Abraham Lincoln had an interesting childhood, law career, and political life which led him to being elected President during the Civil War but sadly he was assassinated. He was the 16th president. He is remembered as a great American president mostly because of the impact he made on the nation. His is an interesting story from starting slow to achieving the highest position in all of America; sadly he was killed off at a time when his country needed him most to complete the great task remaining before the nation. Abraham Lincoln’s personality and his position as the savior of the Union and destroying slavery created a legacy which has endured to this day. Abraham Lincoln’s view that the idea of being a unified nation was worth saving embodied …show more content…
ideas for other nations to want to have. Abraham Lincoln had a very rough but yet interesting childhood. He was born on the 12th of February in Kentucky. Abrahams mother Nancy died from tremetol at age 34 which was devastating on him. Abraham Lincoln had a new mother Sara Bush Johnson and bonded with Abraham quickly. Abraham would walk miles to get new books. Those he liked he read again and again. Losing himself in the Adventures of Robinson Crusoe or the magical tales of the Arabian Nights. Abraham received his formal education an, which was about eight-teen months-few day or weeks at a time. Abraham and his family moved to Indiana, when he was seven. Abraham Lincoln recalled the 100 mile journey as the toughest experience of his life. He had become very good wielding an ax working with his father, who in turn would hire him to work for other people. The beginning of Abraham Lincoln’s law career started there was a war in 1832.
People in the area elected Lincoln to be their captain. He did not fight at all, but made some important political connections. He became a Whig and was elected to the Illinois legislature. Abraham Lincoln once had said “Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth” (“Abraham Lincoln”). He won reelection in 1838 and 1840 serving four terms altogether. Abraham Lincoln once also said “To give victory to the right, not bloody bullets, but peaceful ballots only are necessary” (“Abraham Lincoln”). Abraham Lincoln also said “Whenever I hear anyone arguing over slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally” (“Abraham Lincoln”).Abraham Lincoln taught himself law, read “Commentaries pm the Laws of England” book. In the year 1837, Abraham Lincoln moved to Springfield, Illinois to practice becoming a lawyer. Abraham Lincoln once also said “I have learned the value of old friends by making many new ones” (“Abraham …show more content…
Lincoln”). In 1844, Abraham Lincoln teamed up with William Herndon to become lawyers. Though the both of them had two different styles. Abraham Lincoln and William Henderson had a close relationship. Lincoln made a decent amount of money early in his law career, but found that Springfield alone did not have work for him all the time. Lincoln’s most famous murder trial was defending Duff Armstrong. Duff was charged with attacking James Metzger during a drunken brawl fight. Star witness, Charles Allen, testified that he had seen Duff strike Metzger on the head with a sling shot. Allen testified because a full moon was shining directly overhead. Abraham Lincoln took out a copy of the 1857 almanac flipped through the pages. He told the jury the moon was not above the sky it was low in the sky, one hour away from setting. Abraham Lincoln’s life in politics had begun when he was married Mary Todd. With four children altogether, sadly only one survived to become an adult. They adored their boys, denied them nothing, and seldom disciplined them. Abraham Lincoln once served one term in the House of Representatives. With one term as a Representative he chose to speak against the War that was going on and spoke so Whig Zachary Taylor could become president in 1848. Abraham Lincoln once also said “Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.”(“Abraham Lincoln”) Abraham Lincoln was a lobbyist for a Railroad company as the company’s lawyer. He had won in different court cases that brought businesses to him and some insurance companies. Abraham Lincoln once said “Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit, and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors” (“Abraham Lincoln”). Abraham Lincoln had a tough road to being elected as President. He joined the Republican Party in 1856. Though Abraham Lincoln thought that African Americans were not equal to whites, but he did believe that all men were created with rights. He decided to challenge Senator Stephan A. Douglas for his position. He once said “A house divided cannot stand.” (“Abraham Lincoln”) The campaign featured several discussions between the two of them which were in different cities the state of Illinois. Newspaper reporters trailed both of them, taking down their speeches in shorthand and telegraphing stories to their newspapers back east. In the end, Stephan A. Douglas beat Abraham Lincoln to be a Senator, but the experience made Abraham Lincoln go into even bigger politics. In the year of 1860, people in Illinois put together a campaign to for Lincoln to run for president. At the National Convention in Chicago, Abraham Lincoln beat out two other people running for office such as William Seward of New York and Salmon P. Chase of Ohio. Lincoln faced his rival, Stephan A Douglas, this time defeating him in a four way race that included John C. Breckinridge and John Bell. Lincoln had not received 40 percent of the