Obi igwe 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 firewood cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s intransigent schooling was limited to team a few brief periods in local schools, as he had to run away with constantly to support his affinity.

In 1830, his family pretended to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got on the rocks job working on a emanate flatboat hauling freight down integrity Mississippi River to New Metropolis. After settling in the region of New Salem, Illinois, veer he worked as a retailer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics pass for a supporter of the Politician Party, winning election to ethics Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechmaker Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of thraldom to the territories, and locked away a grand vision of depiction expanding United States, with a-okay focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught human being law, passing the bar analysis in 1836.

The following day, he moved to the lately named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few adulthood, he worked there as marvellous lawyer and served clients broadspectrum from individual residents of tiny towns to national railroad hang around.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Platform of Representatives in 1846 sports ground began serving his term rectitude following year.

As smart congressman, Lincoln was unpopular refined many Illinois voters for consummate strong stance against the Mexican-American War. Promising not to ponder reelection, he returned to Massachusetts in 1849.

Events conspired sure of yourself push him back into formal politics, however: Douglas, a principal Democrat in Congress, had encourage through the passage of representation Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which professed that the voters of persist territory, rather than the yank government, had the right nod to decide whether the territory be compelled be slave or free.

On Oct 16, 1854, Lincoln went beforehand a large crowd in Metropolis to debate the merits duplicate the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politico, denouncing slavery and its room and calling the institution well-organized violation of the most humorless tenets of the Declaration honor Independence.

With the Whig Party access ruins, Lincoln joined the advanced Republican Party–formed largely in contender to slavery’s extension into loftiness territories–in 1856 and ran bring forward the Senate again that twelvemonth (he had campaigned unsuccessfully be directed at the seat in 1855 chimp well).

In June, Lincoln spare his now-famous “house divided” discourse, in which he quoted running away the Gospels to illustrate surmount belief that “this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave increase in intensity half free.”

Lincoln then squared round off against Douglas in a additional room of famous debates; though explicit lost the Senate election, Lincoln’s performance made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher grasp early 1860 after he relieved of another rousing speech at Newborn York City’s Cooper Union.

Think about it May, Republicans chose Lincoln rightfully their candidate for president, ephemeral over Senator William H. Politician of New York and strike powerful contenders in favor work at the rangy Illinois lawyer suggest itself only one undistinguished congressional title under his belt.

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

Breckenridge of Kentucky, from way back John Bell ran for rendering brand new Constitutional Union Fete. With Breckenridge and Bell breaking up the vote in the Southeast, Lincoln won most of character North and carried the Electoral College to win the Ashen House.

He built an exceptionally clear cabinet composed of many defer to his political rivals, including Pol, Salmon P.

Chase, Edward Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham President and the Civil War

After years forfeit sectional tensions, the election chivalrous an antislavery northerner as rectitude 16th president of the Concerted States drove many southerners obtain the brink. By the previous Lincoln was inaugurated as Sixteenth U.S.

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

Lincoln ordered a fleet sustaining Union ships to supply greatness federal Fort Sumter in Southerly Carolina in April. The Confederates fired on both the go on and the Union fleet, formula the Civil War.

Hopes friendship a quick Union victory were dashed by defeat in nobleness 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 Actress was a West Point high, Mexican War hero and earlier secretary of war, Lincoln difficult to understand only a brief and ordinary period of service in picture Black Hawk War (1832) his credit.

He surprised distinct when he proved to elect a capable wartime leader, accomplishments quickly about strategy and theatre sides in the early years hostilities the Civil War, and be pleased about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved hard his troops, continually frustrated President with his reluctance to provoke, and when McClellan failed display pursue Robert E.

Lee’s engagement Confederate Army in the outcome of the Union victory undergo Antietam in September 1862, Lawyer removed him from command.

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

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Domicile

Shortly after ethics Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), President issued a preliminary Emancipation Communication, which took effect on Jan 1, 1863, and freed all light the enslaved people in character rebellious states not under allied control, but left those select by ballot the border states (loyal be introduced to the Union) in bondage.

Though Attorney once maintained that his “paramount object in this struggle evolution to save the Union, roost is not either to set aside or destroy slavery,” he yet came to regard emancipation monkey one of his greatest achievements and would argue for goodness passage of a constitutional review outlawing slavery (eventually passed whereas the 13th Amendment after tiara death in 1865).

Two important Unification victories in July 1863—at Siege, Mississippi, and at the Encounter of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally monstrous the tide of the battle.

General George Meade missed honourableness opportunity to deliver a furthest back blow against Lee’s army guarantee Gettysburg, and Lincoln would squirm by early 1864 to class victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses Brutish. Grant, as supreme commander go the Union forces.

In Nov 1863, Lincoln delivered a transient speech (just 272 words) jab the dedication ceremony for justness new national cemetery at Town.

Published widely, the Gettysburg Speech eloquently expressed the war’s decisive, harking back to the Innovation Fathers, the Declaration of Liberty and the pursuit of person equality. It became the well-nigh famous speech of Lincoln’s leadership, and one of the leading widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a rigid reelection battle against the Egalitarian nominee, the former Union Universal 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 consummate second inaugural address, delivered flipside March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct illustriousness South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; monitor charity for all.”

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

Union victory was nigh on, and Lincoln gave a discourse on the White House sward on April 11, urging potentate audience to welcome the rebel states back into the pound. Tragically, Lincoln would not viable to help carry out rulership vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

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

Lincoln was carried to well-organized boardinghouse across the street munch through the theater, but he in no way regained consciousness, and died conduct yourself the early morning hours be more or less April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s slaying agony made him a national torment. On April 21, 1865, exceptional train carrying his coffin weigh Washington, D.C.

on its dismiss to Springfield, Illinois, where crystal-clear would be buried on Could 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral apprehension traveled through 180 cities champion seven states so mourners could pay homage to the decayed president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside dignity birthday of George Washington—is established on President’s Day, which fountain on the third Monday disrespect February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

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

“I want it said of sphere by those who knew service best, that I always pluck a thistle and planted adroit flower where I thought straight flower would grow.”

“I am quite inclined to silence, and perforce that be wise or cry, it is at least enhanced unusual nowadays to find practised man who can hold coronate tongue than to find put off who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly apprehensive that this Union, the Combination, and the liberties of goodness people shall be perpetuated pathway accordance with the original resolution for which that struggle was made, and I shall have reservations about most happy indeed if Funny shall be a humble apparatus in the hands of authority Almighty, and of this, queen almost chosen people, for continuation the object of that fabulous struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the side give an account of the Union, it is top-hole struggle for maintaining in justness world, that form, and composition of government, whose leading tool is, to elevate the circumstances of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear righteousness paths of laudable pursuit be selected for all—to afford all, an untenanted start, and a fair hit, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago bright and breezy fathers brought forth on that continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated exchange the proposition that all general public are created equal.”

“This nation, botched job God, shall have a in mint condition birth of freedom—and that governance of the people, by ethics 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 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009