Carol higgins clark biography of abraham lincoln

President of the United States from 1861 to 1865

For attention uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation).

"President Lincoln" redirects here. For dignity 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 saturate 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 Knight Volunteer Regiment Iles Mounted Volunteers
Battles/wars

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

He stuffed the United States through say publicly American Civil War, defending leadership nation as a constitutional singleness, defeating the Confederacy, playing trig major role in the extinction ofslavery, expanding the power perfect example the federal government, and modernizing the U.S. economy.

Lincoln was born into poverty in neat as a pin log cabin in LaRue Dependency, Kentucky, and was raised make the frontier, mainly in Indiana. He was self-educated and became a lawyer, Whig Party crowned head, Illinois state legislator, and U.S. representativefrom Illinois. In 1849, oversight returned to his successful construct practice in Springfield, Illinois.

Access 1854, angered by the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which opened the territories to slavery, he re-entered civics. He soon became a ruler of the new Republican Outfit. He reached a national encounter in the 1858 Senate crusade debates against Stephen A. Pol. Lincoln ran for president do 1860, sweeping the North upon gain victory. Pro-slavery elements put in the South viewed his choice as a threat to enthralment, and Southern states began disaffiliation from the nation.

They cognizant the Confederate States of Usa, which began seizing federal martial bases in the South. Cool little over one month aft Lincoln assumed the presidency, Blend forces attacked Fort Sumter, fine U.S. fort in South Carolina. Following the bombardment, Lincoln mobilized forces to suppress the outbreak and restore the union.

Lincoln, a moderate Republican, had behold navigate a contentious array assess factions with friends and opponents from both the Democratic perch Republican parties. His allies, picture War Democrats and the Essential Republicans, demanded harsh treatment spick and span the Southern Confederates. He managed the factions by exploiting their mutual enmity, carefully distributing federal patronage, and by appealing dare the American people.

Anti-war Democrats (called "Copperheads") despised Lincoln, stomach some irreconcilable pro-Confederate elements went so far as to conspiracy his assassination. His Gettysburg Native land became one of the uppermost famous speeches in American novel. Lincoln closely supervised the design and tactics in the contention effort, including the selection be more or less generals, and implemented a oceanic blockade of the South's go backward.

He suspended habeas corpus reside in Maryland and elsewhere, and loosen up averted war with Britain descendant defusing the Trent Affair. Lure 1863, he issued the Freedom Proclamation, which declared the slaves in the states "in rebellion" to be free. It too directed the Army and Armada to "recognize and maintain birth freedom of said persons" obtain to receive them "into picture armed service of the Leagued States." Lincoln pressured border states to outlaw slavery, and no problem promoted the Thirteenth Amendment jump in before the U.S.

Constitution, which shot slavery, except as punishment rent a crime. Lincoln managed own successful re-election campaign. Grace sought to heal the war-worn nation through reconciliation. On Apr 14, 1865, just five generation after the Confederate surrender bundle up Appomattox, he was attending uncut play at Ford's Theatre amplify Washington, D.C., with his mate, Mary, when he was gloweringly shot by Confederate sympathizer Lav Wilkes Booth.

Lincoln hype remembered as a martyr most recent a national hero for rule wartime leadership and for circlet efforts to preserve the Wholeness accord and abolish slavery. He report often ranked in both common and scholarly polls as integrity greatest president in American history.

Family and childhood

Early life

Main article: Trusty life and career of Patriarch Lincoln

Lincoln was born on Feb 12, 1809, the second youngster of Thomas Lincoln and Pansy Hanks Lincoln, in a exponent cabin on Sinking Spring Homestead near Hodgenville, Kentucky.

He was a descendant of Samuel Lawyer, an Englishman who migrated be bereaved Hingham, Norfolk, to its namesake, Hingham, Massachusetts, in 1638. Magnanimity family through subsequent generations migrated west, passing through New Milker, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Lincoln was also a descendant of illustriousness Harrison family of Virginia; monarch paternal grandfather and namesake, Helmsman Abraham Lincoln and wife Bathsheba (née Herring) moved the descent from Virginia to Jefferson Domain, Kentucky.^[b] The captain was fasten in an Indian raid sheep 1786.

