AbrahamLincolnwasborninalogcabininHardinCounty,KentuckytoThomasLincolnand NancyHanksLincoln.Thomaswasastronganddeterminedpioneerwhofoundamoderate levelofprosperityandwaswellrespectedinthecommunity.Thecouplehadtwootherchildren: AbrahamsoldersisterSarahandyoungerbrotherThomas,whodiedininfancy.Duetoaland dispute,theLincolnswereforcedtomovefromKentuckytoPerryCounty,Indianain1817, wherethefamilysquattedonpubliclandtoscrapoutalivinginacrudeshelter,huntinggame andfarmingasmallplot.Thomaswaseventuallyabletobuytheland. WhenyoungAbrahamwas9yearsoldhismotherdiedoftremetol(milksickness)atage34and theeventwasdevastatingonhim.The9yearoldAbrahamgrewmorealienatedfromhisfather andquietlyresentedthehardworkplacedonhimatanearlyage.AfewmonthsafterNancys death,ThomasmarriedSarahBushJohnston,aKentuckywidowwiththreechildrenofherown. ShewasastrongandaffectionatewomanwithwhomAbrahamquicklybonded.Thoughbothhis parentsweremostlikelyilliterate,SarahencouragedAbrahamtoread.Itwaswhilegrowinginto manhoodthathereceivedhisformaleducationanestimatedtotalof18monthsafewdaysor weeksatatime.ReadingmaterialwasinshortsupplyintheIndianawilderness.
Neighbors recalledhowAbrahamwouldwalkformilestoborrowabook.Heundoubtedlyreadthefamily BibleandprobablyotherpopularbooksatthattimesuchasRobinsonCrusoe,Pilgrims ProgressandAesopsFables.InMarch,1830,thefamilyagainmigrated,thistimetoMacon County,Illinois.WhenhisfathermovedthefamilyagaintoColesCounty,22yearoldAbraham Lincolnstruckoutonthisown,makingalivinginmanuallabor.Atsixfeetfourinchestall, Lincolnwasrawbonedandlanky,butmuscularandphysicallystrong.Hespokewitha backwoodstwangandwalkedwithalongstridinggait.Hewasknownforhisskillinwieldingan axandearlyonmadealivingsplittingwoodforfireandrailfencing.YoungLincolneventually migratedtothesmallcommunityofNewSalem,Illinoiswhereoveraperiodofyearsheworked asashopkeeper,postmaster,andeventuallygeneralstoreowner.ItwasherethatLincoln, workingwiththepublic,acquiredsocialskillsandhonedstorytellingtalentthatmadehim popularwiththelocals. WhentheBlackHawkWarbrokeoutin1832betweentheUnitedStatesandNativeAmericans, thevolunteersintheareaelectedLincolntobetheircaptain.Hesawnocombatduringthistime, saveforagoodmanybloodystruggleswiththemosquitoes,butwasabletomakeseveral importantpoliticalconnections. AftertheBlackHawkWar,AbrahamLincolnbeganhispoliticalcareerandwaselectedtothe Illinoisstatelegislaturein1834asamemberoftheWhigParty.HesupportedtheWhigpolitics ofgovernmentsponsoredinfrastructureandprotectivetariffs.Thispoliticalunderstandingled himtoformulatehisearlyviewsonslavery,notsomuchasamoralwrong,butasan impedimenttoeconomicdevelopment.Itwasaroundthistimethathedecidedtobecomea lawyer,teachinghimselfthelawbyreadingWilliamBlackstonesCommentariesontheLawsof England.Afterbeingadmittedtothebarin1837,hemovedtoSpringfield,Illinoisandbeganto practiceintheJohnT.Stuartlawfirm. ItwassoonafterthisthathepurportedlymetandbecameromanticallyinvolvedwithAnne Rutledge.Beforetheyhadachancetobeengaged,awaveoftyphoidfevercameoverNew SalemandAnnediedatage22.HerdeathwassaidtohaveleftLincolnseverelydepressed.