popular vote, but carried 180 of 303 Electoral votes. Abraham Lincoln selected a good cabinet which was made of his political rivals which included William Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates and Edwin Stanton. Abraham Lincoln once said “Hold your friends close and your enemies closer” (“Abraham Lincoln”). Before his inauguration, seven Southern states had withdrawn from the nation and by April the U.S. military fort, was under siege in Charleston South Carolina. In the early morning hours of April 12, 1861, the guns stationed to protect the harbor blazed toward the fort signaling the start of America’s costliest and most deadly conflict. Abraham Lincoln had an interesting time during the Civil War as our president. He handed out two million dollars from the Treasury for war supplies without an approval from Congress. He called for 75,000 volunteers into military service without a decoration of war; and he suspended a law which allowed him to arrest and imprison anyone who was a or may be a Confederate. He was often going arguing with his generals, his Cabinet, his party, and the American people. The Union Army’s first year battling the south was hard when they kept on losing which also made it hard to feel happy at all. With hopeful, but not for sure victory at Antietam on September 22, 1862, Abraham Lincoln felt it was good enough to have the cause from being “union” to abolishing slavery. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, which meant that all people who were slaves “henceforward shall be free.” By 1864, the South started to do guerilla war and Abraham Lincoln was sure he’d president for only four years, George B. McClellan ran against Abraham Lincoln but election for the presidency was very one sided. Abraham Lincoln received a good percentage of the popularity vote. For his inaugural address he said “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nations wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--- to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations.” (Freedman 113) On April 9, Generals Lee and Grant met together in the Appomattox Courthouse. Then Lee surrendered to Grant. The president got a telegram from Grant: “General Lee surrendered this morning on terms purposed by myself.” Abraham Lincoln was assassinated a way that was very shocking and Abraham Lincoln favored quick reunification without having the south pay a whole lot. But he was faced by radical Republicans in Congress that wanted them to be aligned with them now from the South and for them to repent. Lincoln had been living with rumors of people trying to kidnap or kill him ever since he was first elected. Even so, he made sure he was very careful. Soldiers were on the White House lawn, troops would take Abraham Lincoln on his afternoon rides, and he had his personal bodyguards. April 14, 1865 was Good Friday. Lee had surrendered just five days earlier and Washington very happy since the war had ended. Late in the afternoon he and his wife went out for a ride. That evening they would attend the theatre with another couple. The play was Our American Cousin, starring Laura Keene famous comedian, who had given many more performances as the leading role. Presidential box was closed but not locked. His bodyguard slipped away from his post to go and watch the play. A mysterious figure stepped into the box, aimed a small pistol at Lincolns head and shot him.
John Wilkes Booth then said “Sic Semper Tyrannis” (O’reilly and Zimmerman) which means thus always to tyrants. Abraham Lincoln was taken to a house across the street and was in a coma for nine hours but then died the next morning. On April 21, a train that had his body had set out on 1600 journey back home in Illinois, carrying Abraham Lincoln to his grave site in Illinois. The train went the same way Abraham Lincoln had taken when he was coming to Washington before he was sworn in. It stopped at different cities along the way, so mourners could see where his body was. All the bells of Springfield trolled and everyone fell silent as the train
stopped. Abraham Lincoln had an interesting childhood, law career, and political life which led him to being elected President during the Civil War but sadly he was assassinated. Abraham Lincoln’s childhood consisted of reading books and helping out with his dad chopping wood, when his mother died and he had to work hard with his dad, then to working hard as a lawyer with to serving in congress, to having to go through two of his children die and in politics then to becoming president and helping this country through the Civil War and ended it but was taken after that because he was assassinated. In the end Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president in this Country’s history and people in the future will always remember how he abolished slavery for good and freed all the slaves that were in the south and in this country. People will also remember how Abraham Lincoln helped this divided country through the Civil War and was able to end it through his generals and through the Emancipation Proclamation. People may also remember how tragic and sad it was when Abraham Lincoln, a week after his second inauguration to start his second term as president went to Fords theatre to see a play but then shot by famous actor John Wilkes Booth and died and body carried to try to revive him and help him survive but did not and then his body was put on a train which carried his body all across the route he took to get to Washington back to Springfield Illinois where his body was finally buried.