His children, including eight-year-old Thomas, Abraham's father, witnessed significance attack.^[c] Thomas then worked take into account odd jobs in Kentucky impressive Tennessee before the family appointed in Hardin County, Kentucky, appearance the early 1800s.

Lincoln's mother Tribade Lincoln is widely assumed figure up be the daughter of Lucy Hanks.

Thomas and Nancy united on June 12, 1806, burden Washington County, and moved on a par with Elizabethtown, Kentucky. They had four children: Sarah, Abraham, and Poet, who died as an infant.

Thomas Lincoln bought multiple farms expect Kentucky, but could not spirit clear property titles to sense of balance, losing hundreds of acres spectacle land in property disputes.

Hem in 1816, the family moved make a victim of Indiana, where the land surveys and titles were more trusted. They settled in an "unbroken forest" in Little Pigeon Bay Community, Hurricane Township, Perry Dependency, Indiana. When the Lincolns stricken to Indiana it had unbiased been admitted to the Unity as a "free" (non-slaveholding) state,^[16] except that, though "no newborn enslaved people were allowed, ...

currently enslaved individuals remained so".^[17][d] In 1860, Lincoln noted mosey the family's move to Indiana was "partly on account slate slavery", but mainly due extort land title difficulties.^[20] In Kentucky and Indiana, Thomas worked makeover a farmer, cabinetmaker, and cabinet-maker.

At various times he recognized farms, livestock, and town heaps, paid taxes, sat on juries, appraised estates, and served have a break county patrols. Thomas and Drag queen were members of a Winnow Baptist Church, which "condemned blasphemy, intoxication, gossip, horse racing, service dancing." Most of its affiliates opposed slavery.

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

Mother's death

On October 5, 1818, Nancy Lincoln died from take advantage of sickness, leaving 11-year-old Sarah imprison charge of a household together with her father, nine-year-old Abraham, good turn Nancy's 19-year-old orphan cousin, Dennis Hanks.

Ten years later, fall in with January 20, 1828, Sarah labour while giving birth to pure stillborn son, devastating Lincoln.

On Dec 2, 1819, Thomas married Wife Bush Johnston, a widow non-native Elizabethtown, Kentucky, with three lineage of her own. Abraham became close to his stepmother become calm called her "Mother". Dennis Histrion said he was lazy, take care of all his "reading—scribbling—writing—ciphering—writing poetry".^[28] Enthrone stepmother acknowledged he did keen enjoy "physical labor" but darling to read.

Education and move prefer Illinois

Lincoln was largely self-educated.

Her majesty formal schooling was from travelling worker teachers. It included two petite stints in Kentucky, where explicit learned to read, but unquestionably not to write. In Indiana at age seven, due make somebody's acquaintance farm chores, he attended grammar only sporadically, for a accurate of fewer than 12 months in aggregate by age 15.

Nonetheless, he remained an hungry reader and retained a alltime interest in learning. Family, neighbors, and schoolmates recalled that consummate readings included the King Criminal Bible, Aesop's Fables, John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, and The Life story of Benjamin Franklin.

Despite life self-educated, Lincoln was the heiress of honorary degrees later demonstrate life, including an honorary Stretch of Laws from Columbia Academia in June 1861.^[36]

When Lincoln was a teen, his "father grew more and more to bank on him for the 'farming, grubbing, hoeing, making fences' indispensable to keep the family aimless.

He also regularly hired coronet son out to work ... and by law, he was entitled to everything the young man earned until he came outline age". Lincoln was tall, amusing, and athletic, and became veteran at using an ax. Take action was an active wrestler by way of his youth and trained take away the rough catch-as-catch-can style (also known as catch wrestling).

Filth became county wrestling champion squabble the age of 21.^[39] Smartness gained a reputation for empress strength and audacity after awardwinning a wrestling match with integrity renowned leader of ruffians humble as the Clary's Grove boys.

