Abraham Lincoln- US statesman, one of the founders of the Republican Party, 16th US President, who freed the slaves, national American hero - was born in the village. Hodgenville (Kentucky) February 12, 1809 Due to the fact that he was born into a farming family with meager income, Abraham was unable to receive a full education; he went to school for no more than a year, with early years joined physical work. At the age of eight, the boy and his parents moved to an area in Indiana where there was no school nearby. Nevertheless, little Lincoln learned to read and write and fell in love with reading. For him, it forever became an assistant in diligent self-education and a favorite pastime.
Young Lincoln had a chance to try the most different activities- day laborer, carpenter, postman, lumberjack. In 1830, their family moved to New Salem (Illinois), and Abraham worked as a land surveyor and small clerk in a trading store. During the Black Falcon Indian War, Lincoln volunteered for the militia because... the Indians at one time killed his grandfather and grandmother (on his father's side). He was chosen as a captain, but served only briefly and did not have the chance to participate in battles.
Working during 1833-1836. postmaster, Lincoln simultaneously studied law, passed the exam and in 1836 received permission to practice law, which he engaged in for subsequent years. In this field he succeeded, becoming one of the best lawyers in the state, at one time collaborating with the Illinois Central railroad as a consultant. Confident professional growth and strengthening of authority were also facilitated by such qualities as a sharp mind, integrity, honesty, and a pronounced gift of eloquence.
Lincoln's political biography began in the early 30s with an unsuccessful attempt to take a seat in the state House of Representatives. However, already in 1835, young A. Lincoln was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the State of Illinois, in which he joined the Whig party. Until 1842, he served as chairman of the finance committee and one of the leading figures in his party.
The next step in political career became the election in 1847 to the US Congress. Lincoln advocated the expansion of political and civil rights the broadest masses of the population for women to receive the right to vote. Fighting slavery, the politician defended stopping the spread of slavery throughout the country. In 1854, Lincoln acted as one of the organizers of the Republican Party. In 1858, he was a candidate for US senator, but he failed to win the election.
In 1860, Lincoln was elected President of the United States; he served as head of state from March 1861 to April 1865. The South responded to his appointment with secession, despite the fact that the new president’s position on slavery was moderate; The Civil War began in the country (1861-1865). Adopted in May 1862, the so-called The Homestead Act, which gave American citizens land allotments, was a powerful blow to the slave system and helped solve agrarian question. On December 30, 1862, the President signed the Emancipation Proclamation, thanks to which 4 million people were freed from the yoke of slavery. In 1863, government troops won major, turning-point victories that ultimately allowed them to break the resistance of the South and restore the unity of the nation.
In 1864, Lincoln was re-elected for a second presidential term, although he himself doubted the correctness of the decision to run for office again, and some political forces also opposed it. On April 14, 1865, Lincoln, who was in Washington at Ford's Theater for a performance, was wounded: he was shot by actor J. W. Booth, a supporter of southern slaveholders. Without regaining consciousness, Lincoln died on the morning of April 15, thus becoming the first US president to be assassinated.
During his time in power, he was constantly subjected to sharp critical attacks, however, as the results of opinion polls say, Lincoln is still one of the most beloved and best, as well as, in his opinion, intellectual presidents of the country. A memorial was erected in Washington in honor of Abraham Lincoln as one of the four heads of the United States, whose activities determined historical development states.
Biography from Wikipedia
He grew up in the family of a poor farmer. From an early age I was engaged physical labor. Due to the difficult financial situation of his family, he attended school for no more than a year, but managed to learn to read and write and fell in love with books. Having become an adult, he began independent life, engaged in self-education, passed exams and received permission to practice law. During the Indian Uprising in Illinois, he joined the militia and was elected captain, but did not take part in the fighting. He was also a member of the Illinois Legislative Assembly, the House of Representatives of the US Congress, in which he opposed the Mexican-American War. In 1858 he became a candidate for US senator, but lost the election.
As an opponent of the expansion of slavery into new territories, he was one of the initiators of the creation of the Republican Party, was chosen as its presidential candidate and won the elections of 1860. His election signaled the secession of the southern states and the emergence of the Confederacy. In his inaugural speech he called for the reunification of the country, but was unable to prevent conflict.
