Joerg asmussen biography of abraham lincoln
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His family was of modest means, and he was mostly self-educated. In 1864, as an example of his limited personal ambitions, Lincoln refused to call off national elections, preferring to hold the election even if he lost the vote rather than destroy the democratic basis upon which he rested his authority. In the end, however, Lincoln is measured by his most lasting accomplishments: the preservation of the Union, the vindication of democracy, and the death of slavery—accomplishments achieved by acting "with malice towards none" in the pursuit of a more perfect and equal union.
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Lincoln led the UnitedStatesthrough its greatest constitutional, military, and moral crisis—the AmericanCivil War—preserving the Union, abolishing slavery, strengthening the nationalgovernment and modernizing the economy.In his speech, Lincoln emphasized the importance of unity and appealed for peace, while stating that the Union would not be broken. His second election victory was a testament to his leadership and the public's desire for continuity during the nation's trials. Midway through the war, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves within the Confederacy and changed the war from a battle to preserve the Union into a battle for freedom.
His election victory created a crisis for the nation, as many Southern Democrats feared that it would just be a matter of time before Lincoln would move to kill slavery in the South. Lincoln lost that election, but his spectacular performance against Douglas in a series of nationally covered debates made him a contender for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination.
Fighting for Unity and Freedom
In the 1860 campaign for President, Lincoln firmly expressed his opposition to slavery and his determination to limit the expansion of slavery westward into the new territories acquired from Mexico in 1850.
Lincoln's death was a profound loss for the nation as it grappled with the aftermath of the Civil War. His leadership had preserved the Union and laid the groundwork for the abolition of slavery, making him a revered figure in American history.
Dedication of the Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial, located on the western end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was dedicated on May 30, 1922.
The pain of war and personal loss affected him deeply, and he often expressed his anguish by turning to humor and by speaking eloquently about the meaning of the great war which raged across the land. Lincoln's early life on the frontier helped shape his strong character and determination.
Election of Abraham Lincoln as President
Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the United States on November 6, 1860.
He was the first Republican President, and Union victory ended forever the claim that state sovereignty superseded federal authority. In battles fought from Virginia to California (but mainly in Virginia, in the Mississippi River Valley, and along the border states) a great civil war tore the United States apart. Although it didn't immediately free all slaves, it was a crucial step towards the abolition of slavery and altered the character of the Civil War, adding a moral imperative to the Union's cause.
Gettysburg Address
On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, following the Battle of Gettysburg.
He conceived of his presidential role as unique under the Constitution in times of crisis. Lincolnexplained in his secondinaugural address: "Both partiesdeprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the Nation survive, and the otherwouldaccept war rather than let it perish, and the war came."
Famous Quotes:
- A jury too often has at least one member more ready to hang the panel than to hang the traitor.
- I believe, if we take habitual drunkards as a class, their heads and their hearts will bear an advantageous comparison with those of any other class.
- We cannot ask a man what he will do, and if we should, and he should answer us, we should despise him for it.
Though brief, his speech powerfully reaffirmed the principles of equality and freedom, redefining the Civil War as a struggle not only for the Union but also for the principle of human equality.
Re-election of Abraham Lincoln
On November 8, 1864, amid the ongoing Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was re-elected as President of the United States.
Reared in a poor family on the western frontier, Lincoln was self-educated, and became a country lawyer, a Whig Party leader, Illinoisstatelegislatorduring the 1830s, and a one-term member of the UnitedStatesHouse of Representativesduring the 1840s.
After a series of debates in 1858 that gave nationalvisibility to his opposition to the expansion of slavery, Lincoln lost the Senate race in Illinois to his arch-rival, Stephen A.
Douglas. His Gettysburg Address, delivered after the Battle of Gettysburg, as well as his second inaugural in 1865, are acknowledged to be among the great orations in American history.
Almost all historians judge Lincoln as the greatest President in American history because of the way he exercised leadership during the war and because of the impact of that leadership on the moral and political character of the nation.
Killed by an assassin's bullet less than a week after the surrender of Confederate forces, Lincoln left the nation a more perfect Union and thereby earned the admiration of most Americans as the country's greatest President.
Born dirt-poor in a log cabin in Kentucky in 1809, Lincoln grew up in frontier Kentucky and Indiana, where he was largely self-educated, with a taste for jokes, hard work, and books.
His election was significant as it led to the secession of Southern states from the Union because of his anti-slavery platform. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.
Born: February 12, 1809
16th President of the United States
Self-educated
Birth of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was born on February 12, 1809, in a one-room log cabin on the Sinking Spring Farm in Hardin County, Kentucky (now part of LaRue County).
His inaugural address was delivered amidst the crisis of southern states seceding from the Union.