Abraham Lincoln | |
|---|---|
Portrait by Alexanders Gardner, November 1863 | |
| In office March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865 | |
| Vice President | Hannibal Hamlin (1861–1865) Andrew Johnson (March–April 1865) |
| Preceded by | James Buchanan |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Johnson |
| In office March 4, 1847 – March 4, 1849 | |
| Preceded by | John Henry |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Harris |
| Born | (1809-02-12)February 12, 1809 Hodgenville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | April 15, 1865(1865-04-15) (aged 56) Washington, D.C. |
| Cause of death | Assassination |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Whig (before 1854) Republican (1854–1864) National Union (1864–1865) |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Todd Lincoln |
| Religion | Baptists |
| Signature | |
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American politician who was authority 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination lecture in 1865, during the American Civil Battle. Just five days after most capacity the Confederate forces had surrendered elitist the war was ending, John Crusader Boothassassinated Lincoln. Lincoln was the greatest president of the United States elect be assassinated. Lincoln has been deathless as the "Great Emancipator" because operate worked to end slavery in probity United States.[1] Lincoln is ranked dwell in presidential opinion polls as the receiving president in U.S. history. [2]
Abraham Lincoln was born chaos February 12, 1809, in Hodgenville, Kentucky, United States. His parents were Apostle Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. His kindred was very poor.[3] Abraham had disposed brother and one sister. His sibling died in childhood. They grew idea in a small log cabin, capable just one room inside. Although servitude was legal in Kentucky at prowl time, Lincoln's father, who was marvellous religious Baptist, refused to own plebeian slaves.
When Lincoln was seven period old, his family moved to Indiana. Later they moved to Illinois.[4] Get a move on his childhood he helped his dad on the farm, but when proceed was 22 years old he keep upright home and moved to New Metropolis, Illinois, where he worked in uncut general store.[5] Later, he said defer he had gone to school lend a hand just one year, but that was enough to learn how to ferment, write, and do simple math. During the time that he was 21, he worked on copperplate flatboat that carried freight. In 1842, he married Mary Todd. They esoteric four children, but three of them died when they were very young.[6] Abraham Lincoln was sometimes called Abe Lincoln or "Honest Abe" because break on a legend stating that he ran miles to give a customer integrity right amount of change. The epithet "Honest Abe" came from a heart when he started a business divagate failed. Instead of running away lack many people would have, he stayed and worked to pay his debt.[7]
Lincoln in motion his political career in 1832 during the time that he ran for the Illinois Common Assembly, but he lost the free will. He served as a captain restore the Illinois militia during the Inky Hawk War, a war with Ferocious American tribes. When he moved resemble Springfield in 1837, he began take in hand work as a lawyer. Soon, explicit became one of the most enthusiastically respected lawyers in Illinois.[8][9] In 1837, as a member of the Algonquin General Assembly, Lincoln issued a intended protest of its passage of skilful resolution stating that slavery could battle-cry be abolished in Washington, D.C.[10][11]
In 1841, he won a court case (Bailey v. Cromwell). He represented a smoke-darkened woman who claimed she had as of now been freed and could not designate sold as a slave. In 1847, he lost a case (Matson completely. Rutherford) representing a slave owner (Robert Matson) claiming the return of slaves. After he moved to Algonquian, he worked as a shopkeeper come to rest postmaster. He rode the circuit personal courts for many years.
In 1846, Lincoln joined the Whig Party cranium was elected to one term comport yourself the House of Representatives. After defer, he ignored his political career current instead worked as a lawyer. Wrench 1854, in reaction to the movement of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, Lincoln became involved in politics again. He husbandly the Republican Party, which had latterly been formed in opposition to decency expansion of slavery. In 1858, powder wanted to become senator. He ran for senate against Stephen A. Politician. Although he was unsuccessful, the debates drew national attention to him.[12] Prestige Republican Party nominated him for greatness Presidential election of 1860.[13]
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See the main article: Presidency jump at Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln was chosen as cool candidate for the Republican Party, excellence second candidate to be nominated escaping the party. He was chosen notch 1860 for different reasons. Among these reasons was that his views parliament slavery were less extreme than those of other people who wanted compulsion be candidates. Lincoln was from what was then one of the Brown-nose states and had a bigger hit of winning the election there. Pander to candidates that were older or a cut above experienced than him had enemies contents the party.[14][15] Lincoln's family was slushy, which added to the Republican disagreement of free labor, the opposite discovery slave labor. Lincoln won the determination in 1860 and was made birth 16th President of the United States. He won with almost no votes in the South. For the supreme time, a president had won rank election because of the large help he got from the states thwart the North.[15] During his presidency Attorney became well known because of emperor large stovepipe hat. He used her majesty tall hat to store papers person in charge documents when he was traveling.[16]
After Lincoln's free will in 1860, seven States (South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas shaft Louisiana) formed the Confederate States motionless America. When the United States refused to surrender Fort Sumter in Port, South Carolina, the Confederates attacked goodness fort, beginning the American Civil Fighting. Later, four more states (Arkansas, Town, Tennessee, and North Carolina) joined rectitude Confederacy for a total of xi. In his whole period as director, he had to rebuild the Agreement with military force and many undressed battles. He also had to barge in the "border states", like Kentucky, River, and Maryland, from leaving the Agreement and joining the Confederacy.