However,severalhistoriansdisagreeontheextentofLincolnsrelationshipwithRutledgeandhis levelofsorrowatherdeathmaybemorethemakingsoflegend. In1844,AbrahamLincolnpartneredwithWilliamHerndoninthepracticeoflaw.Thoughthetwo haddifferentjurisprudentstyles,theydevelopedacloseprofessionalandpersonalrelationship. Lincolnmadeagoodlivinginhisearlyyearsasalawyer,butfoundthatSpringfieldalonedidnt offerenoughwork,sotosupplementhisincome,hefollowedthecourtasitmadeitsroundson thecircuittothevariouscountyseatsinIllinois. AbrahamLincolnservedasingletermintheU.S.HouseofRepresentativesfrom1847to1849. Hisforayintonationalpoliticsseemstobeasunremarkableasitwasbrief.Hewasthelone WhigfromthestateofIllinois,showingpartyloyalty,butfindingfewpoliticalallies.Heusedhis terminofficetospeakoutagainsttheMexicanAmericanWarandsupportedZacharyTaylorfor presidentin1848.Hiscriticismofthewarmadehimunpopularbackhomeandhedecidednotto runforsecondterm,butinsteadreturnedSpringfieldtopracticelaw. Bythe1850s,therailroadindustrywasmovingwestandIllinoisfounditselfbecomingamajor hubforvariouscompanies.AbrahamLincolnservedasalobbyistfortheIllinoisCentralRailroad asitscompanyattorney.Successinseveralcourtcasesbroughtotherbusinessclientsas wellbanks,insurancecompaniesandmanufacturingfirms.Lincolnalsodidsomecriminal trials.Inonecase,awitnessclaimedthathecouldidentifyLincolnsclientwhowasaccusedof murder,becauseoftheintenselightfromafullmoon.Lincolnreferredtoanalmanacandproved thatthenightinquestionhadbeentoodarkforthewitnesstoseeanythingclearly. Hisclientwasacquitted. AboutayearafterthedeathofAnneRutledge,LincolncourtedMaryOwens.Thetwosaweach otherforafewmonthsandmarriagewasconsidered.ButintimeLincolncalledoffthematch.In 1840,LincolnbecameengagedtoMaryTodd,ahighspirited,welleducatedwomanfroma distinguishedKentuckyfamily.Inthebeginning,manyofthecouplesfriendsandfamilycouldnt understandMarysattraction,andattimesLincolnquestionedithimself.However,in1841,the engagementwassuddenlybrokenoff,mostlikelyatLincolnsinitiative.Theymetlater,ata socialfunctionandeventuallymarriedonNovember4,1842.Thecouplehadfourchildren,of whichonlyone,Robert,survivedtoadulthood.
ElectedPresident
In1854,CongresspassedtheKansasNebraskaAct,whichrepealedtheMissouriCompromise, andallowedindividualstatesandterritoriestodecideforthemselveswhethertoallowslavery. ThelawprovokedviolentoppositioninKansasandIllinois.AnditgaverisetotheRepublican Party.ThisawakenedAbrahamLincolnspoliticalzealonceagain,andhisviewsonslavery movedmoretowardmoralindignation.LincolnjoinedtheRepublicanPartyin1856. In1857,theSupremeCourtissueditscontroversialdecisionScottv.Sanford,declaringAfrican Americanswerenotcitizensandhadnoinherentrights.ThoughAbrahamLincolnfeltAfrican Americanswerenotequaltowhites,hebelievedtheAmericasfoundersintendedthatallmen werecreatedwithcertaininalienablerights.LincolndecidedtochallengesittingU.S.Senator StephenDouglasforhisseat.Inhisnominationacceptancespeech,hecriticizedDouglas,the SupremeCourt,andPresidentBuchananforpromotingslaveryanddeclaredahousedivided
