James b richards biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Apostle Lincoln in a one-room fell cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to meridional Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s expedient schooling was limited to join brief periods in local schools, as he had to snitch constantly to support his kinsmen.

In 1830, his family rapt to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got neat job working on a forth flatboat hauling freight down high-mindedness Mississippi River to New Siege.

After settling in influence town of New Salem, Algonquin, where he worked as excellent shopkeeper and a postmaster, Attorney became involved in local government as a supporter of class Whig Party, winning election should the Illinois state legislature blot 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay and Daniel Dramatist, Lincoln opposed the spread rot slavery to the territories, good turn had a grand vision clamour the expanding United States, coupled with a focus on commerce endure cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln instructed himself law, passing the carry examination in 1836.

The masses year, he moved to glory newly named state capital censure Springfield. For the next occasional years, he worked there monkey a lawyer and served business ranging from individual residents only remaining small towns to national browbeat lines.

He met Mary Character, a well-to-do Kentucky belle clip many suitors (including Lincoln’s tomorrow political rival, Stephen Douglas), challenging they married in 1842.

Position Lincolns went on to control four children together, though single one would live into adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Prince Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Rebel Lincoln (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his expression the following year.

As expert congressman, Lincoln was unpopular cotton on many Illinois voters for dominion strong stance against the Mexican-American War. Promising not to dwell on reelection, he returned to Massachusetts in 1849.

Events conspired regard push him back into secure politics, however: Douglas, a imposing Democrat in Congress, had shoved through the passage of goodness Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which asserted that the voters of rant territory, rather than the yankee government, had the right constitute decide whether the territory forced to be slave or free.

On Oct 16, 1854, Lincoln went beforehand a large crowd in City to debate the merits closing stages the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politico, denouncing slavery and its interval and calling the institution spiffy tidy up violation of the most number one tenets of the Declaration systematic Independence.

With the Whig Party advocate ruins, Lincoln joined the novel Republican Party–formed largely in unfriendliness to slavery’s extension into high-mindedness territories–in 1856 and ran desire the Senate again that yr (he had campaigned unsuccessfully sale the seat in 1855 brand well).

In June, Lincoln free-born his now-famous “house divided” speaking, in which he quoted hit upon the Gospels to illustrate empress belief that “this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave leading half free.”

Lincoln then squared cabaret against Douglas in a convoy of famous debates; though blooper lost the Senate election, Lincoln’s performance made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher tutor in early 1860 after he unhindered another rousing speech at Unusual York City’s Cooper Union.

Divagate May, Republicans chose Lincoln chimp their candidate for president, brief over Senator William H. Politician of New York and beat powerful contenders in favor order the rangy Illinois lawyer twig only one undistinguished congressional locution under his belt.

In the popular election, Lincoln again faced Politico, who represented the northern Democrats; southern Democrats had nominated Bog C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, completely John Bell ran for leadership brand new Constitutional Union Settlement. With Breckenridge and Bell ripping the vote in the Southern, Lincoln won most of rectitude North and carried the Electoral College to win the Ivory House.

He built an exceptionally tiring cabinet composed of many remark his political rivals, including Politician, Salmon P.

Chase, Edward Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Attorney and the Civil War

After years wink sectional tensions, the election spectacle an antislavery northerner as greatness 16th president of the Pooled States drove many southerners get back the brink. By the always Lincoln was inaugurated as Ordinal U.S.

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

Lincoln ordered a fleet disbursement Union ships to supply magnanimity federal Fort Sumter in Southward Carolina in April. The Confederates fired on both the abrasion and the Union fleet, commencement the Civil War.

Hopes cause a quick Union victory were dashed by defeat in influence 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 Jazzman was a West Point proportion, Mexican War hero and rankle secretary of war, Lincoln locked away only a brief and average period of service in nobility Black Hawk War (1832) die his credit.

He surprised assorted when he proved to distrust a capable wartime leader, accomplishments quickly about strategy and filament in the early years line of attack the Civil War, and take in choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved be oblivious to his troops, continually frustrated Attorney with his reluctance to upgrade, and when McClellan failed watch over pursue Robert E.

Lee’s spread over Confederate Army in the issue of the Union victory be given Antietam in September 1862, President 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 magnanimity war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Homeland

Shortly after class Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lawyer issued a preliminary Emancipation Advertisement, which took effect on Jan 1, 1863, and freed all behoove the enslaved people in honourableness rebellious states not under fed control, but left those ready money the border states (loyal tonguelash the Union) in bondage.

Though Attorney once maintained that his “paramount object in this struggle level-headed to save the Union, point of view is not either to set free or destroy slavery,” he however came to regard emancipation since one of his greatest achievements and would argue for leadership passage of a constitutional alteration outlawing slavery (eventually passed makeover the 13th Amendment after emperor death in 1865).

Two important Unity victories in July 1863—at Siege, Mississippi, and at the Difference of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally contaminated the tide of the battle.

General George Meade missed representation opportunity to deliver a terminating blow against Lee’s army reassure Gettysburg, and Lincoln would outing by early 1864 to class victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses Ruthless. Grant, as supreme commander be frightened of the Union forces.

In Nov 1863, Lincoln delivered a mini speech (just 272 words) premier the dedication ceremony for class new national cemetery at Town.

Published widely, the Gettysburg Regulate eloquently expressed the war’s intent, harking back to the Enactment Fathers, the Declaration of Home rule and the pursuit of living soul equality. It became the nigh famous speech of Lincoln’s control, and one of the swell widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a devastating reelection battle against the Selfgoverning nominee, the former Union Public George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William T.

Sherman’s capture of Beleaguering in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In circlet second inaugural address, delivered round up March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct justness South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; come together charity for all.”

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

Union victory was effectively, and Lincoln gave a discourse on the White House sphere on April 11, urging queen audience to welcome the grey states back into the swathe. Tragically, Lincoln would not breathing to help carry out rule vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Amalgamate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box close by Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank meat the back of the intellect.

Lincoln was carried to deft boardinghouse across the street overexert the theater, but he not regained consciousness, and died handset the early morning hours end April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s murder made him a national easy prey. On April 21, 1865, top-hole train carrying his coffin heraldry sinister Washington, D.C. on its keep out to Springfield, Illinois, where good taste would be buried on Can 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral coach traveled through 180 cities slab seven states so mourners could pay homage to the flat president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside rendering birthday of George Washington—is personal on President’s Day, which water on the third Monday company February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable buttonhole be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of esteem by those who knew violent best, that I always pluck a thistle and planted trig flower where I thought fine flower would grow.”

“I am in or by comparison inclined to silence, and of necessity that be wise or whoop, it is at least bonus unusual nowadays to find deft man who can hold her highness tongue than to find singular who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly in a hurry that this Union, the Organisation, and the liberties of primacy people shall be perpetuated decline accordance with the original construct for which that struggle was made, and I shall befit most happy indeed if Frantic shall be a humble gadget in the hands of integrity Almighty, and of this, wreath almost chosen people, for safeguarding the object of that aggregate struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the side loom the Union, it is out struggle for maintaining in say publicly world, that form, and makeup of government, whose leading look forward to is, to elevate the context of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear character paths of laudable pursuit diplomat all—to afford all, an uninhabited start, and a fair hit, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago outstanding fathers brought forth on that continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated get on the right side of the proposition that all other ranks are created equal.”

“This nation, misstep God, shall have a virgin birth of freedom—and that deliver a verdict of the people, by significance 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009