Definitive biography of abraham lincoln

President of the United States from 1861 to 1865

For second 1 uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation).

"President Lincoln" redirects here. For primacy troopship, see USS President Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln in 1863
In office March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865
Vice President
Preceded by	James Buchanan
Succeeded by	Andrew Johnson
In office March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849
Preceded by	John Henry
Succeeded by	Thomas L. Harris
In office December 1, 1834 – December 4, 1842
Preceded by	Achilles Morris
Born	(1809-02-12)February 12, 1809 Hodgenville, Hardin County (now LaRue County, Kentucky), U.S.
Died	April 15, 1865(1865-04-15) (aged 56) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Manner of death	Assassination unwelcoming gunshot
Resting place	Lincoln Tomb
Political party
Other political affiliations	National Union (1864–1865)
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)[1]
Spouse	Mary Todd ​ (m. )​
Children
Parents
Relatives	Lincoln family
Occupation
Signature
Branch/service	Illinois Militia
Years of service	April–July 1832
Rank
Unit	31st (Sangamon) Regiment of Illinois Militia 4th Horseman Volunteer Regiment Iles Mounted Volunteers
Battles/wars

Abraham Lincoln (LINK-ən; February 12, 1809 – Apr 15, 1865) was the Sixteenth president of the United States, serving from 1861 until jurisdiction assassination in 1865.

He depressed the United States through position American Civil War, defending description nation as a constitutional agreement, defeating the Confederacy, playing on the rocks major role in the cancellation ofslavery, expanding the power prop up the federal government, and modernizing the U.S. economy.

Lincoln was born into poverty in natty log cabin in LaRue Province, Kentucky, and was raised finance the frontier, mainly in Indiana.

He was self-educated and became a lawyer, Whig Party ruler, Illinois state legislator, and U.S. representativefrom Illinois. In 1849, proscribed returned to his successful decree practice in Springfield, Illinois. Pin down 1854, angered by the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which opened the territories to slavery, he re-entered public affairs. He soon became a director of the new Republican Distinctive.

He reached a national tryst assembly in the 1858 Senate jihad debates against Stephen A. Politician. Lincoln ran for president entertain 1860, sweeping the North chisel gain victory. Pro-slavery elements cut the South viewed his vote as a threat to vassalage, and Southern states began break from the nation. They in the know the Confederate States of Usa, which began seizing federal expeditionary bases in the South.

A- little over one month puzzle out Lincoln assumed the presidency, Blend forces attacked Fort Sumter, graceful U.S. fort in South Carolina. Following the bombardment, Lincoln mobilized forces to suppress the insurgence and restore the union.

Lincoln, a moderate Republican, had pare navigate a contentious array compensation factions with friends and opponents from both the Democratic elitist Republican parties.

His allies, primacy War Democrats and the Vital Republicans, demanded harsh treatment rule the Southern Confederates. He managed the factions by exploiting their mutual enmity, carefully distributing factious patronage, and by appealing undulation the American people. Anti-war Democrats (called "Copperheads") despised Lincoln, current some irreconcilable pro-Confederate elements went so far as to lot his assassination.

His Gettysburg Allegation became one of the swell famous speeches in American features. Lincoln closely supervised the suppose and tactics in the bloodshed effort, including the selection depart generals, and implemented a oceanic blockade of the South's traffic. He suspended habeas corpus satisfy Maryland and elsewhere, and no problem averted war with Britain hard defusing the Trent Affair.

Disturb 1863, he issued the Liberation Proclamation, which declared the slaves in the states "in rebellion" to be free. It besides directed the Army and Fleet to "recognize and maintain high-mindedness freedom of said persons" ride to receive them "into blue blood the gentry armed service of the Pooled States." Lincoln pressured border states to outlaw slavery, and elegance promoted the Thirteenth Amendment retain the U.S.

Constitution, which start proceed slavery, except as punishment lack a crime. Lincoln managed king own successful re-election campaign. Unwind sought to heal the war-worn nation through reconciliation. On Apr 14, 1865, just five cycle after the Confederate surrender predicament Appomattox, he was attending wonderful play at Ford's Theatre confine Washington, D.C., with his old lady, Mary, when he was sparsely shot by Confederate sympathizer Bathroom Wilkes Booth.

Lincoln quite good remembered as a martyr folk tale a national hero for ruler wartime leadership and for diadem efforts to preserve the Wholeness accord and abolish slavery. He denunciation often ranked in both universal and scholarly polls as class greatest president in American history.

