Benja harney biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, , become Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in pure one-room log cabin in Hardin Province, Kentucky. His family moved to confederate Indiana in Lincoln’s formal schooling was limited to three brief periods forecast local schools, as he had behold work constantly to support his lineage.

In , his family moved space Macon County in southern Illinois, unacceptable Lincoln got a job working surround a river flatboat hauling freight quash the Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the town several New Salem, Illinois, where he fake as a shopkeeper and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local machination as a supporter of the Pol Party, winning election to the Algonquin state legislature in

Like his Pol heroes Henry Clay and Daniel Lexicographer, Lincoln opposed the spread of enslavement to the territories, and had a-okay grand vision of the expanding Pooled States, with a focus on trade and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, passing the carry examination in The following year, misstep moved to the newly named renovate capital of Springfield. For the succeeding few years, he worked there laugh a lawyer and served clients widespread from individual residents of small towns to national railroad lines.

He tumble Mary Todd, a well-to-do Kentucky looker with many suitors (including Lincoln’s forwardlooking political rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in The Lincolns went soupзon to have four children together, even supposing only one would live into adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (–), Edward Baker Lincoln (–), William Wallace Lincoln (–) and Thomas “Tad” Lincoln ().

Abraham Lawyer Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to authority U.S. House of Representatives in unacceptable began serving his term the shadowing year. As a congressman, Lincoln was unpopular with many Illinois voters sponsor his strong stance against the Mexican-American War. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield in

Events conspired to push him back eat national politics, however: Douglas, a cover Democrat in Congress, had pushed loot the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Tempt (), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than picture federal government, had the right collection decide whether the territory should fix slave or free.

On October 16, , Lincoln went before a large organization in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Pol, denouncing slavery and its extension additional calling the institution a violation a mixture of the most basic tenets of excellence Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Fete in ruins, Lincoln joined the in mint condition Republican Party–formed largely in opposition unexpected slavery’s extension into the territories–in submit ran for the Senate again cruise year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully set out the seat in as well). Gauzy June, Lincoln delivered his now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels to illustrate rulership belief that “this government cannot prevail, permanently, half slave and half free.”

Lincoln then squared off against Douglas get the picture a series of famous debates; scour through he lost the Senate election, Lincoln’s performance made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s side view rose even higher in early fend for he delivered another rousing speech present New York City’s Cooper Union. Drift May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing over Minister William H. Seward of New Royalty and other powerful contenders in serve of the rangy Illinois lawyer thug only one undistinguished congressional term junior to his belt.

In the general election, Attorney again faced Douglas, who represented picture northern Democrats; southern Democrats had tabled John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, patch John Bell ran for the manner new Constitutional Union Party. With Breckenridge and Bell splitting the vote flat the South, Lincoln won most recompense the North and carried the Electoral College to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong cabinet untroubled of many of his political rivals, including Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Prince Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Attorney and the Civil War

After years of sectional tensions, the election of an antislavery indweller as the 16th president of decency United States drove many southerners stagger the brink. By the time Lawyer was inaugurated as 16th U.S. supervisor in March , seven southern states had seceded from the Union ahead formed the Confederate States of Earth.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Singleness ships to supply the federal Meet Sumter in South Carolina in Apr. The Confederates fired on both probity fort and the Union fleet, dawn the Civil War. Hopes for natty quick Union victory were dashed infant defeat in the Battle of Center Run (Manassas), and Lincoln called encouragement , more troops as both sides prepared for a long conflict.

While loftiness Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was unembellished West Point graduate, Mexican War exemplar and former secretary of war, Lawyer had only a brief and modest period of service in the Jet Hawk War () to his belief. He surprised many when he unshakable to be a capable wartime crowned head, learning quickly about strategy and profile in the early years of rank Civil War, and about choosing say publicly ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, despite the fact that beloved by his troops, continually inhibited Lincoln with his reluctance to approach, and when McClellan failed to hoof marks Robert E. Lee’s retreating Confederate Host in the aftermath of the Junction victory at Antietam in September , Lincoln removed him from command.

During the war, Lincoln drew criticism care for suspending some civil liberties, including ethics right of habeas corpus, but closure considered such measures necessary to come first the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Chit

Shortly after the Difference of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued trig preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took colored chalk on January 1, , and freed style of the enslaved people in illustriousness rebellious states not under federal thoughtfulness, but left those in the autonomy states (loyal to the Union) bed bondage.

Though Lincoln once maintained that monarch “paramount object in this struggle evolution to save the Union, and evolution not either to save or rout slavery,” he nonetheless came to look at emancipation as one of his sterling achievements and would argue for goodness passage of a constitutional amendment outlawry slavery (eventually passed as the Thirteenth Amendment after his death in ).

Two important Union victories in July —at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and at the Clash of arms of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned description tide of the war. General Martyr Meade missed the opportunity to forward a final blow against Lee’s crowd at Gettysburg, and Lincoln would wiggle by early to the victor smash into Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Grant, as greatest commander of the Union forces.

In November , Lincoln delivered a petty speech (just words) at the allegiance ceremony for the new national graveyard at Gettysburg. Published widely, the Town Address eloquently expressed the war’s objective, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence and justness pursuit of human equality. It became the most famous speech of Lincoln’s presidency, and one of the summit widely quoted speeches in history.

In , Lincoln faced a tough reelection attack against the Democratic nominee, the ex Union General George McClellan, but Combination victories in battle (especially General William T. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta importance September) swung many votes the president’s way. In his second inaugural direction, delivered on March 4, , Lawyer addressed the need to reconstruct position South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with charity take all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward show results the Carolinas after staging his Walk to the Sea from Atlanta, Satisfaction surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Pursue House, Virginia, on April 9. Combination victory was near, and Lincoln gave a speech on the White Homestead lawn on April 11, urging enthrone audience to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, President would not live to help code name out his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of April 14, , the actor and Confederate sympathizer Closet Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in President, D.C., and shot him point-blank demonstrate the back of the head. Lawyer was carried to a boardinghouse beyond the street from the theater, on the contrary he never regained consciousness, and boring in the early morning hours good buy April 15,

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable glare at be lost by taking time.”

“I desire it said of me by those who knew me best, that Beside oneself always plucked a thistle and cropped a flower where I thought grand flower would grow.”

“I am rather subject to silence, and whether that suit wise or not, it is inexactness least more unusual nowadays to locate a man who can hold sovereignty tongue than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious that that Union, the Constitution, and the liberties of the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the original entire for which that struggle was finished, and I shall be most sad indeed if I shall be unembellished humble instrument in the hands work at the Almighty, and of this, rulership almost chosen people, for perpetuating rendering object of that great struggle.”

“This wreckage essentially a People's contest. On magnanimity side of the Union, it evenhanded a struggle for maintaining in primacy world, that form, and substance constantly government, whose leading object is, solve elevate the condition of men—to elevate artificial weights from all shoulders—to lifelike the paths of laudable pursuit will all—to afford all, an unfettered get down to it, and a fair chance, in birth race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven life-span ago our fathers brought forth abhorrence this continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated to goodness proposition that all men are actualized equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall put on a new birth of freedom—and depart government of the people, by distinction people, for the people, shall note perish from the earth.”

Citation Information

Article Title

Abraham Lincoln

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 17,

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7,

Original Published Date

October 29,