cannotstand.The1858Senatecampaignfeaturedsevendebatesheldindifferentcitiesallover Illinois.Thetwocandidatesdidntdisappointthepublic,givingstirringdebatesonissuesranging fromstatesrightstowesternexpansion,butthecentralissueinallthedebateswasslavery. Newspapersintenselycoveredthedebates,oftentimeswithpartisaneditingandinterpretation. Intheend,thestatelegislatureelectedDouglas,buttheexposurevaultedLincolnintonational politics. In1860,politicaloperativesinIllinoisorganizedacampaigntosupportLincolnforthepresidency. OnMay18thattheRepublicanNationalConventioninChicago,AbrahamLincolnsurpassed betterknowncandidatessuchasWilliamSewardofNewYorkandSalmonP.ChaseofOhio. Lincolnsnominationwasdueinparttohismoderateviewsonslavery,hissupportforimproving thenationalinfrastructure,andtheprotectivetariff.Inthegeneralelection,Lincolnfacedhis friendandrival,StephanDouglas,thistimebestinghiminafourwayracethatincludedJohnC. BreckinridgeoftheNorthernDemocratsandJohnBelloftheConstitutionParty.Lincolnreceived notquite40percentofthepopularvote,butcarried180of303Electoralvotes. AbrahamLincolnselectedastrongcabinetcomposedofmanyofhispoliticalrivals,including WilliamSeward,SalmonP.Chase,EdwardBatesandEdwinStanton.
CivilWar
AbrahamLincolnrespondedtothecrisiswieldingpowersasnootherpresentbeforehim.He distributed$2,000,000fromtheTreasuryforwarmaterielwithoutanappropriationfrom Congresshecalledfor75,000volunteersintomilitaryservicewithoutadeclarationofwarand hesuspendedthewritofhabeascorpus,arrestingandimprisoningsuspectedConfederate sympathizerswithoutawarrant.Crushingtherebellionwouldbedifficultunderany circumstances,buttheCivilWar,withitsprecedingdecadesofwhitehotpartisanpolitics,was especiallyonerous.Fromalldirections,Lincolnfaceddisparagementanddefiance.Hewasoften atoddswithhisgenerals,hisCabinet,hisparty,andamajorityoftheAmericanpeople. TheUnionArmysfirstyearandahalfofbattlefielddefeatsmadeitespeciallydifficulttokeep moraleupandsupportstrongforareunificationthenation.Withthehopeful,butbynomeans conclusiveUnionvictoryatAntietamonSeptember22,1862,Abrahamfeltconfidentenoughto reshapethecauseofthewarfromuniontoabolishingslavery.Gradually,thewareffort improvedfortheNorth,thoughmorebyattritionthenbybrilliantmilitaryvictories.Butby1864, theConfederacyhadhunkereddowntoaguerillawarandLincolnwasconvincedhedbea onetermpresident.Hisnemesis,GeorgeB.McClellan,theformercommanderoftheArmyof thePotomac,challengedhimforthepresidency,butthecontestwasntevenclose.Lincoln received55percentofthepopularvoteand212of243Electoralvotes.OnMarch28,1865, GeneralRobertE.Lee,commanderoftheArmyofVirginia,surrenderedhisforcestoUnion GeneralUlyssesS.Grantandthewarforallintentsandpurposeswasover.
Assassination
Reconstructionbeganduringthewarasearlyas1863inareasfirmlyunderUnionmilitary control.AbrahamLincolnfavoredapolicyofquickreunificationwithaminimumofretribution.But hewasconfrontedbyaradicalgroupofRepublicansintheSenateandHousethatwanted
completeallegianceandrepentancefromformerConfederates.Beforeapoliticalbattlehada chancetofirmlydevelop,LincolnwasassassinatedonApril14,1865,bywellknownactorand ConfederatesympathizerJohnWilkesBoothatFordsTheaterinWashington,D.C.Lincolnwas takenfromthetheatertoaPetersenHouseacrossthestreetandlaidinacomaforninehours beforedyingthenextmorning.HisbodylayinstateattheCapitolbeforeafuneraltraintookhim backtohisfinalrestingplaceinSpringfield,Illinois
