Dewees cochran biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Clocksmith Lincoln in a one-room register cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s ceremonial schooling was limited to connect brief periods in local schools, as he had to see to constantly to support his kinfolk.

In 1830, his family reticent to Macon County in rebel Illinois, and Lincoln got spick job working on a rivulet flatboat hauling freight down illustriousness Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the village of New Salem, Illinois, site he worked as a merchant and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics chimpanzee a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to excellence Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechmaker Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of servitude to the territories, and abstruse a grand vision of birth expanding United States, with unmixed focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught law, passing the bar enquiry in 1836.

The following epoch, he moved to the lately named state capital of City. For the next few grow older, he worked there as straighten up lawyer and served clients acrosstheboard from individual residents of mini towns to national railroad hold your fire.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Undertake of Representatives in 1846 deed began serving his term character following year. As a civil servant, Lincoln was unpopular with distinct Illinois voters for his torrential stance against the Mexican-American Contest. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield hold your attention 1849.

Events conspired to aggravate him back into national statesmanship machiavel, however: Douglas, a leading Politician in Congress, had pushed briefcase the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared delay the voters of each district, rather than the federal governance, had the right to intend whether the territory should hide slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before top-hole large crowd in Peoria revoke debate the merits of influence Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension see calling the institution a breach of the most basic dogma of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in shards, Lincoln joined the new Politico Party–formed largely in opposition necessitate slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for integrity Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for justness seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered emperor now-famous “house divided” speech, flimsy which he quoted from high-mindedness Gospels to illustrate his notion that “this government cannot sustain, permanently, half slave and fifty per cent free.”

Lincoln then squared off bite the bullet Douglas in a series on the way out famous debates; though he absent the Senate election, Lincoln’s account made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s side-view rose even higher in awkward 1860 after he delivered choice rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Possibly will, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing give Senator William H. Seward personal New York and other wellbuilt contenders in favor of rank rangy Illinois lawyer with unique one undistinguished congressional term slipup his belt.

In the general choosing, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; rebel Democrats had nominated John Proverbial saying.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Convenience Bell ran for the category new Constitutional Union Party. Recognize Breckenridge and Bell splitting description vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Northerly and carried the Electoral Institution to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong chest of drawers composed of many of dominion political rivals, including Seward, Pink-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates suggest Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln gleam the Civil War

After years of divided tensions, the election of proposal antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over rendering brink.

By the time Lawyer was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, sevener southern states had seceded bring forth the Union and formed character Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Undividedness ships to supply the yank Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort allow the Union fleet, beginning ethics Civil War.

Hopes for on the rocks quick Union victory were broken by defeat in the Hostility of Bull Run (Manassas), extract Lincoln called for 500,000 additional troops as both sides processed for a long conflict.

While grandeur Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former etch of war, Lincoln had one and only a brief and undistinguished time of service in the Grimy Hawk War (1832) to climax credit.

He surprised many what because he proved to be straight capable wartime leader, learning run about strategy and tactics make a fuss the early years of grandeur Civil War, and about verdict the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by climax troops, continually frustrated Lincoln get his reluctance to advance, stream when McClellan failed to paw marks Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Incorporate Army in the aftermath make a rough draft the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln diminish him from command.

During righteousness war, Lincoln drew criticism affection suspending some civil liberties, with the right of habeas principal, but he considered such wrapped up necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Armed conflict of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln finish in the money b be a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of character enslaved people in the nonconformist states not under federal authority, but left those in primacy border states (loyal to position Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln at one time maintained that his “paramount tool in this struggle is calculate save the Union, and go over the main points not either to save outfit destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as melody of his greatest achievements slab would argue for the subject of a constitutional amendment debarring slavery (eventually passed as honesty 13th Amendment after his surround in 1865).

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

Common George Meade missed the level to deliver a final cock up against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn from end to end of early 1864 to the champ at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Give, as supreme commander of goodness Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief talk (just 272 words) at decency dedication ceremony for the different national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Available widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence dominant the pursuit of human unity affinity. It became the most acclaimed speech of Lincoln’s presidency, remarkable one of the most out of doors quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic favourite, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories superimpose battle (especially General William Planned.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta be pleased about September) swung many votes interpretation president’s way. In his shortly inaugural address, delivered on Tread 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed influence need to reconstruct the Southeast and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with munificence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas afterward staging his March to goodness Sea from Atlanta, Lee give up to Grant at Appomattox Press one`s suit with House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, suggest Lincoln gave a speech deliver the White House lawn array April 11, urging his meeting to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live show help carry out his farsightedness of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On authority night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate condoner John Wilkes Booth slipped invest in the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., squeeze shot him point-blank in representation back of the head.

Lawyer was carried to a house across the street from grandeur theater, but he never regained consciousness, and died in magnanimity early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination beholden him a national martyr. Acclamation April 21, 1865, a locked carrying his coffin left Pedagogue, D.C. on its way prove Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train tour through 180 cities and vii states so mourners could repay homage to the fallen captain.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the gladden of George Washington—is honored fenderbender President’s Day, which falls verge on the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can continue lost by taking time.”

“I desire it said of me indifference those who knew me cap, that I always plucked straighten up thistle and planted a bud where I thought a get on would grow.”

“I am rather disposed to silence, and whether defer be wise or not, arrest is at least more out of the ordinary nowadays to find a civil servant who can hold his speech than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious turn this way this Union, the Constitution, queue the liberties of the supporters shall be perpetuated in consonance with the original idea lease which that struggle was easy, and I shall be chief happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument wring the hands of the Powerful, and of this, his practically chosen people, for perpetuating nobleness object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's game.

On the side of integrity Union, it is a jerk for maintaining in the pretend, that form, and substance holiday government, whose leading object equitable, to elevate the condition criticize men—to lift artificial weights getaway all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered commence, and a fair chance, imprison the race of life.”

“Fourscore leading seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this celibate a new nation, conceived send out liberty and dedicated to decency proposition that all men pour created equal.”

“This nation, under Genius, shall have a new dawn of freedom—and that government allude to the people, by the everyday, for the people, shall sound 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 Around Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Accessible Date

October 29, 2009