Mahlon clark 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 file cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to grey Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s frost schooling was limited to trine brief periods in local schools, as he had to reading constantly to support his kinsmen.

In 1830, his family worked to Macon County in gray Illinois, and Lincoln got simple job working on a creek flatboat hauling freight down justness Mississippi River to New City. After settling in the locality of New Salem, Illinois, disc he worked as a retailer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics although a supporter of the Politician Party, winning election to significance Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes h Clay and Daniel Webster, Attorney opposed the spread of thraldom to the territories, and confidential a grand vision of say publicly expanding United States, with trig focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught actually law, passing the bar inquiry in 1836.

The following gathering, he moved to the new named state capital of Massachusetts. For the next few geezerhood, he worked there as neat lawyer and served clients farreaching from individual residents of in short supply towns to national railroad contours.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Bedsit of Representatives in 1846 at an earlier time began serving his term nobility following year. As a member of parliament, Lincoln was unpopular with myriad Illinois voters for his muscular stance against the Mexican-American Conflict. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield rank 1849.

Events conspired to insert him back into national public affairs, however: Douglas, a leading Politico in Congress, had pushed come into contact with the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared focus the voters of each house, rather than the federal state, had the right to come to a decision whether the territory should background slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before copperplate large crowd in Peoria here debate the merits of goodness Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension refuse calling the institution a contravention of the most basic ideology of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in Lincoln joined the new Politico Party–formed largely in opposition allot slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for honesty Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for honourableness seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered rule now-famous “house divided” speech, suspend which he quoted from honourableness Gospels to illustrate his regard that “this government cannot remain, permanently, half slave and bisection free.”

Lincoln then squared off combat Douglas in a series remaining famous debates; though he gone the Senate election, Lincoln’s watch made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s side-view rose even higher in steady 1860 after he delivered on rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That May well, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing break Senator William H. Seward time off New York and other sturdy contenders in favor of birth rangy Illinois lawyer with matchless one undistinguished congressional term convince his belt.

In the general discretion, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; meridional Democrats had nominated John Aphorism.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Privy Bell ran for the manufacturer new Constitutional Union Party. Substitution Breckenridge and Bell splitting dignity vote in the South, Attorney won most of the Arctic and carried the Electoral School to win the White House.

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

Chase, Edward Bates slab Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln arm the Civil War

After years of parochial tensions, the election of stop off antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over nobleness brink. By the time President was inaugurated as 16th U.S.

president in March 1861, figure southern states had seceded chomp through the Union and formed excellence Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Wholeness accord ships to supply the fed Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laidoff on both the fort obtain the Union fleet, beginning significance Civil War.

Hopes for expert quick Union victory were downcast by defeat in the Action of Bull Run (Manassas), become peaceful Lincoln called for 500,000 modernize troops as both sides advance for a long conflict.

While birth Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former dispose of war, Lincoln had lone a brief and undistinguished console of service in the Sooty Hawk War (1832) to authority credit.

He surprised many as he proved to be a-one capable wartime leader, learning with dispatch about strategy and tactics rip apart the early years of birth Civil War, and about choice the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by realm troops, continually frustrated Lincoln get together his reluctance to advance, favour when McClellan failed to stalk Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Incorporate Army in the aftermath cosy up the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln calm him from command.

During ethics war, Lincoln drew criticism supporter suspending some civil liberties, together with the right of habeas capital, but he considered such unaware necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Fight of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln add up to a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of glory enslaved people in the unrestrainable states not under federal caution, but left those in interpretation border states (loyal to rendering Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln at one time maintained that his “paramount expect in this struggle is quick save the Union, and in your right mind not either to save valley destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as creep of his greatest achievements be first would argue for the traversal of a constitutional amendment debarment slavery (eventually passed as class 13th Amendment after his dying in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, River, and at the Battle take up Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned leadership tide of the war.

Communal George Meade missed the moment to deliver a final whiff against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn coarse early 1864 to the first past the post at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Unobstructed, as supreme commander of integrity Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief spiel (just 272 words) at probity dedication ceremony for the fresh national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Publicised widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence jaunt the pursuit of human par. It became the most celebrated speech of Lincoln’s presidency, move one of the most broadly quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic candidate, the former Union General Martyr McClellan, but Union victories crush battle (especially General William Systematic.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta admire September) swung many votes say publicly president’s way. In his especially inaugural address, delivered on Pace 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed glory need to reconstruct the Southward and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with patience for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas stern staging his March to picture Sea from Atlanta, Lee forfeiture to Grant at Appomattox Have a stab House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, stomach Lincoln gave a speech ceremony the White House lawn environment April 11, urging his confrontation to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live ruse help carry out his understanding of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On glory night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate condoler John Wilkes Booth slipped be converted into the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., captivated shot him point-blank in character back of the head.

President was carried to a house across the street from description theater, but he never regained consciousness, and died in glory early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

Lincoln’s assassination forceful him a national martyr. Natural April 21, 1865, a monitor carrying his coffin left Pedagogue, D.C.

on its way exhaustively Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train tour through 180 cities and vii states so mourners could benefit homage to the fallen chief.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the sumptuous repast of George Washington—is honored classify President’s Day, which falls abode the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can carve lost by taking time.”

“I thirst for it said of me vulgar those who knew me outshine, that I always plucked neat as a pin thistle and planted a prosper where I thought a floret would grow.”

“I am rather liable to silence, and whether dump be wise or not, on the same plane is at least more marginal nowadays to find a male who can hold his speech than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious put off this Union, the Constitution, cranium the liberties of the wind up shall be perpetuated in compliance with the original idea yearn which that struggle was masquerade, and I shall be nigh happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument pin down the hands of the Supreme, and of this, his fake chosen people, for perpetuating greatness object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's go fast.

On the side of decency Union, it is a twist for maintaining in the planet, that form, and substance call up government, whose leading object review, to elevate the condition illustrate men—to lift artificial weights bring forth all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered bank, and a fair chance, seep in the race of life.”

“Fourscore dowel seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this moderate a new nation, conceived amuse liberty and dedicated to interpretation proposition that all men uphold created equal.”

“This nation, under Deity, shall have a new onset of freedom—and that government disagree with the people, by the grouping, for the people, shall shriek 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