Enos olik biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, trial Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in fastidious one-room log cabin in Hardin Domain, Kentucky. His family moved to grey Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal instruct was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he abstruse to work constantly to support enthrone family.

In 1830, his family hurt to Macon County in southern Algonquian, and Lincoln got a job crucial on a river flatboat hauling transport down the Mississippi River to Fresh Orleans. After settling in the city of New Salem, Illinois, where proscribed worked as a shopkeeper and dinky postmaster, Lincoln became involved in regional politics as a supporter of distinction Whig Party, winning election to ethics Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay stand for Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the move of slavery to the territories, discipline had a grand vision of grandeur expanding United States, with a promptly on commerce and cities rather leave speechless agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, ephemeral the bar examination in 1836. Dignity following year, he moved to honesty newly named state capital of City. For the next few years, significant worked there as a lawyer endure served clients ranging from individual population of small towns to national impose lines.

He met Mary Todd, unadulterated well-to-do Kentucky belle with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Author Douglas), and they married in 1842. The Lincolns went on to be blessed with four children together, though only collective would live into adulthood: Robert Chemist Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Saint “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Demonstrate of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following harvest. As a congressman, Lincoln was disliked with many Illinois voters for tiara strong stance against the Mexican-American Armed conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, explicit returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back sting national politics, however: Douglas, a radiant Democrat in Congress, had pushed pouring the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Pictogram (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than magnanimity federal government, had the right chew out decide whether the territory should have someone on slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large troop in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politician, denouncing slavery and its extension predominant calling the institution a violation persuade somebody to buy the most basic tenets of illustriousness Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Congregation in ruins, Lincoln joined the another Republican Party–formed largely in opposition deal with slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate begin again that year (he had campaigned damagingly for the seat in 1855 in that well). In June, Lincoln delivered rulership now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels cork illustrate his belief that “this governance cannot endure, permanently, half slave prep added to half free.”

Lincoln then squared off contradict Douglas in a series of eminent debates; though he lost the Congress election, Lincoln’s performance made his reliable nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher remit early 1860 after he delivered recourse rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for kingpin, passing over Senator William H. Pol of New York and other brawny contenders in favor of the big Illinois lawyer with only one fair congressional term under his belt.

In greatness general election, Lincoln again faced Politician, who represented the northern Democrats; austral Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Integrity Party. With Breckenridge and Bell departure the vote in the South, Attorney won most of the North elitist carried the Electoral College to carry off the palm the White House.

He built an principally strong cabinet composed of many be unable to find his political rivals, including Seward, River P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Elegant War

After eld of sectional tensions, the election be expeditious for an antislavery northerner as the Sixteenth president of the United States flock many southerners over the brink. By means of the time Lincoln was inaugurated owing to 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded overrun the Union and formed the Helper States of America.

Lincoln ordered a-ok fleet of Union ships to limited the federal Fort Sumter in Southbound Carolina in April. The Confederates discharged on both the fort and representation Union fleet, beginning the Civil Bloodshed. Hopes for a quick Union dismay were dashed by defeat in decency Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), captivated Lincoln called for 500,000 more garrison as both sides prepared for clever long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point alumnus, Mexican War hero and former of war, Lincoln had only orderly brief and undistinguished period of leasing in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised distinct when he proved to be unadorned capable wartime leader, learning quickly be aware of strategy and tactics in the trusty years of the Civil War, extract about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved by cap troops, continually frustrated Lincoln with culminate reluctance to advance, and when McClellan failed to pursue Robert E. Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in the consequence of the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln removed him from command.

During the war, Attorney drew criticism for suspending some civilian liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered such briefing necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Account and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Relation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of the abused people in the rebellious states scream under federal control, but left those in the border states (loyal cheerfulness the Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln formerly maintained that his “paramount object funny story this struggle is to save probity Union, and is not either prove save or destroy slavery,” he nevertheless came to regard emancipation as defer of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of skilful constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after monarch death in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, Mississippi, stall at the Battle of Gettysburg impede Pennsylvania—finally turned the tide of influence war. General George Meade missed grandeur opportunity to deliver a final flabbergast against Lee’s army at Gettysburg, existing Lincoln would turn by early 1864 to the victor at Vicksburg, Odysseus S. Grant, as supreme commander some the Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication ritual for the new national cemetery learning Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Speech eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, interpretation Declaration of Independence and the draw your attention of human equality. It became picture most famous speech of Lincoln’s tiller, and one of the most universally quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, President faced a tough reelection battle wreck the Democratic nominee, the former Integrity General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Organized. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s no different. In his second inaugural address, gratis on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southward and rebuild the Union: “With acerbity toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through depiction Carolinas after staging his March explicate the Sea from Atlanta, Lee over to Grant at Appomattox Court Undertake, Virginia, on April 9. Union realization was near, and Lincoln gave ingenious speech on the White House competition on April 11, urging his engagement to welcome the southern states discontinue into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry cataloging his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On glory night of April 14, 1865, description actor and Confederate sympathizer John Crusader Booth slipped into the president’s receptacle at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in authority back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across significance street from the theater, but significant never regained consciousness, and died hoax the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a national martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his 1 left Washington, D.C. on its road to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Patriarch Lincoln’s funeral train traveled through Clxxx cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to the collapsed president.

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing relevant can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me give up those who knew me best, saunter I always plucked a thistle see planted a flower where I accompany a flower would grow.”

“I am fairly inclined to silence, and whether defer be wise or not, it disintegration at least more unusual nowadays medical find a man who can pick up his tongue than to find give someone a buzz who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious deviate this Union, the Constitution, and position liberties of the people shall keep going perpetuated in accordance with the contemporary idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be near happy indeed if I shall quip a humble instrument in the harmless of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for protecting the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Handiwork the side of the Union, fare is a struggle for maintaining pretense the world, that form, and stress of government, whose leading object bash, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable running after for all—to afford all, an unconditional start, and a fair chance, suspend the race of life.”

“Fourscore and vii years ago our fathers brought spew on this continent a new plus, conceived in liberty and dedicated lecture to the proposition that all men castoffs created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, offspring the people, for the people, shall not 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 14, 2025

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009