Paul emile lecomte biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Nancy and Apostle Lincoln in a one-room diary cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to austral Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s contained schooling was limited to team a few brief periods in local schools, as he had to research paper constantly to support his kinsmen.

In 1830, his family swayed to Macon County in austral Illinois, and Lincoln got put in order job working on a torrent flatboat hauling freight down honourableness Mississippi River to New Siege. After settling in the metropolitan of New Salem, Illinois, vicinity he worked as a tradesman and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics chimpanzee a supporter of the Politico Party, winning election to say publicly Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Orator Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of vassalage to the territories, and locked away a grand vision of excellence expanding United States, with neat as a pin focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught living soul law, passing the bar study in 1836.

The following harvest, he moved to the just now named state capital of City. For the next few age, he worked there as span lawyer and served clients all-embracing from individual residents of little towns to national railroad cut.

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

The Lincolns went on to have quartet children together, though only facial appearance 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.

Home of Representatives in 1846 survive began serving his term probity following year. As a public, Lincoln was unpopular with numberless Illinois voters for his torrential stance against the Mexican-American Conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield crucial 1849.

Events conspired to poke him back into national civil affairs, however: Douglas, a leading Politico in Congress, had pushed nibble the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared stroll the voters of each zone, rather than the federal polity, had the right to doggedness whether the territory should adjust slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a- large crowd in Peoria tinge debate the merits of birth Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension existing calling the institution a transgression of the most basic dogma of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in razing, Lincoln joined the new Populist Party–formed largely in opposition rear slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for distinction Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for position seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered her majesty now-famous “house divided” speech, pry open which he quoted from depiction Gospels to illustrate his sympathy that “this government cannot suffer, permanently, half slave and one-half free.”

Lincoln then squared off accept Douglas in a series human famous debates; though he mislaid the Senate election, Lincoln’s close watch made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s figure rose even higher in originally 1860 after he delivered in relation to rousing speech at New Dynasty City’s Cooper Union.

That Haw, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing staunch Senator William H. Seward dead weight New York and other robust contenders in favor of ethics rangy Illinois lawyer with one one undistinguished congressional term mess up his belt.

In the general poll, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; south Democrats had nominated John Apophthegm.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Can Bell ran for the brand name new Constitutional Union Party. Do business Breckenridge and Bell splitting position vote in the South, President won most of the Northernmost and carried the Electoral School to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong department composed of many of government political rivals, including Seward, Pinkish-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates abide Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln post the Civil War

After years of provincial tensions, the election of conclusion antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over rectitude brink.

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

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

Hopes for spruce up quick Union victory were down in the mouth by defeat in the Blows of Bull Run (Manassas), spreadsheet Lincoln called for 500,000 bonus troops as both sides primed for a long conflict.

While influence Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former wordsmith of war, Lincoln had solitary a brief and undistinguished generation of service in the Coalblack Hawk War (1832) to coronate credit.

He surprised numerous when he proved to befall a capable wartime leader, analysis quickly about strategy and acquire in the early years get the message the Civil War, and take into consideration choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved jam his troops, continually frustrated Attorney with his reluctance to nurture, and when McClellan failed down pursue Robert E.

Lee’s tire Confederate Army in the conclusion of the Union victory dilemma Antietam in September 1862, Lawyer removed him from command.

During the war, Lincoln drew disapproval for suspending some civil liberties, including the right of habeas corpus, but he considered much measures necessary to win righteousness war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Place of origin

Shortly after high-mindedness Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lawyer issued a preliminary Emancipation Declaration, which took effect on Jan 1, 1863, and freed all emblematic the enslaved people in integrity rebellious states not under abettor control, but left those magnify the border states (loyal give a lift the Union) in bondage.

Though Attorney once maintained that his “paramount object in this struggle anticipation to save the Union, soar is not either to single out abrogate or destroy slavery,” he withal came to regard emancipation monkey one of his greatest achievements and would argue for leadership passage of a constitutional alteration outlawing slavery (eventually passed pass for the 13th Amendment after fillet death in 1865).

Two important Oneness victories in July 1863—at Town, Mississippi, and at the Encounter of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally indecent the tide of the conflict.

General George Meade missed rectitude opportunity to deliver a farewell blow against Lee’s army exploit Gettysburg, and Lincoln would roll by early 1864 to interpretation victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses Unrelenting. Grant, as supreme commander presentation the Union forces.

In Nov 1863, Lincoln delivered a transitory speech (just 272 words) jaws the dedication ceremony for leadership new national cemetery at Town.

Published widely, the Gettysburg Regulate eloquently expressed the war’s willful, harking back to the Creation Fathers, the Declaration of Selfdetermination and the pursuit of android equality. It became the cap famous speech of Lincoln’s administration, and one of the outdo widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a hard reelection battle against the Self-governing nominee, the former Union Universal George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William T.

Sherman’s capture of Siege in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In crown second inaugural address, delivered make dirty March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct rectitude South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; respect charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas after staging his March chance on the Sea from Atlanta, Player surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on Apr 9.

Union victory was at hand, and Lincoln gave a speaking on the White House interest on April 11, urging rulership audience to welcome the confederate states back into the podium. Tragically, Lincoln would not stand up for to help carry out climax vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On the night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Couple sympathizer John Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box imprecision Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank amusement the back of the intellect.

Lincoln was carried to grand boardinghouse across the street disseminate the theater, but he not at any time regained consciousness, and died quick-witted the early morning hours capacity April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination made him a tribal martyr. On April 21, 1865, a train carrying his receptacle left Washington, D.C. on untruthfulness way to Springfield, Illinois, annulus he would be buried classification May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s sepulture train traveled through 180 cities and seven states so mourners could pay homage to illustriousness 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 semiprecious can be lost by beguiling time.”

“I want it said custom me by those who knew me best, that I in every instance plucked a thistle and seeded a flower where I gain knowledge of a flower would grow.”

“I underhand rather inclined to silence, survive whether that be wise submission not, it is at nadir more unusual nowadays to stress a man who can clasp his tongue than to bonanza one who cannot.”

“I am especially anxious that this Union, righteousness Constitution, and the liberties well the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the first idea for which that thrash was made, and I shall be most happy indeed in case I shall be a unpresuming instrument in the hands hegemony the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, staging perpetuating the object of make certain great struggle.”

“This is essentially a-one People's contest.

On the unused of the Union, it enquiry a struggle for maintaining make money on the world, that form, give orders to substance of government, whose salient object is, to elevate rank condition of men—to lift fabricated weights from all shoulders—to thick the paths of laudable dash for all—to afford all, threaten unfettered start, and a disinterested chance, in the race be in the region of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years uncivilized our fathers brought forth enterprise this continent a new deposit account, conceived in liberty and fervent to the proposition that perimeter men are created equal.”

“This polity, under God, shall have practised new birth of freedom—and go off at a tangent government of the people, give up the people, for the everyday, shall not perish from righteousness 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009