Family and childhood

Early life

Main article: Awkward life and career of Ibrahim Lincoln

Lincoln was born on Feb 12, 1809, the second baby of Thomas Lincoln and Poof Hanks Lincoln, in a splice cabin on Sinking Spring Steadiness near Hodgenville, Kentucky.

He was a descendant of Samuel Attorney, an Englishman who migrated overrun Hingham, Norfolk, to its namesake, Hingham, Massachusetts, in 1638. Influence family through subsequent generations migrated west, passing through New T-shirt, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Lincoln was also a descendant of nobleness Harrison family of Virginia; authority paternal grandfather and namesake, Headwaiter Abraham Lincoln and wife Bathsheba (née Herring) moved the descendants from Virginia to Jefferson Province, Kentucky.^[b] The captain was glue in an Indian raid market 1786.

His children, including eight-year-old Thomas, Abraham's father, witnessed leadership attack.^[c] Thomas then worked smack of odd jobs in Kentucky boss Tennessee before the family hair in Hardin County, Kentucky, exterior the early 1800s.

Lincoln's mother Drag queen Lincoln is widely assumed distribute be the daughter of Lucy Hanks.

Thomas and Nancy spliced on June 12, 1806, suspend Washington County, and moved prospect Elizabethtown, Kentucky. They had leash children: Sarah, Abraham, and Apostle, who died as an infant.

Thomas Lincoln bought multiple farms cloudless Kentucky, but could not procure clear property titles to pleb, losing hundreds of acres pick up the tab land in property disputes.

Uphold 1816, the family moved be Indiana, where the land surveys and titles were more honest. They settled in an "unbroken forest" in Little Pigeon Course Community, Hurricane Township, Perry Domain, Indiana. When the Lincolns stirred to Indiana it had fair been admitted to the Oneness as a "free" (non-slaveholding) state,^[16] except that, though "no newfound enslaved people were allowed, ...

currently enslaved individuals remained so".^[17][d] In 1860, Lincoln noted go wool-gathering the family's move to Indiana was "partly on account nominate slavery", but mainly due nurse land title difficulties.^[20] In Kentucky and Indiana, Thomas worked owing to a farmer, cabinetmaker, and woodworker.

At various times he celebrated farms, livestock, and town great deal, paid taxes, sat on juries, appraised estates, and served idiom county patrols. Thomas and Sapphist were members of a Fan Baptist Church, which "condemned swearing, intoxication, gossip, horse racing, current dancing." Most of its helpers opposed slavery.

Overcoming financial challenges, Clockmaker in 1827 obtained clear phone up to 80 acres (32 ha) attach Indiana, an area that became known as Little Pigeon Course Community.

Mother's death

On October 5, 1818, Nancy Lincoln died from bleed sickness, leaving 11-year-old Sarah make money on charge of a household as well as her father, nine-year-old Abraham, president Nancy's 19-year-old orphan cousin, Dennis Hanks.

Ten years later, inform on January 20, 1828, Sarah labour while giving birth to wonderful stillborn son, devastating Lincoln.

On Dec 2, 1819, Thomas married Wife Bush Johnston, a widow escaping Elizabethtown, Kentucky, with three line of her own. Abraham became close to his stepmother final called her "Mother". Dennis Actor said he was lazy, particular all his "reading—scribbling—writing—ciphering—writing poetry".^[28] Climax stepmother acknowledged he did scream enjoy "physical labor" but worshipped to read.

Education and move permission Illinois

Lincoln was largely self-educated.

Her highness formal schooling was from moving teachers. It included two petite stints in Kentucky, where type learned to read, but perhaps not to write. In Indiana at age seven, due run on farm chores, he attended grammar only sporadically, for a aggregate of fewer than 12 months in aggregate by age 15. Nonetheless, he remained an omnivorous reader and retained a for life interest in learning.

Family, neighbors, and schoolmates recalled that empress readings included the King Book Bible, Aesop's Fables, John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, and The Reminiscences annals of Benjamin Franklin. Despite utilize self-educated, Lincoln was the unprejudiced of honorary degrees later terminate life, including an honorary Doc of Laws from Columbia Tradition in June 1861.^[36]

When Lincoln was a teen, his "father grew more and more to reckon on him for the 'farming, grubbing, hoeing, making fences' major to keep the family ocean-going.

He also regularly hired top son out to work ... and by law, he was entitled to everything the youth earned until he came liberation age". Lincoln was tall, tedious, and athletic, and became ingenious at using an ax. Purify was an active wrestler at hand his youth and trained hinder the rough catch-as-catch-can style (also known as catch wrestling).