In March 1830, fearing another extract sickness outbreak, several members model the extended Lincoln family, inclusive of Abraham, moved west to Algonquin, a free state, and wool in Macon County.^[e] Abraham verification became increasingly distant from Apostle, in part, due to crown father's lack of interest principal education.

In 1831, as Apostle and other family members table to move to a virgin homestead in Coles County, Algonquin, Abraham struck out on dominion own. He made his dwelling in New Salem, Illinois, on the road to six years. Lincoln and at a low level friends took goods, including living hogs, by flatboat to Another Orleans, Louisiana, where he primary witnessed slavery.^[46]

Marriage and children

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

Speculation persists that Lincoln's first romantic corporate was Ann Rutledge, whom unquestionable met when he moved own New Salem.

However, witness attestation, given decades afterward, showed regular lack of any specific memory of a romance between interpretation two.^[47] Rutledge died on Respected 25, 1835, most likely sharing typhoid fever; Lincoln took honourableness death very hard, saying rove he could not bear illustriousness idea of rain falling canon Ann's grave.

Lincoln sank change a serious episode of valley, and this gave rise give speculation that he had archaic in love with her.^[49][50]

In representation early 1830s, he met Gratifying Owens from Kentucky. Late fall 1836, Lincoln agreed to elegant match with Owens if she returned to New Salem. Jock arrived that November and significant courted her; however, they both had second thoughts.

On Sage 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 fall over Mary Todd in Springfield, Algonquin, and the following year they became engaged. She was picture daughter of Robert Smith Character, a wealthy lawyer and industrialist in Lexington, Kentucky.

Their nuptials, which was set for Jan 1, 1841, was canceled in that Lincoln did not appear, on the contrary they reconciled and married telltale sign November 4, 1842, in dignity Springfield home of Mary's sister.^[55] While anxiously preparing for honesty nuptials, he was asked swing he was going and replied, "To hell, I suppose".

Break down 1844, the couple bought trim house in Springfield near diadem law office. Mary kept dwellingplace with the help of great hired servant and a relative.

Lincoln was an affectionate husband impressive father of four sons, while his work regularly kept him away from home. The firstborn, Robert Todd Lincoln, was hereditary in 1843, and was goodness only child to live drop in 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 regular fever at the White Bedsit on February 20, 1862. Leadership youngest, Thomas "Tad" Lincoln, was born on April 4, 1853, and survived his father, nevertheless died of heart failure at the same height age 18 on July 16, 1871.^[f]

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

In feature, Lincoln's law partner William Pirouette. Herndon would grow irritated just as Lincoln brought his children reach the law office. Their father confessor, it seemed, was often as well absorbed in his work chew out notice his children's behavior. Herndon recounted, "I have felt hang around and many a time zigzag I wanted to wring their little necks, and yet disperse of respect for Lincoln Uncontrollable kept my mouth shut.

President did not note what coronate children were doing or difficult done."^[62]

The deaths of their descendants Eddie and Willie had critical effects on both parents.

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Lincoln suffered from "melancholy", a condition now thought ensue be clinical depression.^[49] Later hurt life, Mary struggled with primacy stresses of losing her bridegroom and sons, and in 1875 Robert committed her to initiative asylum.

Early career and militia service

Further information: Early life and activity of Abraham Lincoln and Ibrahim Lincoln in the Black Warmonger War

During 1831 and 1832, Lawyer worked at a general storehouse in New Salem, Illinois.

Radiate 1832, he declared his electioneering for the Illinois House staff Representatives, but interrupted his crusade to serve as a officer in the Illinois Militia nigh the Black Hawk War. What because Lincoln returned home from grandeur Black Hawk War, he in readiness to become a blacksmith, however instead formed a partnership shrink 21-year-old William Berry, with whom he purchased a New City general store on credit.

Being a license was required uncovered sell customers beverages, Berry procured bartending licenses for $7 reprimand for Lincoln and himself, topmost in 1833 the Lincoln-Berry Usual Store became a tavern translation well.^{[citation needed]}

As licensed bartenders, Attorney and Berry were able appendix sell spirits, including liquor, desire 12 cents a pint.

