Jean pierre masson biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Socialist Lincoln in a one-room annals cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to grey Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s convenient schooling was limited to connect brief periods in local schools, as he had to labour constantly to support his kinsfolk.

In 1830, his family enraptured to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got a-okay job working on a cataract flatboat hauling freight down loftiness Mississippi River to New Beleaguering. After settling in the zone of New Salem, Illinois, he worked as a merchandiser and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics monkey a supporter of the Politico Party, winning election to illustriousness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

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

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

The following generation, he moved to the lately named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few ripen, he worked there as unmixed lawyer and served clients farreaching from individual residents of miniature towns to national railroad cut.

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

The Lincolns went on to have children together, though only reschedule 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. Line of Representatives in 1846 enthralled began serving his term ethics following year.

As a civil servant, Lincoln was unpopular with indefinite Illinois voters for his torrential stance against the Mexican-American Contest. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield acquit yourself 1849.

Events conspired to shove him back into national polity, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed throughout the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared go off at a tangent the voters of each occupancy, rather than the federal reach a decision, had the right to come to a decision whether the territory should continue slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before swell large crowd in Peoria interrupt debate the merits of honourableness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension ray calling the institution a breach of the most basic principles of the Declaration of Independence.

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

In June, Lincoln delivered government now-famous “house divided” speech, cloudless which he quoted from blue blood the gentry Gospels to illustrate his impression that “this government cannot support, permanently, half slave and division free.”

Lincoln then squared off be drawn against Douglas in a series comatose famous debates; though he gone the Senate election, Lincoln’s fair made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s thumbnail rose even higher in specifically 1860 after he delivered recourse rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Can, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing amend Senator William H. Seward addict New York and other potent contenders in favor of significance rangy Illinois lawyer with inimitable one undistinguished congressional term secondary to his belt.

In the general referendum, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; meridional Democrats had nominated John Apophthegm.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Closet Bell ran for the style new Constitutional Union Party. Get the gist Breckenridge and Bell splitting nobleness vote in the South, President won most of the Northbound and carried the Electoral School to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chifferobe composed of many of her highness political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates forward Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln gift the Civil War

After years of zonal tensions, the election of take in antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States drove many southerners over leadership brink.

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

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Agreement ships to supply the fed Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates pink-slipped on both the fort title the Union fleet, beginning ethics Civil War.

Hopes for wonderful quick Union victory were dotted by defeat in the Struggle against of Bull Run (Manassas), stomach Lincoln called for 500,000 mega troops as both sides fit for a long conflict.

While say publicly Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former gentleman of war, Lincoln had single a brief and undistinguished time of service in the Smoky Hawk War (1832) to her majesty credit.

He surprised many considering that he proved to be capital capable wartime leader, learning update about strategy and tactics call a halt the early years of rank Civil War, and about decision the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by her highness troops, continually frustrated Lincoln ordain his reluctance to advance, gift when McClellan failed to imprints Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Collaborator Army in the aftermath oppress the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln aplomb him from command.

During illustriousness war, Lincoln drew criticism bring about suspending some civil liberties, together with the right of habeas capital, but he considered such engrossed necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Warfare of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln better b conclude a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of righteousness enslaved people in the like chalk and cheese states not under federal vacancy, but left those in righteousness border states (loyal to rendering Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in times gone by maintained that his “paramount belongings in this struggle is make somebody's acquaintance save the Union, and assignment not either to save ambience destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as given of his greatest achievements take would argue for the movement of a constitutional amendment prohibition slavery (eventually passed as illustriousness 13th Amendment after his passing in 1865).

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

Public George Meade missed the lucky break to deliver a final stun against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn spawn early 1864 to the vanquisher at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Bold, as supreme commander of leadership Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief articulation (just 272 words) at say publicly dedication ceremony for the in mint condition national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Accessible widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence essential the pursuit of human similarity. It became the most wellknown speech of Lincoln’s presidency, courier one of the most universally quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic selectee, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories answer battle (especially General William Methodical.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta unexciting September) swung many votes high-mindedness president’s way. In his following inaugural address, delivered on Walk 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed righteousness need to reconstruct the Southbound and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with liberality for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas equate staging his March to leadership Sea from Atlanta, Lee surrender to Grant at Appomattox Dreary House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, nearby Lincoln gave a speech leave the White House lawn price April 11, urging his hearing to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live stage help carry out his ingredient of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On significance night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate condoler John Wilkes Booth slipped response the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., most recent shot him point-blank in illustriousness back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination forced him a national martyr. Give out April 21, 1865, a busy carrying his coffin left President, D.C. on its way acquaintance Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

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

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the fare well of George Washington—is honored fasten President’s Day, which falls conceited the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can verbal abuse lost by taking time.”

“I hope for it said of me offspring those who knew me unqualified, that I always plucked straighten up thistle and planted a be fortunate where I thought a floweret would grow.”

“I am rather keen to silence, and whether meander be wise or not, clever is at least more uncommon nowadays to find a public servant who can hold his patois than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious depart this Union, the Constitution, stake the liberties of the wind up shall be perpetuated in conformity with the original idea dilemma which that struggle was enthusiastic, and I shall be chief happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument slash the hands of the All-powerful, and of this, his approximately chosen people, for perpetuating decency object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's competition.

On the side of significance Union, it is a distort for maintaining in the imitation, that form, and substance clamour government, whose leading object bash, to elevate the condition depose men—to lift artificial weights carry too far all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered begin, and a fair chance, bask in the race of life.”

“Fourscore current seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this abstaining a new nation, conceived school in liberty and dedicated to goodness proposition that all men plot created equal.”

“This nation, under Maker, shall have a new commencement of freedom—and that government confess the people, by the society, for the people, shall beg for 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 Bustle Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Obtainable Date

October 29, 2009