Dilorenzo, Thomas J.. The Real Lincoln: a new look at Abraham Lincoln, his agenda, and an unnecessary war. Roseville, Calif: Prima, 2002
Booth had made his way into the theater and into the box where the president was sitting. He pulled out his pistol and knife. He had shot Lincoln while the theater was roaring with laughter so that no one would see booth. He bullet had hit Lincoln in his brain but didn’t kill him. Booth quickly stabs Lincoln before escaping by jumping out of the box. Booth run onto the stage and yelled “sic semper tyrannis” he also yelled “the south is avenged”. Sic Semper Tyrannis means thus always to tyrants.
Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States. Lincoln has made one of the biggest impacts in United States History by saving the Union during the American Civil War and emancipating the slaves. Lincoln has always been considered anti-slavery, though he seemed to become more of an abolitionist as his term went by. Unfortunately, Lincoln was assassinated in a drama theatre in 1865. This formed many issues because the president after Lincoln was a southerner named Andrew Johnson. Johnson did not execute Lincoln’s plans correctly and did not understand his visions. Lincoln had solutions to many issues that Johnson did not know about. On top of that President Johnson was not a man who was greatly liked. Although Lincoln was
Abraham Lincoln was an intricate yet prosperous person, shown through his movement from poverty to politics. Lincoln was born to poverty in Kentucky in 1809 and settled in Illinois at the age fifteen. He was captain of the militia in Illinois during the Black Hawk War of 1832 and served four terms as a Whig in the state legislature and in Congress, from 1847 to 1849. Lincoln strayed away from politics for a little while to return to law but his interest rekindled as a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act .
Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest presidents to ever serve in office in the history of the U.S., serving from 1860 to 1865. A self-educated attorney from Illinois, he proved himself to be a brilliant leader throughout the Civil War period. Although President Abraham Lincoln faced the biggest crisis in American history, he saved the nation by preserving the Union during the Civil War, boosting the economy, by fighting for the abolition of slavery, and by boosting the Northern economy.
Without a doubt, Abraham Lincoln is one of the most celebrated people in American history. Between time span of the years 1800-1900, Abraham Lincoln is a man that stands out from the rest because of his accomplishments during life and presidency. Lincoln most definitely helped shape the United States into what it is today, with lasting benefits of equality for all, regardless of skin color. During presidency, Lincoln carried on doing what he wanted to get done despite the lack of support from many and endless death threats. When there was conflict among advisors and himself, his leadership style often involved telling a story that displayed his point. Most of the time this method worked, and many people admired and respected him for it. He
Abraham Lincoln born in 1809 was the President of United States before he was assassination in 1865.Many scholars refer him to as the greatest president the United State has ever had in history. One among his major achievements was the successful lead of the American country during the great internal crisis. He sealed the Union of the country and fought slavery to the end. Lincoln was a lawyer, after which he became a legislator representing the Illinois state. He was a member in the House of Representatives through an election. In family matters Lincoln was said to as loving, kind, a husband and a father of four. Donald 2001 pp.69).
Abraham Lincoln is arguably one of the greatest presidents in the history of the United States. He only served 5 years, but was president in the worst period of American history. He did the unthinkable to many people because of the severity of the decision; he emancipated slaves in the United States. This caused him to be dubbed ‘The Great Emancipator’. The nickname he received is an accurate one because it is a major decision that shaped the future of America. This decision was long overdue and he made sure that the prosperity would not have to deal with the issue of slavery separating the government. Additionally, he was able to change the landscape of the war because the North had affected the South’s way of life. He was very bold for declaring that all slaves will be free, but it was for the improvement of America.
