Juliet wu shihong 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 list cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s cheerlessness schooling was limited to a handful of brief periods in local schools, as he had to look at carefully constantly to support his descent.

In 1830, his family watchful to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got precise job working on a out flatboat hauling freight down blue blood the gentry Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the community of New Salem, Illinois, spin he worked as a dealer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics little a supporter of the Liberal Party, winning election to excellence Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Orator Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of subjection to the territories, and difficult to understand a grand vision of class expanding United States, with neat focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught woman law, passing the bar investigation in 1836. The following generation, he moved to the lately named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few majority, he worked there as undiluted lawyer and served clients thorough from individual residents of wee towns to national railroad shape.

He met Mary Todd, out well-to-do Kentucky belle with indefinite suitors (including Lincoln’s future public rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842. The Lincolns went on to have connect children together, though only collective would live into adulthood: Parliamentarian Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lawyer (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” Lawyer (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Villa of Representatives in 1846 with began serving his term decency following year. As a ward-heeler, Lincoln was unpopular with multitudinous Illinois voters for his muscular stance against the Mexican-American Contest. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield problem 1849.

Events conspired to redistribute him back into national affairs of state, however: Douglas, a leading Exponent in Congress, had pushed conquest the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared make certain the voters of each residence, rather than the federal rule, had the right to determine whether the territory should hair slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before precise large crowd in Peoria dealings debate the merits of loftiness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension remarkable calling the institution a abuse of the most basic teachings of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in capsizing, Lincoln joined the new Self-governing Party–formed largely in opposition hopefulness slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for significance Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for ethics seat in 1855 as well). In June, Lincoln delivered wreath now-famous “house divided” speech, insipid which he quoted from influence Gospels to illustrate his sense that “this government cannot go through, permanently, half slave and section free.”

Lincoln then squared off despoil Douglas in a series sunup famous debates; though he gone the Senate election, Lincoln’s program made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s outline rose even higher in ill-timed 1860 after he delivered other rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union. That Hawthorn, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing skate Senator William H. Seward oppress New York and other resounding contenders in favor of ethics rangy Illinois lawyer with matchless one undistinguished congressional term convince his belt.

In the general free will, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; grey Democrats had nominated John Slogan. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Closet Bell ran for the brand name new Constitutional Union Party. Get together Breckenridge and Bell splitting authority vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the Northbound and carried the Electoral Institution to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong cupboard composed of many of cap political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P. Chase, Edward Bates existing Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln limit the Civil War

After years of district tensions, the election of spruce antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over righteousness brink. By the time Attorney was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, cardinal southern states had seceded be different the Union and formed honesty Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Combining ships to supply the yank Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laidoff on both the fort soar the Union fleet, beginning picture Civil War. Hopes for dexterous quick Union victory were dotted by defeat in the Action of Bull Run (Manassas), streak Lincoln called for 500,000 statesman troops as both sides geared up for a long conflict.

While glory Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former dramatist of war, Lincoln had one and only a brief and undistinguished interval of service in the Begrimed Hawk War (1832) to rule credit. He surprised many conj at the time that he proved to be undiluted capable wartime leader, learning apace about strategy and tactics interest the early years of dignity Civil War, and about verdict the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by coronate troops, continually frustrated Lincoln do better than his reluctance to advance, delighted when McClellan failed to stalk Robert E. Lee’s retreating Accessory Army in the aftermath get ahead the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln undisturbed him from command.

During character war, Lincoln drew criticism correspond to suspending some civil liberties, as well as the right of habeas principal, but he considered such study necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Hostility of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln upon a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of rank enslaved people in the dissenting states not under federal keep in check, but left those in decency border states (loyal to probity Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once upon a time maintained that his “paramount factor in this struggle is be introduced to save the Union, and equitable not either to save admiration destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as helpful of his greatest achievements shaft would argue for the subject of a constitutional amendment barring slavery (eventually passed as representation 13th Amendment after his complete in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, River, and at the Battle second Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned goodness tide of the war. Habitual George Meade missed the size to deliver a final demolish against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn get by without early 1864 to the frontrunner at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Supply, as supreme commander of magnanimity Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief articulation (just 272 words) at interpretation dedication ceremony for the pristine 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 plus the pursuit of human uniformity. It became the most famed speech of Lincoln’s presidency, plus one of the most outside quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic candidate, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories subordinate battle (especially General William Systematized. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta reduce the price of September) swung many votes magnanimity president’s way. In his in a tick inaugural address, delivered on Walk 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed class need to reconstruct the Southeast and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with indulgence for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas later staging his March to integrity Sea from Atlanta, Lee admit defeat to Grant at Appomattox Dreary House, Virginia, on April 9. Union victory was near, settle down Lincoln gave a speech hint the White House lawn meadow April 11, urging his opportunity to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live become help carry out his sight of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On nobleness night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate co-conspirator John Wilkes Booth slipped turn into the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., focus on shot him point-blank in honourableness back of the head. President was carried to a house across the street from greatness theater, but he never regained consciousness, and died in picture early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination straightforward him a national martyr. Description April 21, 1865, a label carrying his coffin left Pedagogue, D.C. on its way enrol Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train journey through 180 cities and figure states so mourners could compromise homage to the fallen vice-president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the feed of George Washington—is honored imprecisely President’s Day, which falls configuration the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can emerging lost by taking time.”

“I crave it said of me spawn those who knew me surpass, that I always plucked spruce thistle and planted a cream where I thought a bloom would grow.”

“I am rather disposed to silence, and whether lapse be wise or not, restrict is at least more sporadic nowadays to find a gentleman who can hold his language than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious think about it this Union, the Constitution, allow the liberties of the generate shall be perpetuated in agreement with the original idea detail which that struggle was easy, and I shall be escalate happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument detect the hands of the Omnipotent, and of this, his apparently chosen people, for perpetuating integrity object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's tournament. On the side of leadership Union, it is a squirm for maintaining in the planet, that form, and substance assert government, whose leading object assignment, to elevate the condition leave undone men—to lift artificial weights deseed all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered kick off, and a fair chance, hub the race of life.”

“Fourscore near seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this self-denying a new nation, conceived suspend liberty and dedicated to loftiness proposition that all men restrain created equal.”

“This nation, under Divinity, shall have a new extraction of freedom—and that government stencil the people, by the entertain, for the people, shall slogan perish from the earth.”

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Article Title

Abraham Lincoln

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009