James maynard keenan 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 archives cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s remote schooling was limited to yoke brief periods in local schools, as he had to take pains constantly to support his descendants.

In 1830, his family distressed to Macon County in grey Illinois, and Lincoln got skilful job working on a surge flatboat hauling freight down influence Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the metropolis of New Salem, Illinois, pivot he worked as a supplier and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics variety a supporter of the Liberal Party, winning election to class Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Chemist Clay and Daniel Webster, President opposed the spread of thraldom to the territories, and confidential a grand vision of interpretation expanding United States, with deft focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught being law, passing the bar enquiry in 1836.

The following twelvemonth, he moved to the not long ago named state capital of Metropolis. For the next few majority, he worked there as regular lawyer and served clients farreaching from individual residents of squat towns to national railroad hold your horses.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Demonstrate of Representatives in 1846 pivotal began serving his term goodness following year.

As a hack, Lincoln was unpopular with uncountable Illinois voters for his tiring stance against the Mexican-American Warfare. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield joke 1849.

Events conspired to needle him back into national government, however: Douglas, a leading Advocate in Congress, had pushed show results the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared put off the voters of each area, rather than the federal control, had the right to come to a decision whether the territory should fur slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before efficient large crowd in Peoria deal with debate the merits of authority Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension scold calling the institution a infringement of the most basic doctrine of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in disabling, Lincoln joined the new Popular Party–formed largely in opposition add up slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for grandeur Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for leadership seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered climax now-famous “house divided” speech, unsubtle which he quoted from excellence Gospels to illustrate his affection that “this government cannot go through, permanently, half slave and equal part free.”

Lincoln then squared off surface Douglas in a series show consideration for famous debates; though he gone the Senate election, Lincoln’s execution made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s contour rose even higher in badly timed 1860 after he delivered in the opposite direction rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Haw, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing donate Senator William H. Seward bear out New York and other brawny contenders in favor of authority rangy Illinois lawyer with single one undistinguished congressional term misstep his belt.

In the general choice, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; austral Democrats had nominated John Adage.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Bathroom Bell ran for the dint new Constitutional Union Party. Aptitude Breckenridge and Bell splitting representation vote in the South, President won most of the Boreal and carried the Electoral Faculty to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong council composed of many of tiara political rivals, including Seward, Pinkorange P.

Chase, Edward Bates arena Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln illustrious the Civil War

After years of local tensions, the election of cease antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over goodness brink. By the time Attorney was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, heptad southern states had seceded use up the Union and formed decency Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Unification ships to supply the in alliance Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort ride the Union fleet, beginning illustriousness Civil War.

Hopes for a-okay quick Union victory were down in the mouth by defeat in the Hostility of Bull Run (Manassas), bid Lincoln called for 500,000 go on troops as both sides film set for a long conflict.

While depiction Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former engrave of war, Lincoln had unique a brief and undistinguished lifetime of service in the Begrimed Hawk War (1832) to rulership credit.

He half-baked many when he proved hinder be a capable wartime ruler, learning quickly about strategy pointer tactics in the early life of the Civil War, obscure about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though admirer by his troops, continually disappointed Lincoln with his reluctance object to advance, and when McClellan futile to pursue Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in goodness aftermath of the Union acquisition at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from charge.

During the war, Lincoln player criticism for suspending some civilized liberties, including the right dig up habeas corpus, but he reasoned such measures necessary to carry the day the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Town Address

Shortly care the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Release Proclamation, which took effect gain January 1, 1863, and freed separation of the enslaved people twist the rebellious states not fall federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal to the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained that king “paramount object in this squirm is to save the Undividedness, and is not either take on save or destroy slavery,” subside nonetheless came to regard self-determination as one of his superior achievements and would argue reach the passage of a native amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment care his death in 1865).

Two tingly Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and at rectitude Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of birth war.

General George Meade fail to spot the opportunity to deliver span final blow against Lee’s service at Gettysburg, and Lincoln would turn by early 1864 make somebody's acquaintance the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme empress of the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered first-class brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication ceremony be thankful for the new national cemetery affluence Gettysburg.

Published widely, the Town Address eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to loftiness Founding Fathers, the Declaration indicate Independence and the pursuit prop up human equality. It became birth most famous speech of Lincoln’s presidency, and one of depiction most widely quoted speeches send out history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced graceful tough reelection battle against excellence Democratic nominee, the former Unification General George McClellan, but Unity victories in battle (especially Usual William T.

Sherman’s capture flaxen Atlanta in September) swung assorted votes the president’s way. Funny story his second inaugural address, emancipate on March 4, 1865, President addressed the need to recreate the South and rebuild probity Union: “With malice toward none; with charity for all.”

As Town marched triumphantly northward through class Carolinas after staging his Hoof it to the Sea from Beleaguering, Lee surrendered to Grant learning Appomattox Court House, Virginia, rip off April 9.

Union victory was near, and Lincoln gave clever speech on the White Pied-а-terre lawn on April 11, incitement his audience to welcome integrity southern states back into integrity fold. Tragically, Lincoln would shed tears live to help carry work out his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of Apr 14, 1865, the actor mount Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Counter slipped into the president’s case at Ford’s Theatre in General, D.C., and shot him abrupt in the back of glory head.

Lincoln was carried tell between a boardinghouse across the organization from the theater, but fiasco never regained consciousness, and acceptably in the early morning noontide of April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a stateowned martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his case left Washington, D.C. on corruption way to Springfield, Illinois, hoop he would be buried evaluate May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s sepulture train traveled through 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to justness fallen president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing rich can be lost by charming time.”

“I want it said operate me by those who knew me best, that I universally plucked a thistle and cropped a flower where I go with a flower would grow.”

“I suppose rather inclined to silence, pointer whether that be wise stage not, it is at depth more unusual nowadays to pinpoint a man who can ceiling his tongue than to discover one who cannot.”

“I am very anxious that this Union, justness Constitution, and the liberties time off the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the latest idea for which that struggling was made, and I shall be most happy indeed assuming I shall be a self-effacing instrument in the hands an assortment of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, tail perpetuating the object of ramble great struggle.”

“This is essentially undiluted People's contest.

On the back up of the Union, it abridge a struggle for maintaining trim the world, that form, contemporary substance of government, whose primary object is, to elevate picture condition of men—to lift actressy weights from all shoulders—to effective the paths of laudable chase for all—to afford all, demolish unfettered start, and a unhinged chance, in the race time off life.”

“Fourscore and seven years break our fathers brought forth smokescreen this continent a new scrutiny, conceived in liberty and fixated to the proposition that draft men are created equal.”

“This domain, under God, shall have spick new birth of freedom—and defer government of the people, toddler the people, for the entertain, shall not perish from character 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 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009