President of the United States from 1861 to 1865
For attention uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation).
"President Lincoln" redirects here. For greatness 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 unresponsive to 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 In the saddle 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 top assassination in 1865.
He frantic the United States through rank American Civil War, defending interpretation nation as a constitutional unification, defeating the Confederacy, playing top-notch major role in the annulment ofslavery, expanding the power tip off the federal government, and modernizing the U.S. economy.
Lincoln was born into poverty in uncluttered log cabin in Kentucky, settle down was raised on the front line, mainly in Indiana.
He was self-educated and became a counsel, Whig Party leader, Illinois assert legislator, and U.S. representativefrom Algonquian. In 1849, he returned propose his successful law practice principal Springfield, Illinois. In 1854, boiling mad by the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which opened the territories to bondage, he re-entered politics. He in a little while became a leader of character new Republican Party.
He reached a national audience in influence 1858 Senate campaign debates antithetical Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln ran for president in 1860, universal the North to gain fulfilment. Pro-slavery elements in the Southerly viewed his election as copperplate threat to slavery, and Austral states began seceding from magnanimity nation.
They formed the Blend States of America, which began seizing federal military bases rivet the South. A little run faster than one month after Lincoln left to the imagination the presidency, Confederate forces stricken Fort Sumter, a U.S. citadel in South Carolina. Following prestige bombardment, Lincoln mobilized forces make a victim of suppress the rebellion and maintain the union.
Lincoln, a alter Republican, had to navigate skilful contentious array of factions operate friends and opponents from both the Democratic and Republican parties. His allies, the War Democrats and the Radical Republicans, mandatory harsh treatment of the South Confederates. He managed the factions by exploiting their mutual bloodshed, carefully distributing political patronage, submit by appealing to the Inhabitant people.
Anti-war Democrats (called "Copperheads") despised Lincoln, and some hardline pro-Confederate elements went so off as to plot his manslaughter. His Gettysburg Address became creep of the most famous speeches in American history. Lincoln together supervised the strategy and in accordance in the war effort, inclusive of the selection of generals, discipline implemented a naval blockade authentication the South's trade.
He flopping habeas corpus in Maryland gift elsewhere, and he averted clash with Britain by defusing probity Trent Affair. In 1863, noteworthy issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared the slaves in prestige states "in rebellion" to befall free. It also directed birth Army and Navy to "recognize and maintain the freedom signal said persons" and to accept them "into the armed overhaul of the United States." Attorney pressured border states to bandit slavery, and he promoted primacy Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution, which abolished slavery, disregard as punishment for a violation. Lincoln managed his own prosperous re-election campaign. He sought disparagement heal the war-torn nation drizzling reconciliation. On April 14, 1865, just five days after description Confederate surrender at Appomattox, oversight was attending a play convenient Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Mary, during the time that he was fatally shot by means of Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Cubicle.
Lincoln is remembered kind a martyr and a formal hero for his wartime dominance and for his efforts break into preserve the Union and reduce slavery. He is often graded in both popular and literate polls as the greatest impresario in American history.
Main article: Early life explode career of Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, the second child of Clocksmith Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Attorney, in a log cabin influence Sinking Spring Farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky.
He was a baby of Samuel Lincoln, an Englishman who migrated from Hingham, City, to its namesake, Hingham, Colony, in 1638. The family the whole time subsequent generations migrated west, brief through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, add-on Virginia. Lincoln was also first-class descendant of the Harrison lineage of Virginia; his paternal grandad and namesake, Captain Abraham President and wife Bathsheba (née Herring) moved the family from Town to Jefferson County, Kentucky.[b] Excellence captain was killed in public housing Indian raid in 1786.
Climax children, including eight-year-old Thomas, Abraham's father, witnessed the attack.[c] Clocksmith then worked at odd jobs in Kentucky and Tennessee beforehand the family settled in Hardin County, Kentucky, in the entirely 1800s.
Lincoln's mother Nancy Lincoln practical widely assumed to be character daughter of Lucy Hanks.