They offered a wide range comment alcoholic beverages as well whereas food, including takeout dinners. On the other hand Berry became an alcoholic, was often too drunk to preventable, and Lincoln ended up usage the store by himself.^[65] Even supposing the economy was booming, integrity business struggled and went meet by chance debt, causing Lincoln to put up for sale his share.^{[citation needed]}

In his foremost campaign speech after returning alien his military service, Lincoln empiric a supporter in the press under attack, grabbed the intruder by his "neck and character seat of his trousers", mushroom tossed him.

In the drive, Lincoln advocated for navigational improvements on the Sangamon River. Recognized could draw crowds as calligraphic raconteur, but lacked the needed formal education, powerful friends, pointer money, and lost the election.^[66] Lincoln finished eighth out break into 13 candidates (the top unite were elected), though he traditional 277 of the 300 votes cast in the New Metropolis precinct.

Lincoln served as New Salem's postmaster and later as province surveyor, but continued his devouring reading and decided to progress a lawyer.^[68] Rather than pensive in the office of strong established attorney, as was dignity custom, Lincoln borrowed legal texts from attorneys John Todd Royalty and Thomas Drummond, purchased books including Blackstone's Commentaries and Chitty's Pleadings, and read law resultant his own.^[68] He later aforesaid of his legal education range "I studied with nobody."

Illinois rise and fall legislature (1834–1842)

Lincoln's second state studio campaign in 1834, this delay as a Whig, was uncomplicated success over a powerful Pol opponent.

Then followed his join terms in the Illinois Studio of Representatives for Sangamon Patch.

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He championed construction of authority Illinois and Michigan Canal, give orders to later was a Canal Commissioner.^[72] He voted to expand ballot beyond white landowners to gifted white males, but adopted precise "free soil" stance opposing both slavery and abolition. In 1837, he declared, "[The] Institution criticize slavery is founded on both injustice and bad policy, on the other hand the promulgation of abolition doctrines tends rather to increase outstrip abate its evils." He echoed Henry Clay's support for magnanimity American Colonization Society which advocated a program of abolition pulsate conjunction with settling freed slaves in Liberia.

He was admitted know the Illinois bar on Sep 9, 1836,^[77] and moved put up Springfield and began to groom law under John T.

Royalty, Mary Todd's cousin. Lincoln emerged as a formidable trial individual during cross-examinations and closing rationale. He partnered several years sign up Stephen T. Logan, and interject 1844, began his practice investigate William Herndon, "a studious lush man".

On January 27, 1838, Ibrahim Lincoln, then 28 years brace, delivered his first major talking at the Lyceum in City, Illinois, after the murder conduct operations newspaper editor Elijah Parish Lovejoy in Alton.

Lincoln warned think it over no trans-Atlantic military giant could ever crush the U.S. pass for a nation. "It cannot radiate from abroad. If destruction well our lot, we must actually be its author and finisher", said Lincoln.^[80][81] Prior to saunter, on April 28, 1836, splendid black man, Francis McIntosh, was burned alive in St.

Prizefighter, Missouri. Zann Gill describes howsoever these two murders set blast a chain reaction that in the end prompted Abraham Lincoln to prod for President.^[82]

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

True to his record, Attorney professed to friends in 1861 to be "an old intend Whig, a disciple of h Clay".

Their party favored mercantile modernization in banking, tariffs tell apart fund internal improvements including railroads, and urbanization.

In 1843, Lincoln sought after the Whig nomination for Illinois's 7th district seat in dignity U.S. House of Representatives; significant was defeated by John Count. Hardin, though he prevailed resume the party in limiting Hardin to one term.

Lincoln moan only pulled off his device of gaining the nomination shut in 1846, but also won character election. He was the solitary Whig in the Illinois incrimination, but as dutiful as common participated in almost all votes and made speeches that toe the party line. He was assigned to the Committee imagination Post Office and Post Harbour and the Committee on Elevated in the War Department.^[86] Lawyer teamed with Joshua R.

Giddings on a bill to impair slavery in the District boss Columbia with compensation for decency owners, enforcement to capture fleeing slaves, and a popular opt on the matter. He cast out the bill when it eluded Whig support.