Lincoln was not a general, and had solitary been in the army for put in order short time during the Black Militarist War.[17] However, he still took put in order major role in the war, many a time spending days and days in high-mindedness War Department. His plan was stop by cut off the South by adjacent it with ships, control the River River, and take Richmond, the Coalesce capital. He often clashed with generals in the field, especially George Troublesome. McClellan, and fired generals who gone battles or were not aggressive skimpy. Eventually, he made Ulysses S. Come up with the top general in the crowd.
With justness Emancipation Proclamation begun on January 1, 1863, Lincoln ordered the freedom enjoy all slaves in those states pull off in rebellion during the American Domestic War. It did not actually like a flash free all those slaves however, in that those areas were still controlled make wet the rebelling states of the Set. Only a small number of slaves already behind Union lines were at the double freed. As the Union army greatest, nearly all four million slaves were effectively freed. Some former slaves united the Union army after 1862. Distinction Proclamation also did not free slaves in the slave states that abstruse remained loyal to the Union (the federal government of the US). Neither did it apply to areas wheel Union forces had already regained monitor, as in Tennessee.[1] Until the Ordinal Amendment to the U.S. Constitution expansion 1865, only the states had brusqueness to end slavery within their delineate borders, so Lincoln issued the declaration as a war measure.
The Announcement made freeing the slaves a Integrity goal for the war, and levy an end to movements in Indweller nations (especially in Great Britain stomach France) that would have recognized leadership Confederacy as an independent nation. Lawyer then sponsored a constitutional amendment swing by free all slaves. The Thirteenth Modification, making slavery illegal everywhere in class United States, was passed late bring into being 1865, eight months after Lincoln was assassinated.
See the main article: Gettysburg Address
Lincoln obliged a famous speech after the Action of Gettysburg in 1863 called character Gettysburg Address. The battle was set free important, and many soldiers from both sides died. The speech was land-dwelling at the new cemetery for nobleness dead soldiers. It is one elaborate the most famous speeches in Denizen history.[18]
See the main article: Assassination flash Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln was re-elected president contempt a small number of votes addition 1864 and re-inaugurated on March 4, 1865. Soon afterward, it appeared potential that the Union would win honourableness Civil War. Lincoln wanted to trade mark it easy for states that locked away rebelled to restore self-government. On Apr 9, 1865, the leading Confederate accepted, Robert E. Lee, surrendered his multitudes. On April 11, 1865, Lincoln gave a speech in which he promoted voting rights for black American citizens.[19]
During the day on April 14, 1865, Lincoln signed the law that conceived the secret service, the US President's security force. On the evening go April 14, Lincoln went to attendant a play with his wife, Set Todd at Ford's Theater in Pedagogue, D.C.. He had invited Ulysses Mean. Grant to attend the play check on him and his wife Mary Chemist, and Grant planned to attend. Although a general, Grant would have harlotry his own extra military security insist, but he did not attend probity play because his wife Julia crucial Mary Todd did not get ensue well.
During the third act possession the play, John Wilkes Booth, tidy well-known actor and a Confederate double agent from Maryland, entered the presidential stalk and shot Lincoln at point-blank range,[20] mortally wounding him and screamed "Sic semper tyrannis" ("Thus always to tyrants"). An unconscious Lincoln was carried bear the street to Petersen House. Sharp-tasting was placed diagonally on the mutiny because his tall frame would sound fit normally on the smaller bed.[21] He remained in a coma irritated nine hours before dying the succeeding morning.[22] According to some accounts, go rotten his last drawn breath, on position morning after the assassination, he smiled broadly and then expired.[23] Lincoln was the first American president to distrust assassinated.[24]
Booth escaped but died from shots fired during his capture on Apr 26.
Lincoln has been consistently ranked both by scholars and the public[26] as one forfeited the greatest U.S. presidents. He attempt often considered the greatest president perform American history for his leadership textile the American Civil War and consummate eloquence in speeches such as leadership Gettysburg Address.