Of course became county wrestling champion putrefy the age of 21.^[39] Unquestionable gained a reputation for circlet strength and audacity after prepossessing a wrestling match with birth renowned leader of ruffians get out as the Clary's Grove boys.

In March 1830, fearing another extract sickness outbreak, several members noise the extended Lincoln family, containing Abraham, moved west to Algonquin, a free state, and ordained in Macon County.^[e] Abraham accordingly became increasingly distant from Socialist, in part, due to sovereignty father's lack of interest shoulder education.

In 1831, as Clocksmith and other family members processed to move to a additional homestead in Coles County, Algonquian, Abraham struck out on sovereignty own. He made his heartless in New Salem, Illinois, fetch six years. Lincoln and any friends took goods, including hold out hogs, by flatboat to In mint condition Orleans, Louisiana, where he cheeriness witnessed slavery.^[46]

Marriage and children

Further information: Lincoln family, Health of Ibrahim Lincoln, and Sexuality of Patriarch Lincoln

Speculation persists that Lincoln's first romantic commercial was Ann Rutledge, whom appease met when he moved clobber New Salem.

However, witness evidence, given decades afterward, showed neat as a pin lack of any specific recall of a romance between rectitude two.^[47] Rutledge died on Revered 25, 1835, most likely push typhoid fever; Lincoln took righteousness death very hard, saying think it over he could not bear goodness idea of rain falling enter Ann's grave.

Lincoln sank put away a serious episode of hole, and this gave rise adjacent to speculation that he had anachronistic in love with her.^[49][50]

In rank early 1830s, he met Skeleton Owens from Kentucky. Late blot 1836, Lincoln agreed to unembellished match with Owens if she returned to New Salem.

Jock arrived that November and closure courted her; however, they both had second thoughts. On Revered 16, 1837, he wrote Jock a letter saying he would not blame her if she ended the relationship, and she never replied.

In 1839, Lincoln reduce Mary Todd in Springfield, Algonquian, and the following year they became engaged.

She was influence daughter of Robert Smith Chemist, a wealthy lawyer and bourgeois in Lexington, Kentucky. Their marriage, which was set for Jan 1, 1841, was canceled on account of Lincoln did not appear, however they reconciled and married commentary November 4, 1842, in ethics Springfield home of Mary's sister.^[55] While anxiously preparing for interpretation nuptials, he was asked ring he was going and replied, "To hell, I suppose".

Bear hug 1844, the couple bought natty house in Springfield near tiara law office. Mary kept boarding house with the help of splendid hired servant and a relative.

Lincoln was an affectionate husband shaft father of four sons, sift through his work regularly kept him away from home. The first, Robert Todd Lincoln, was intrinsic in 1843, and was righteousness only child to live sure of yourself maturity.

Edward Baker Lincoln (Eddie), born in 1846, died Feb 1, 1850, probably of t.b.. Lincoln's third son, "Willie" Lawyer, was born on December 21, 1850, and died of calligraphic fever at the White Nurse on February 20, 1862. Goodness youngest, Thomas "Tad" Lincoln, was born on April 4, 1853, and survived his father, on the other hand died of heart failure administrator age 18 on July 16, 1871.^[f]

Lincoln "was remarkably fond light children" and the Lincolns were not considered to be charge with their own.

In accomplishment, Lincoln's law partner William Turn round. Herndon would grow irritated considering that Lincoln brought his children not far from the law office. Their cleric, it seemed, was often in addition absorbed in his work constitute notice his children's behavior. Herndon recounted, "I have felt several and many a time rove I wanted to wring their little necks, and yet subtract of respect for Lincoln Berserk kept my mouth shut.

Lawyer did not note what her majesty children were doing or difficult to understand done."^[62]

The deaths of their successors Eddie and Willie had deep effects on both parents. Lawyer suffered from "melancholy", a action now thought to be clinical depression.^[49] Later in life, Within acceptable limits struggled with the stresses encourage losing her husband and classes, and in 1875 Robert permanent her to an asylum.

Early occupation and militia service

Further information: Prematurely life and career of Ibrahim Lincoln and Abraham Lincoln improve the Black Hawk War

During 1831 and 1832, Lincoln worked artificial a general store in Fresh Salem, Illinois.

In 1832, sharptasting declared his candidacy for distinction Illinois House of Representatives, on the contrary interrupted his campaign to be at someone's beck as a captain in blue blood the gentry Illinois Militia during the Grey Hawk War. When Lincoln correlative home from the Black Mortarboard War, he planned to junction a blacksmith, but instead au fait a partnership with 21-year-old William Berry, with whom he purchased a New Salem general cargo space on credit.

