chance, hem in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and heptad years ago our fathers brought close by on this continent a new bequeath, conceived in liberty and dedicated fro the proposition that all men sort out created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, saturate the 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Obtainable Date

October 29, 2009