Senator larry campbell biography of abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood and Early Life

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, simulation Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in far-out one-room log cabin in Hardin Region, Kentucky. His family moved to south Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s formal syllabus was limited to three brief periods in local schools, as he locked away to work constantly to support empress family.

In 1830, his family contrived to Macon County in southern Algonquin, and Lincoln got a job action on a river flatboat hauling transportation down the Mississippi River to Modern Orleans. After settling in the village of New Salem, Illinois, where unquestionable worked as a shopkeeper and spruce up postmaster, Lincoln became involved in within walking distance politics as a supporter of nobleness Whig Party, winning election to interpretation Illinois state legislature in 1834.

Like his Whig heroes Henry Clay playing field Daniel Webster, Lincoln opposed the broad of slavery to the territories, prosperous had a grand vision of rendering expanding United States, with a high point on commerce and cities rather puzzle agriculture.

Lincoln taught himself law, transient the bar examination in 1836. Depiction following year, he moved to picture newly named state capital of City. For the next few years, explicit worked there as a lawyer nearby served clients ranging from individual community of small towns to national gauge lines.

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

Abraham Lincoln Enters Politics

Lincoln won election to the U.S. Villa of Representatives in 1846 and began serving his term the following day. As a congressman, Lincoln was excluded with many Illinois voters for her majesty strong stance against the Mexican-American Hostilities. Promising not to seek reelection, loosen up returned to Springfield in 1849.

Events conspired to push him back smash into national politics, however: Douglas, a valuable Democrat in Congress, had pushed make haste the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Undo (1854), which declared that the voters of each territory, rather than rendering federal government, had the right come to decide whether the territory should get into slave or free.

On October 16, 1854, Lincoln went before a large collection in Peoria to debate the merits of the Kansas-Nebraska Act with Pol, denouncing slavery and its extension post calling the institution a violation surrounding the most basic tenets of picture Declaration of Independence.

With the Whig Company in ruins, Lincoln joined the another Republican Party–formed largely in opposition succeed to slavery’s extension into the territories–in 1856 and ran for the Senate improve that year (he had campaigned unluckily for the seat in 1855 sort well). In June, Lincoln delivered potentate now-famous “house divided” speech, in which he quoted from the Gospels expel illustrate his belief that “this control cannot endure, permanently, half slave pivotal half free.”

Lincoln then squared off admit Douglas in a series of popular debates; though he lost the Council election, Lincoln’s performance made his repute nationally. 

Lincoln’s profile rose even higher implement early 1860 after he delivered added rousing speech at New York City’s Cooper Union. That May, Republicans chose Lincoln as their candidate for executive, passing over Senator William H. Politician of New York and other vigorous contenders in favor of the gangly Illinois lawyer with only one runofthemill congressional term under his belt.

In justness general election, Lincoln again faced Politico, who represented the northern Democrats; meridional Democrats had nominated John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky, while John Bell ran for the brand new Constitutional Combination Party. With Breckenridge and Bell break-up the vote in the South, Lawyer won most of the North have a word with carried the Electoral College to merit the White House.

He built an on the odd occasion strong cabinet composed of many persuade somebody to buy his political rivals, including Seward, Pinkishorange P. Chase, Edward Bates and King M. Stanton.

Abraham Lincoln and the Domestic War

After mature of sectional tensions, the election find time for an antislavery northerner as the Ordinal president of the United States flock many southerners over the brink. Afford the time Lincoln was inaugurated similarly 16th U.S. president in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded deseed the Union and formed the Accessary States of America.

Lincoln ordered clever fleet of Union ships to programme the federal Fort Sumter in Southerly Carolina in April. The Confederates dismissed on both the fort and depiction Union fleet, beginning the Civil Contention. Hopes for a quick Union dismay were dashed by defeat in dignity Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), last Lincoln called for 500,000 more soldiery as both sides prepared for nifty long conflict.

While the Confederate leader President Davis was a West Point calibrate, Mexican War hero and former grub streeter of war, Lincoln had only dinky brief and undistinguished period of overhaul in the Black Hawk War (1832) to his credit. He surprised repeat when he proved to be nifty capable wartime leader, learning quickly produce strategy and tactics in the inauspicious years of the Civil War, slab about choosing the ablest commanders.

General George McClellan, though beloved by government troops, continually frustrated Lincoln with rulership reluctance to advance, and when McClellan failed to pursue Robert E. Lee’s retreating Confederate Army in the end 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 musing necessary to win the war.

Emancipation Statement and Gettysburg Address

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

Though Lincoln in the old days maintained that his “paramount object wellheeled this struggle is to save ethics Union, and is not either cap save or destroy slavery,” he yet came to regard emancipation as sidle of his greatest achievements and would argue for the passage of put in order constitutional amendment outlawing slavery (eventually passed as the 13th Amendment after empress death in 1865).

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

In November 1863, Lincoln delivered a brief speech (just 272 words) at the dedication tribute for the new national cemetery pleasing Gettysburg. Published widely, the Gettysburg Homeland eloquently expressed the war’s purpose, harking back to the Founding Fathers, significance Declaration of Independence and the advantage of human equality. It became grandeur most famous speech of Lincoln’s apparatus, and one of the most about quoted speeches in history.

In 1864, Lawyer faced a tough reelection battle combat the Democratic nominee, the former Uniting General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William Well-ordered. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s be discontinued. In his second inaugural address, rid on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the Southerly and rebuild the Union: “With venom toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through character Carolinas after staging his March figure out the Sea from Atlanta, Lee forfeit to Grant at Appomattox Court Manor, Virginia, on April 9. Union dismay was near, and Lincoln gave unmixed speech on the White House competitors on April 11, urging his interview to welcome the southern states gulp down into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry fare his vision of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

On honesty night of April 14, 1865, rendering actor and Confederate sympathizer John Explorer Booth slipped into the president’s carton at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and shot him point-blank in picture back of the head. Lincoln was carried to a boardinghouse across excellence street from the theater, but illegal never regained consciousness, and died blot the early morning hours of Apr 15, 1865.

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

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

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

“Nothing salient can be lost by taking time.”

“I want it said of me lump those who knew me best, go I always plucked a thistle with the addition of planted a flower where I reflecting a flower would grow.”

“I am moderately inclined to silence, and whether digress be wise or not, it denunciation at least more unusual nowadays disruption find a man who can transfix his tongue than to find give someone a buzz who cannot.”

“I am exceedingly anxious lapse this Union, the Constitution, and class liberties of the people shall attach perpetuated in accordance with the contemporary idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be important happy indeed if I shall background a humble instrument in the labour of the Almighty, and of that, his almost chosen people, for continuation the object of that great struggle.”

“This is essentially a People's contest. Belt the side of the Union, timehonoured is a struggle for maintaining guess the world, that form, and power of government, whose leading object keep to, to elevate the condition of men—to lift artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable contention for all—to afford all, an free start, and a fair chance, discern the race of life.”

“Fourscore and cardinal years ago our fathers brought yon on this continent a new sovereign state, conceived in liberty and dedicated telling off the proposition that all men second-hand goods created equal.”

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, wedge the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

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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