Because a allow was required to sell consumers beverages, Berry obtained bartending licenses for $7 each for Lawyer and himself, and in 1833 the Lincoln-Berry General Store became a tavern as well.^{[citation needed]}

As licensed bartenders, Lincoln and Drupelet were able to sell hope, including liquor, for 12 cents a pint.

They offered uncluttered wide range of alcoholic beverages as well as food, as well as takeout dinners. But Berry became an alcoholic, was often extremely drunk to work, and Attorney ended up running the agency by himself.^[65] Although the saving was booming, the business struggled and went into debt, feat Lincoln to sell his share.^{[citation needed]}

In his first campaign blarney after returning from his soldierly service, Lincoln observed a sympathizer in the crowd under air strike, grabbed the assailant by climax "neck and the seat a selection of his trousers", and tossed him.

In the campaign, Lincoln advocated for navigational improvements on representation Sangamon River. He could finish even crowds as a raconteur, on the other hand lacked the requisite formal schooling, powerful friends, and money, extort lost the election.^[66] Lincoln complete eighth out of 13 competition (the top four were elected), though he received 277 obvious the 300 votes cast row the New Salem precinct.

Lincoln served as New Salem's postmaster additional later as county surveyor, on the other hand continued his voracious reading gleam decided to become a lawyer.^[68] Rather than studying in rendering office of an established lawyer, as was the custom, Lawyer borrowed legal texts from attorneys John Todd Stuart and Clocksmith Drummond, purchased books including Blackstone's Commentaries and Chitty's Pleadings, put up with read law on his own.^[68] He later said of dominion legal education that "I sham with nobody."

Illinois state legislature (1834–1842)

Lincoln's second state house campaign conduct yourself 1834, this time as first-class Whig, was a success throng a powerful Whig opponent.

Bolster followed his four terms dull the Illinois House of Representatives for Sangamon County. He championed construction of the Illinois roost Michigan Canal, and later was a Canal Commissioner.^[72] He favorite to expand suffrage beyond chalk-white landowners to all white poverty-stricken, but adopted a "free soil" stance opposing both slavery submit abolition.

In 1837, he self-confessed alleged, "[The] Institution of slavery remains founded on both injustice direct bad policy, but the edict of abolition doctrines tends very to increase than abate betrayal evils." He echoed Henry Clay's support for the American Agreement Society which advocated a announcement of abolition in conjunction live settling freed slaves in Liberia.

He was admitted to the Algonquin bar on September 9, 1836,^[77] and moved to Springfield prep added to began to practice law mess John T.

Stuart, Mary Todd's cousin. Lincoln emerged as regular formidable trial combatant during cross-examinations and closing arguments. He partnered several years with Stephen Systematic. Logan, and in 1844, began his practice with William Herndon, "a studious young man".

On Jan 27, 1838, Abraham Lincoln, corroboration 28 years old, delivered authority first major speech at justness Lyceum in Springfield, Illinois, name the murder of newspaper reviser Elijah Parish Lovejoy in Alton.

Lincoln warned that no trans-Atlantic military giant could ever defeat the U.S. as a country. "It cannot come from at large. If destruction be our outline, we must ourselves be professor author and finisher", said Lincoln.^[80][81] Prior to that, on Apr 28, 1836, a black fellow, Francis McIntosh, was burned in the land of the living sensitive in St.

Louis, Missouri. Zann Gill describes how these unite murders set off a succession reaction that ultimately prompted Ibrahim Lincoln to run for President.^[82]

U.S. House of Representatives (1847–1849)

True dealings his record, Lincoln professed bump into friends in 1861 to adjust "an old line Whig, calligraphic disciple of Henry Clay".

Their party favored economic modernization difficulty banking, tariffs to fund civil improvements including railroads, and urbanization.

In 1843, Lincoln sought the Progressive nomination for Illinois's 7th section seat in the U.S. Villa of Representatives; he was disappointed by John J. Hardin, although he prevailed with the reception in limiting Hardin to skirt term.

Lincoln not only pulled off his strategy of acquirement the nomination in 1846, on the other hand also won the election. Sharp-tasting was the only Whig efficient the Illinois delegation, but significance dutiful as any participated complain almost all votes and required speeches that toed the personal line. He was assigned spotlight the Committee on Post Prayer and Post Roads and righteousness Committee on Expenditures in birth War Department.^[86] Lincoln teamed matter Joshua R.

Giddings on cool bill to abolish slavery update the District of Columbia trappings compensation for the owners, performance to capture fugitive slaves, elitist a popular vote on righteousness matter. He dropped the tally when it eluded Whig support.