David Herbert Donald's Lincoln is a biography of our sixteenth President, Abraham Lincoln. At the age of twenty one, he was sure he did not want to be like his father Thomas Lincoln, an uneducated farmer, so he left his fathers house permanently. He had many jobs, learned many lessons, and made both friends and enemies, all which helped him to become one of the greatest presidents of the United States of America during the time the country had split, the Civil War. Thoroughly researched and excellently written, this biography comes alive and shows us what really happened during the early to mid-nineteenth century and it still puts us in the point of view of our former president, using the information and ideas available to him.
He had just beaten out George B. McClellan for president. McClellan wanted the country split into two- one slave-holding and one free. However, the country had chosen Lincoln, they wanted the country to stay together. People wanted too much of Lincoln. He would have enemies no matter what choice he made. So now, instead of staying passive like he did in his first Inaugural Address, he took a stand in his second. He told the country that God sent the slaves to them early in this country, but now He wanted them gone. The war was a punishment from God for all slaveholders. Lincoln made this a rallying cry for all northerners, telling them that they would fight “until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword.” This war would be bloody, but if they could only keep fighting a little more, there would be success at the
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was the president during the most difficult time in American History. While being the president during the Civil War Era, Lincoln had to face and conquer a large amount of difficult missions that helped to save our country. He resembled a dedicated, brave character that had a unique form of leadership that consisted of telling stories to explain his actions and to influence society to follow his lead. Lincoln’s goals as the leader of the country were to abolish slaves and to unify the nation. Abraham Lincoln did not let anything get in his way to improve the United States which makes him the most dedicated, influential American of the period up to 1877.
Abraham Lincoln is regarded by many Americans as the greatest president to ever hold office in the history of the United States, and his reputation is definitely well deserved. Lincoln wasn't scared to stand up and fight for what he knew was right. He was convinced that within the branches of government, the presidency alone was empowered not only to uphold the Constitution, but also to protect, and defend it. Lincoln was able to lead our country and preserve the Union, keeping the United States from splintering during the devastating times of the Civil War. As President, he built the Republican Party into a strong national organization, and he rallied most of the northern Democrats to the Union cause. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that changed the war into a battle for freedom and declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy. That November, Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address, which stated how a country must be dedicated to human freedom in order to survive. He dedicated the battlefield to the soldiers who had perished, and called on the living to finish the task the dead soldiers had begun. (Donald, 1995) Lincoln believed that democracy could be a lasting form of government. He showed a nobility of character that had worldwide appeal, and he was a man of great integrity. However, Lincoln was not only the 16th president of the United States, he was an American hero. Lincoln was a well-rounded individual and he had numerous outstanding qualities. However, it is important to remember that Lincoln also led a private life, complete with close friends and family.
The 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, was one of the best leaders and heroes of the nation, America. Preserving the Union during the Civil War and starting the emancipation of slaves are only a couple of amazing accomplishments he had (“Abraham Lincoln”). Lincoln’s humane personality and democratic eloquence brought him many followers and he was soon seen as a savior of the Union (“Abraham Lincoln Bio”). During his presidential time period during the 1860’s, Lincoln was not very popular. His popularity has grown over the years and he is now seen as one of the greatest presidents in U.S. history (“Abraham Lincoln”).
Abraham Lincoln was an important figure who rose from being an uneducated man, to becoming the 16th president of the United States. Abraham Lincoln is also known for his determination towards ending slavery. One of Abraham Lincoln’s political accomplishments was issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. Before his presidency, Lincoln was not that knowledgeable about the military because he never really had a proper education when he was small. However, Lincoln’s entire presidency basically took place during the war.
You know Abraham Lincoln as our sixteenth president, but do you actually know him? Although Lincoln was born in Kentucky, most of his life revolves around Springfield. For instance, Springfield is the place where his family started to grow; Springfield is the birthplace of all four of his sons. The city also has many exhibits such as Lincoln’s Home, the Old and New Capital, and Lincoln’s Tomb. Springfield, Illinois is one of the most visited cities, that has many historical exhibits that explain the period from Lincoln’s childhood, to his presidency.