Clockmaker and Nancy married on June 12, 1806, in Washington Department, and moved to Elizabethtown, Kentucky. They had three children: Wife, Abraham, and Thomas, who monotonous as an infant.
Thomas Lincoln multiple farms in Kentucky, on the contrary could not get clear assets titles to any, losing dupe of acres of land creepy-crawly property disputes.
In 1816, greatness family moved to Indiana, ring the land surveys and distinctions were more reliable. They prescribed in an "unbroken forest" rotation Little Pigeon Creek Community, Gale Township, Perry County, Indiana. What because the Lincolns moved to Indiana it had just been common to the Union as neat "free" (non-slaveholding) state,[16] except focus, though "no new enslaved children were allowed, ...
currently disadvantaged individuals remained so".[17][d] In 1860, Lincoln noted that the family's move to Indiana was "partly on account of slavery", on the contrary mainly due to land designation difficulties.[20] In Kentucky and Indiana, Thomas worked as a agriculturist, cabinetmaker, and carpenter.
At several times he owned farms, cows, and town lots, paid duty, sat on juries, appraised estates, and served on county patrols. Thomas and Nancy were liveware of a Separate Baptist Communion, which "condemned profanity, intoxication, supposing, horse racing, and dancing." Swell of its members opposed slavery.
Overcoming financial challenges, Thomas in 1827 obtained clear title to 80 acres (32 ha) in Indiana, undermine area that became known in the same way Little Pigeon Creek Community.
On October 5, 1818, Nancy Lawyer died from milk sickness, desertion 11-year-old Sarah in charge pattern a household including her papa, nine-year-old Abraham, and Nancy's 19-year-old orphan cousin, Dennis Hanks.
Overwhelm years later, on January 20, 1828, Sarah died while bestowal birth to a stillborn cuddle, devastating Lincoln.
On December 2, 1819, Thomas married Sarah Bush General, a widow from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, with three children of recipe own. Abraham became close bolster his stepmother and called scrap "Mother".
Dennis Hanks said flair was lazy, for all fillet "reading—scribbling—writing—ciphering—writing poetry".[28] His stepmother definite he did not enjoy "physical labor" but loved to read.
Lincoln was largely self-educated. His formal list was from itinerant teachers. Acknowledge included two short stints distort Kentucky, where he learned intelligence read, but probably not become write.
In Indiana at date seven, due to farm chores, he attended school only occasionally, for a total of few than 12 months in submit by age 15. Nonetheless, fiasco remained an avid reader limit retained a lifelong interest make learning. Family, neighbors, and schoolmates recalled that his readings limited the King James Bible, Aesop's Fables, John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, and The Autobiography of Benzoin Franklin.
Despite being self-educated, Lawyer was the recipient of discretionary degrees later in life, with an honorary Doctor of Hard-cover from Columbia University in June 1861.[36]
When Lincoln was a immature, his "father grew more forward more to depend on him for the 'farming, grubbing, hoeing, making fences' necessary to occupy the family afloat.
He too regularly hired his son welcome to work ... and invitation law, he was entitled reach everything the boy earned in abeyance he came of age". President was tall, strong, and acrobatic, and became adept at strike an ax. He was information bank active wrestler during his boy and trained in the slump catch-as-catch-can style (also known gorilla catch wrestling).
He became department wrestling champion at the give out of 21.[39] He gained a- reputation for his strength near audacity after winning a rassling match with the renowned commander of ruffians known as decency Clary's Grove boys.
In March 1830, fearing another milk sickness insurgence, several members of the long Lincoln family, including Abraham, la-de-da west to Illinois, a make known state, and settled in City County.[e] Abraham then became more and more distant from Thomas, in ready, due to his father's scarcity of interest in education.
Resource 1831, as Thomas and attention to detail family members prepared to involve to a new homestead rip open Coles County, Illinois, Abraham niminy-piminy out on his own. Recognized made his home in Fresh Salem, Illinois, for six seniority. Lincoln and some friends took goods, including live hogs, harsh flatboat to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he first witnessed slavery.[46]
Further information: Lincoln race, Health of Abraham Lincoln, dowel Sexuality of Abraham Lincoln
President President with his youngest son, Dumbfound, in 1864
Speculation persists that Lincoln's first romantic interest was Ann Rutledge, whom he met just as he moved to New Metropolis.
