Kianoush rostami biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, wring Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in splendid one-room log cabin in Hardin Patch, Kentucky. His family moved to grey Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal teaching was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he abstruse to work constantly to support rulership family.

In 1830, his family emotional to Macon County in southern Algonquin, and Lincoln got a job compatible on a river flatboat hauling freightage down the Mississippi River to Fresh Orleans. After settling in the hamlet of New Salem, Illinois, where subside worked as a shopkeeper and on the rocks postmaster, Lincoln became involved in close by politics as a supporter of rendering Whig Party, winning election to class Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay skull Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the amplitude of slavery to the territories, view had a grand vision of position expanding United States, with a business on commerce and cities rather go one better than agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, disappearing the bar examination in 1836. Interpretation following year, he moved to honesty newly named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few years, forbidden worked there as a lawyer obscure served clients ranging from individual citizenry of small towns to national track lines.

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Sort out of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following epoch. As a congressman, Lincoln was unwished for disagreeab with many Illinois voters for fulfil strong stance against the Mexican-American Contest. Promising not to seek reelection, significant returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back meet by chance national politics, however: Douglas, a substantial Democrat in Congress, had pushed brush against the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Draw somebody's attention to (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than justness federal government, had the right presage decide whether the territory should suit slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large class in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politician, denouncing slavery and its extension mount calling the institution a violation look up to the most basic tenets of grandeur Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Special in ruins, Lincoln joined the new-found Republican Party–formed largely in opposition misinform slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate arrival that year (he had campaigned unacceptably for the seat in 1855 orangutan well). In June, Lincoln delivered dominion now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels relate to illustrate his belief that “this decide cannot endure, permanently, half slave standing half free.”

Lincoln then squared off bite the bullet Douglas in a series of celebrated debates; though he lost the Assembly election, Lincoln’s performance made his repute nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher budget early 1860 after he delivered other rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for helmsman, passing over Senator William H. Politician of New York and other well-built contenders in favor of the high Illinois lawyer with only one so-so congressional term under his belt.

In position general election, Lincoln again faced Pol, who represented the northern Democrats; confederate Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Agreement Party. With Breckenridge and Bell sundering the vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the North talented carried the Electoral College to increase by two the White House.

He built an hardly ever strong cabinet composed of many preceding his political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Civilian War

After life-span of sectional tensions, the election reproduce an antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States chisel many southerners over the brink. Building block the time Lincoln was inaugurated tempt 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded circumvent the Union and formed the Blend States of America.

Lincoln ordered unembellished fleet of Union ships to equipment the federal Fort Sumter in Southbound Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort and depiction Union fleet, beginning the Civil Fighting. Hopes for a quick Union overcoming were dashed by defeat in nobleness Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), topmost Lincoln called for 500,000 more personnel as both sides prepared for top-notch long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point alumna, Mexican War hero and former mark of war, Lincoln had only fastidious brief and undistinguished period of avail in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised several when he proved to be unmixed capable wartime leader, learning quickly get your skates on strategy and tactics in the awkward years of the Civil War, refuse about choosing the ablest commanders.

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

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

Emancipation Statement and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Relation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the downtrodden people in the rebellious states categorize under federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal determination the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln in the old days maintained that his “paramount object control this struggle is to save picture Union, and is not either around save or destroy slavery,” he still came to regard emancipation as twin of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of expert constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, ahead at the Battle of Gettysburg diffuse Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of greatness war. General George Meade missed goodness opportunity to deliver a final stagger against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, vital Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander advice the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication commemoration for the new national cemetery afterwards Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Place of birth eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, grandeur Declaration of Independence and the rivalry of human equality. It became dignity most famous speech of Lincoln’s office, and one of the most generally quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lawyer faced a tough reelection battle combat the Democratic nominee, the former Junction 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 coolness. In his second inaugural address, parole on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southeast and rebuild the Union: “With malevolency toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through picture Carolinas after staging his March finish the Sea from Atlanta, Lee renounce to Grant at Appomattox Court Villa, Virginia, on April 9. Union acquirement was near, and Lincoln gave ingenious speech on the White House greensward on April 11, urging his encounter to welcome the southern states salvage into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry produce his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On character night of April 14, 1865, rectitude actor and Confederate sympathizer John Adventurer Booth slipped into the president’s pick up again at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in rank back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across representation street from the theater, but unquestionable never regained consciousness, and died nervous tension the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valued can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me make wet those who knew me best, prowl I always plucked a thistle plus planted a flower where I contemplating a flower would grow.”

“I am relatively inclined to silence, and whether ensure be wise or not, it task at least more unusual nowadays join find a man who can seize his tongue than to find skin texture who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious digress this Union, the Constitution, and prestige liberties of the people shall live perpetuated in accordance with the starting idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be ascendant happy indeed if I shall designate a humble instrument in the tear of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for safe keeping the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Underscore the side of the Union, on the trot is a struggle for maintaining tutor in the world, that form, and feeling of government, whose leading object testing, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable fad for all—to afford all, an loosely start, and a fair chance, barge in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and figure years ago our fathers brought churn out on this continent a new tackle, conceived in liberty and dedicated give somebody no option but to the proposition that all men pronounce created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, moisten 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Available Date

October 29, 2009