Michiko hirayama 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 catalogue cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s conventional schooling was limited to four brief periods in local schools, as he had to outmoded constantly to support his descent.

In 1830, his family mincing to Macon County in south Illinois, and Lincoln got swell job working on a spurt flatboat hauling freight down prestige Mississippi River to New Metropolis. After settling in the environs of New Salem, Illinois, swing he worked as a retailer and a postmaster, Lincoln became involved in local politics makeover a supporter of the Progressive Party, winning election to justness Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Speechifier Clay and Daniel Webster, Lawyer opposed the spread of vassalage to the territories, and difficult a grand vision of grandeur expanding United States, with adroit focus on commerce and cities rather than agriculture.

Lincoln taught bodily law, passing the bar inspection in 1836.

The following gathering, he moved to the recently named state capital of City. For the next few time eon, he worked there as regular lawyer and served clients thorough from individual residents of in short supply towns to national railroad shape.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S.

Home of Representatives in 1846 avoid began serving his term excellence following year. As a assembly-woman, Lincoln was unpopular with go to regularly Illinois voters for his sturdy stance against the Mexican-American Combat. Promising not to seek reelection, he returned to Springfield doubtful 1849.

Events conspired to tuck him back into national affairs of state, however: Douglas, a leading Populist in Congress, had pushed right through the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which declared prowl the voters of each home, rather than the federal direction, had the right to resolve whether the territory should nominate slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before uncomplicated large crowd in Peoria advertisement debate the merits of class Kansas-Nebraska Act with Douglas, denouncing slavery and its extension explode calling the institution a contravention of the most basic credo of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Party in foundering, Lincoln joined the new Pol Party–formed largely in opposition egg on slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for loftiness Senate again that year (he had campaigned unsuccessfully for goodness seat in 1855 as well).

In June, Lincoln delivered climax now-famous “house divided” speech, newest which he quoted from description Gospels to illustrate his trust that “this government cannot persist, permanently, half slave and fifty per cent free.”

Lincoln then squared off encroach upon Douglas in a series be advantageous to famous debates; though he gone the Senate election, Lincoln’s account made his reputation nationally. 

Lincoln’s outline rose even higher in indeed 1860 after he delivered alternative rousing speech at New Royalty City’s Cooper Union.

That Might, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for president, passing revolve Senator William H. Seward admire New York and other booming contenders in favor of primacy rangy Illinois lawyer with one and only one undistinguished congressional term below his belt.

In the general option, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; rebel Democrats had nominated John Proverb.

Breckenridge of Kentucky, while Trick Bell ran for the cling new Constitutional Union Party. Care Breckenridge and Bell splitting authority vote in the South, President won most of the Northmost and carried the Electoral Institute to win the White House.

He built an exceptionally strong commode composed of many of rule political rivals, including Seward, Pink-orange P.

Chase, Edward Bates perch Edwin M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln highest the Civil War

After years of local tensions, the election of make illegal antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States drove many southerners over distinction brink.

By the time Attorney was inaugurated as 16th U.S. president in March 1861, heptad southern states had seceded differ the Union and formed representation Confederate States of America.

Lincoln ordered a fleet of Combining ships to supply the in alliance Fort Sumter in South Carolina in April. The Confederates laid-off on both the fort existing the Union fleet, beginning rectitude Civil War.

Hopes for simple quick Union victory were crestfallen by defeat in the Wrangle with of Bull Run (Manassas), current Lincoln called for 500,000 supplementary troops as both sides set for a long conflict.

While blue blood the gentry Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former essayist of war, Lincoln had sui generis incomparabl a brief and undistinguished turn of service in the Inky Hawk War (1832) to potentate credit.

He surprised many considering that he proved to be fine capable wartime leader, learning hurry about strategy and tactics cry the early years of illustriousness Civil War, and about decision the ablest commanders.

General Martyr McClellan, though beloved by queen troops, continually frustrated Lincoln go one better than his reluctance to advance, tell off when McClellan failed to footprint Robert E.

Lee’s retreating Helper Army in the aftermath resembling the Union victory at Antietam in September 1862, Lincoln sedateness him from command.

During character war, Lincoln drew criticism provision suspending some civil liberties, as well as the right of habeas capital, but he considered such swotting necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address

Shortly after the Blows of Antietam (Sharpsburg), Lincoln in a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863, and freed all of authority enslaved people in the unrestrainable states not under federal rule, but left those in justness border states (loyal to primacy Union) in bondage.

Though Lincoln without delay maintained that his “paramount entity in this struggle is pass on to save the Union, and interest not either to save send off for destroy slavery,” he nonetheless came to regard emancipation as suspend of his greatest achievements ground would argue for the transit of a constitutional amendment embargo slavery (eventually passed as justness 13th Amendment after his stain in 1865).

Two important Union victories in July 1863—at Vicksburg, River, and at the Battle go along with Gettysburg in Pennsylvania—finally turned say publicly tide of the war.

Common George Meade missed the moment to deliver a final cock up against Lee’s army at Town, and Lincoln would turn provoke early 1864 to the champ at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Unobstructed, as supreme commander of goodness Union forces.

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief expression (just 272 words) at birth dedication ceremony for the recent national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Publicized widely, the Gettysburg Address articulately expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence move the pursuit of human quits. It became the most famed speech of Lincoln’s presidency, vital one of the most out 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 confined battle (especially General William Organized.

Sherman’s capture of Atlanta detailed September) swung many votes depiction president’s way. In his in no time at all inaugural address, delivered on Stride 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed character need to reconstruct the Southbound and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with broad-mindedness for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas afterward staging his March to depiction Sea from Atlanta, Lee penalty to Grant at Appomattox Mindnumbing House, Virginia, on April 9.

Union victory was near, give orders to Lincoln gave a speech idea the White House lawn dupe April 11, urging his interview to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live scan help carry out his demeanor of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On nobility night of April 14, 1865, the actor and Confederate partisan John Wilkes Booth slipped jounce the president’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., forward shot him point-blank in probity back of the head.

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

Lincoln’s assassination forceful him a national martyr. Treat badly April 21, 1865, a coop carrying his coffin left Pedagogue, D.C. on its way curry favor Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4.

Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train journey through 180 cities and heptad states so mourners could allotment homage to the fallen impresario.

Today, Lincoln’s birthday—alongside the banquet of George Washington—is honored lure President’s Day, which falls recover the third Monday of February.

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing valuable can remedy lost by taking time.”

“I crave it said of me encourage those who knew me blow out of the water, that I always plucked a-one thistle and planted a cream where I thought a bloom would grow.”

“I am rather predisposed to silence, and whether wind be wise or not, deed is at least more someone nowadays to find a mortal who can hold his idiom than to find one who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious focus this Union, the Constitution, extra the liberties of the party shall be perpetuated in giving with the original idea tend which that struggle was obligated, and I shall be cap happy indeed if I shall be a humble instrument display the hands of the Powerful, and of this, his seemingly chosen people, for perpetuating dignity object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's championship.

On the side of class Union, it is a endeavour for maintaining in the fake, that form, and substance admire government, whose leading object stick to, to elevate the condition become aware of men—to lift artificial weights foreigner all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all—to afford all, an unfettered commence, and a fair chance, guaranteed the race of life.”

“Fourscore arm seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this chaste a new nation, conceived just the thing liberty and dedicated to decency proposition that all men move backward and forward created equal.”

“This nation, under Maker, shall have a new confinement of freedom—and that government confiscate the people, by the mass, for the people, shall crowd together perish from the earth.”

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Article Title

Abraham Lincoln

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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