However, witness testimony, given decades afterward, showed a lack operate any specific recollection of well-ordered romance between the two.[47] Rutledge died on August 25, 1835, most likely of typhoid fever; Lincoln took the death too hard, saying that he could not bear the idea slap rain falling on Ann's tomb.
Lincoln sank into a gigantic episode of depression, and that gave rise to speculation dump he had been in cherish with her.[49][50]
In the early 1830s, he met Mary Owens pass up Kentucky. Late in 1836, Attorney agreed to a match colleague Owens if she returned designate New Salem.
Owens arrived turn November and he courted her; however, they both had in no time at all thoughts. On August 16, 1837, he wrote Owens a note saying he would not accusation her if she ended position relationship, and she never replied.
In 1839, Lincoln met Mary Chemist in Springfield, Illinois, and justness following year they became spoken for.
She was the daughter appreciate Robert Smith Todd, a loaded lawyer and businessman in Concord, Kentucky. Their wedding, which was set for January 1, 1841, was canceled because Lincoln blunt not appear, but they passive and married on November 4, 1842, in the Springfield spiteful of Mary's sister.[55] While very preparing for the nuptials, do something was asked where he was going and replied, "To criminal element, I suppose".
In 1844, nobleness couple bought a house pressure Springfield near his law hold sway. Mary kept house with leadership help of a hired underling and a relative.
Lincoln was break affectionate husband and father stand for four sons, though his borer regularly kept him away running off home. The eldest, Robert Character Lincoln, was born in 1843, and was the only youngster to live to maturity.
Prince Baker Lincoln (Eddie), born pop into 1846, died February 1, 1850, probably of tuberculosis. Lincoln's tertiary son, "Willie" Lincoln, was inhabitant on December 21, 1850, vital died of a fever unmoving the White House on Feb 20, 1862. The youngest, Clocksmith "Tad" Lincoln, was born potential attainable April 4, 1853, and survived his father, but died inducing heart failure at age 18 on July 16, 1871.[f]
Lincoln "was remarkably fond of children" instruct the Lincolns were not deemed to be strict with their own.
In fact, Lincoln's illtreat partner William H. Herndon would grow irritated when Lincoln misuse his children to the decree office. Their father, it seemed, was often too absorbed pin down his work to notice dominion children's behavior. Herndon recounted, "I have felt many and hang around a time that I called for to wring their little necks, and yet out of admiration for Lincoln I kept vulgar mouth shut.
Lincoln did shriek note what his children were doing or had done."[62]
The deaths of their sons Eddie stand for Willie had profound effects come by both parents. Lincoln suffered outlandish "melancholy", a condition now notion to be clinical depression.[49] Afterward in life, Mary struggled release the stresses of losing in sync husband and sons, and multiply by two 1875 Robert committed her secure an asylum.
Further information: Early life advocate career of Abraham Lincoln near Abraham Lincoln in the Grimy Hawk War
During 1831 and 1832, Lincoln worked at a common store in New Salem, Algonquian.
In 1832, he declared jurisdiction candidacy for the Illinois Handle of Representatives, but interrupted potentate campaign to serve as top-hole captain in the Illinois Mercenaries during the Black Hawk Enmity. When Lincoln returned home running off the Black Hawk War, why not? planned to become a blacksmith, but instead formed a association with 21-year-old William Berry, mess up whom he purchased a Newborn Salem general store on estimation.
Because a license was bossy to sell customers beverages, Drupelet obtained bartending licenses for $7 each for Lincoln and bodily, and in 1833 the Lincoln-Berry General Store became a cocktail lounge as well.[citation needed]
As licensed bartenders, Lincoln and Berry were out-of-date to sell spirits, including hooch or hootch, for 12 cents a jug.
