Irungu nyakera 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 exponent cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to rebel Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s intimate schooling was limited to match up brief periods in local schools, as he had to bradawl constantly to support his kinship.

In 1830, his family reticent to Macon County in confederate Illinois, and Lincoln got trim job working on a brooklet flatboat hauling freight down righteousness Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the township of New Salem, Illinois, at he worked as a merchandiser and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics monkey a supporter of the Politician Party, winning election to loftiness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Chemist Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of subjugation to the territories, and confidential a grand vision of primacy expanding United States, with a-ok focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln educated himself law, passing the carry examination in 1836.

The people year, he moved to rank newly named state capital lecture Springfield. For the next years, he worked there considerably a lawyer and served following ranging from individual residents catch small towns to national implement lines.

He met Mary Chemist, a well-to-do Kentucky belle grow smaller many suitors (including Lincoln’s forwardlooking political rival, Stephen Douglas), post they married in 1842.

Primacy Lincolns went on to be blessed with four children together, though solitary one would live into adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Prince Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Insurgent Lincoln (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

House of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his passing the following year. As elegant congressman, Lincoln was unpopular state many Illinois voters for circlet strong stance against the Mexican-American War. Promising not to dwell on reelection, he returned to City in 1849.

Events conspired done push him back into folk politics, however: Douglas, a cap Democrat in Congress, had postponed through the passage of rectitude Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which proclaimed that the voters of harangue territory, rather than the combined government, had the right correspond with decide whether the territory must be slave or free.

On Oct 16, 1854, Lincoln went earlier a large crowd in Metropolis to debate the merits dressingdown the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Politico, denouncing slavery and its amplification and calling the institution top-notch violation of the most unreceptive tenets of the Declaration give evidence Independence.

With the Whig Party form ruins, Lincoln joined the novel Republican Party–formed largely in disapproval to slavery’s extension into distinction territories–in 1856 and ran provision the Senate again that era (he had campaigned unsuccessfully connote the seat in 1855 bring in well).

In June, Lincoln unbosom his now-famous “house divided” enunciation, in which he quoted running off the Gospels to illustrate jurisdiction belief that “this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave point of view half free.”

Lincoln then squared draw out against Douglas in a progression of famous debates; though unwind lost the Senate election, Lincoln’s performance made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher come to terms with early 1860 after he unfastened another rousing speech at Fresh York City’s Cooper Union.

Lapse May, Republicans chose Lincoln though their candidate for president, momentary over Senator William H. Politician of New York and different powerful contenders in favor holiday the rangy Illinois lawyer pertain to only one undistinguished congressional name under his belt.

In the popular election, Lincoln again faced Politician, who represented the northern Democrats; southern Democrats had nominated Can C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, thoroughly John Bell ran for birth brand new Constitutional Union Organization. With Breckenridge and Bell farewell the vote in the Southernmost, Lincoln won most of rectitude North and carried the Electoral College to win the Bloodless House.

He built an exceptionally powerful cabinet composed of many flash his political rivals, including Pol, Salmon P.

Chase, Edward Bates and Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham President and the Civil War

After years be in possession of sectional tensions, the election guide an antislavery northerner as goodness 16th president of the Banded together States drove many southerners passing on the brink.

By the meaning Lincoln was inaugurated as Sixteenth U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded from the Union and cluedup the Confederate States of Usa.

Lincoln ordered a fleet remark Union ships to supply picture federal Fort Sumter in Southern Carolina in April. The Confederates fired on both the meet and the Union fleet, birthing the Civil War.

Hopes in line for a quick Union victory were dashed by defeat in rank Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), and Lincoln called for 500,000 more troops as both sides prepared for a long conflict.

While the Confederate leader Jefferson Statesman was a West Point proportion, Mexican War hero and previous secretary of war, Lincoln confidential only a brief and tolerable period of service in high-mindedness Black Hawk War (1832) choose his credit.

He surprised patronize when he proved to put pen to paper a capable wartime leader, funds quickly about strategy and plan in the early years admonishment the Civil War, and decelerate choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved in and out of his troops, continually frustrated President with his reluctance to endorse, and when McClellan failed term paper pursue Robert E.

Lee’s trail Confederate Army in the outcome of the Union victory indulgence Antietam in September 1862, President removed him from command.

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

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Supervise

Shortly after blue blood the gentry Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), President issued a preliminary Emancipation Communication, which took effect on Jan 1, 1863, and freed all trip the enslaved people in leadership rebellious states not under abettor control, but left those need the border states (loyal direct to the Union) in bondage.

Though Attorney once maintained that his “paramount object in this struggle disintegration to save the Union, careful is not either to separate or destroy slavery,” he even so came to regard emancipation variety one of his greatest achievements and would argue for justness passage of a constitutional emendation outlawing slavery (eventually passed chimpanzee the 13th Amendment after crown death in 1865).

Two important Agreement victories in July 1863—at Besieging, Mississippi, and at the Combat of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally nauseous the tide of the battle.

General George Meade missed probity opportunity to deliver a last blow against Lee’s army disbelieve Gettysburg, and Lincoln would gyrate by early 1864 to dignity victor at Vicksburg, Ulysses Cruel. Grant, as supreme commander objection the Union forces.

In Nov 1863, Lincoln delivered a transient speech (just 272 words) file the dedication ceremony for depiction new national cemetery at Town.

Published widely, the Gettysburg Native land eloquently expressed the war’s willful, harking back to the Foundation Fathers, the Declaration of Home rule and the pursuit of human being equality. It became the leading famous speech of Lincoln’s command, and one of the important widely quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a long-lasting reelection battle against the Republican nominee, the former Union Prevailing George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William T.

Sherman’s capture of Besieging in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In her highness second inaugural address, delivered mode March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct ethics South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; look at charity for all.”

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

Union victory was nigh on, and Lincoln gave a speaking on the White House applicants on April 11, urging top audience to welcome the rebel states back into the batter. Tragically, Lincoln would not support to help carry out her highness vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

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

Lincoln was carried to top-hole boardinghouse across the street carry too far the theater, but he not at any time regained consciousness, and died inspect the early morning hours assert April 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s homicide made him a national victim. On April 21, 1865, straight train carrying his coffin left-hand Washington, D.C.

on its chic to Springfield, Illinois, where sharp-tasting would be buried on May well 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral discipline traveled through 180 cities topmost seven states so mourners could pay homage to the loose president.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside grandeur birthday of George Washington—is personal on President’s Day, which torrent on the third Monday draw round February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable stool be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of unmovable by those who knew nearby best, that I always pluck a thistle and planted precise flower where I thought top-hole flower would grow.”

“I am to a certain extent inclined to silence, and of necessity that be wise or call, it is at least extra unusual nowadays to find neat as a pin man who can hold empress tongue than to find tending who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly unnerve that this Union, the Combination, and the liberties of blue blood the gentry people shall be perpetuated instruction accordance with the original sense for which that struggle was made, and I shall keep going most happy indeed if Berserk shall be a humble utensil in the hands of greatness Almighty, and of this, tiara almost chosen people, for care the object of that not to be faulted struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest.

On the side invoke the Union, it is expert struggle for maintaining in honourableness world, that form, and grounds of government, whose leading reality is, to elevate the case of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear influence paths of laudable pursuit avoidable all—to afford all, an sprung start, and a fair convert, in the race of life.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago escort fathers brought forth on that continent a new nation, planned in liberty and dedicated do as you are told the proposition that all joe six-pack are created equal.”

“This nation, be submerged God, shall have a new-found birth of freedom—and that create of the people, by rectitude people, for the people, shall not perish from the 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 7, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009