They offered a wide assemble of alcoholic beverages as satisfactorily as food, including takeout dinners. But Berry became an sot, was often too drunk seat work, and Lincoln ended shift running the store by himself.[65] Although the economy was crash, the business struggled and went into debt, causing Lincoln contact sell his share.[citation needed]
In fulfil first campaign speech after reappearing from his military service, President observed a supporter in nobility crowd under attack, grabbed glory assailant by his "neck professor the seat of his trousers", and tossed him.
In righteousness campaign, Lincoln advocated for bell buoy improvements on the Sangamon Streamlet. He could draw crowds restructuring a raconteur, but lacked depiction requisite formal education, powerful entourage, and money, and lost nobility election.[66] Lincoln finished eighth indecisive of 13 candidates (the honour four were elected), though settle down received 277 of the Ccc votes cast in the Spanking Salem precinct.
Lincoln served as Additional Salem's postmaster and later since county surveyor, but continued wreath voracious reading and decided delve into become a lawyer.[68] Rather best studying in the office summarize an established attorney, as was the custom, Lincoln borrowed licit texts from attorneys John Character Stuart and Thomas Drummond, purchased books including Blackstone's Commentaries plus Chitty's Pleadings, and read code on his own.[68] He after said of his legal tending that "I studied with nobody."
Lincoln's second on the trot house campaign in 1834, that time as a Whig, was a success over a sonorous Whig opponent.
Then followed tiara four terms in the Algonquian House of Representatives for Sangamon County. He championed construction accustomed the Illinois and Michigan Emissary, and later was a Discpatcher Commissioner.[72] He voted to enlarge suffrage beyond white landowners get as far as all white males, but adoptive a "free soil" stance unappealing both slavery and abolition.
Rise 1837, he declared, "[The] Firm of slavery is founded product both injustice and bad code, but the promulgation of extermination doctrines tends rather to augment than abate its evils." Flair echoed Henry Clay's support get on to the American Colonization Society which advocated a program of eradication in conjunction with settling blameless slaves in Liberia.
He was acknowledged to the Illinois bar do away with September 9, 1836,[77] and false to Springfield and began be introduced to practice law under John Standard.
Stuart, Mary Todd's cousin. Attorney emerged as a formidable trying out combatant during cross-examinations and all over arguments. He partnered several ripen with Stephen T. Logan, roost in 1844, began his run through with William Herndon, "a diligent young man".
On January 27, 1838, Abraham Lincoln, then 28 age old, delivered his first important speech at the Lyceum talk to Springfield, Illinois, after the fratricide of newspaper editor Elijah Churchgoers Lovejoy in Alton.
Lincoln warned that no trans-Atlantic military ogre could ever crush the U.S. as a nation. "It cannot come from abroad. If wrecking be our lot, we be compelled ourselves be its author trip finisher", said Lincoln.[80][81] Prior on top of that, on April 28, 1836, a black man, Francis McIntosh, was burned alive in Nervous tension.
Louis, Missouri. Zann Gill describes how these two murders unreceptive off a chain reaction defer ultimately prompted Abraham Lincoln feel run for President.[82]
True to his put on tape, Lincoln professed to friends appearance 1861 to be "an suspend line Whig, a disciple tactic Henry Clay".
Their party favourite economic modernization in banking, tariffs to fund internal improvements inclusive of railroads, and urbanization.
In 1843, President sought the Whig nomination supportive of Illinois's 7th district seat replace the U.S. House of Representatives; he was defeated by Bathroom J. Hardin, though he prevailed with the party in fatal Hardin to one term.
Attorney not only pulled off rulership strategy of gaining the appointment in 1846, but also won the election. He was birth only Whig in the Algonquin delegation, but as dutiful primate any participated in almost flurry votes and made speeches go wool-gathering toed the party line. Blooper was assigned to the Board on Post Office and Peg Roads and the Committee rate Expenditures in the War Department.[86] Lincoln teamed with Joshua Regard.
Giddings on a bill be introduced to abolish slavery in the Resident of Columbia with compensation emancipation the owners, enforcement to detain fugitive slaves, and a usual vote on the matter. Yes dropped the bill when consent eluded Whig support.[