Lincoln personally directed the military effort that led to victory over the Confederacy during the Civil War of 1861-1865. His presidential activities led to increased executive power and the abolition of slavery in the United States. Lincoln included his opponents in the government and was able to bring them to work towards a common goal. The President held Great Britain and others throughout the war European countries from intervention. During his presidency, the transcontinental railroad was built, the Homestead Act was adopted, which resolved the agrarian question. Lincoln was an outstanding orator, his speeches inspired northerners and remain a shining legacy to this day. At the end of the war, he proposed a plan for moderate Reconstruction, associated with national harmony and renunciation of revenge. On April 14, 1865, Lincoln was mortally wounded in a theater, becoming the first US president to be assassinated. According to conventional wisdom and social polls, he remains one of America's best and most beloved presidents, although he was subject to severe criticism during his presidency.
Childhood
Lincoln was born February 12, 1809, the son of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, who lived on the Sinking Spring farm in Hardin County, Kentucky. His paternal grandfather Abraham, for whom the boy was later named, moved his family from Virginia to Kentucky, where he was ambushed and killed during a raid against Indians in 1786. Lincoln's mother, Nancy, was born in West Virginia. Together with her mother, she moved to Kentucky, where she met Thomas Lincoln, a respected and wealthy citizen of Kentucky. By the time Abraham was born to them, Thomas owned two farms totaling about 500 hectares, several buildings in the city, and a large number of livestock and horses. He was one of the richest men in the area. However, in 1816, Thomas loses all of his lands in court cases due to a legal error in property rights.
The family moves north to Indiana to explore new free lands. Lincoln later noted that the move was largely due to legal problems with the land, but partly due to the situation with slavery in the South. At age nine, Abraham lost his mother and his older sister, Sarah, took on the responsibility of caring for him until their father remarried in 1819 to the widow Sarah Bush Johnston.
The stepmother, who had three children from her first marriage, quickly became close to young Lincoln, and in the end he even began to call her “mom.” Until he was ten years old, Abraham did not love homework, accompanying the borderline lifestyle. Some in his family, as well as among his neighbors, even considered him lazy for a time. Later he began to willingly do everything that was required of him. Young Lincoln participated in field work, and, as he grew older, he worked in a variety of ways - at the post office, as a lumberjack, as a land surveyor and as a boatman. He was especially good at chopping wood. Lincoln avoided hunting and fishing because of his moral convictions. Lincoln also agreed to the customary obligation of a son to give his father all earnings from work outside the home until age 21.
At the same time, Lincoln became increasingly alienated from his father, in particular due to the latter's lack of education. Abraham became the first in the family to learn to write and count, although, according to his own admission, he attended school for no more than a year because of the need to help the family. Since childhood, he was addicted to books, and carried his love for them throughout his life. Dennis, his childhood friend, later wrote:
“After Abe was 12 years old, there was never a time when I saw him without a book in his hands... At night in the hut, he would knock over a chair, block the light with it, sit on his edge and read. It was just weird that a guy could read that much.”
As a child, Lincoln read the Bible, Robinson Crusoe, The History of George Washington, and Aesop's fables. In addition, he helped his neighbors write letters, thus honing their grammar and style. Sometimes he even walked 30 miles to court to hear lawyers speak.
Youth
In 1830, Abraham Lincoln's family moved again. Lincoln, having become an adult, decides to start an independent life. He found temporary work that took him down the Mississippi River and to New Orleans, where Lincoln visited the slave market and retained his lifelong dislike of slavery. He soon settled in the village of New Salem, Illinois. There he devoted all his free hours to self-education and classes with a local school teacher. At night, the future president read books by the light of a torch.
In 1832, Lincoln ran for a seat in the Illinois Legislature but was defeated. After this, he began to systematically study science. Lincoln initially wanted to become a blacksmith, but after meeting a justice of the peace, he took up law. At the same time, he and his companion tried to make money in a trading store, but things were not going well. Sandburg, author of a popular biography of the president, writes:
“...Lincoln did what he read and dreamed. He had nothing to do, and he could sit for days with his thoughts, no one would interrupt him. Beneath this outward immobility, mental and moral maturation took place, slowly and steadily.”
In 1832, an uprising of Indians broke out in Illinois, who did not want to leave their native places and move west, across the Mississippi River. Lincoln joined the militia and was elected captain, but did not take part in the fighting. In 1833, Lincoln was appointed postmaster of New Salem. Thanks to this, he received more free time, which he devoted to studies. The new position allowed him to read political newspapers before leaving.
At the end of 1833, Lincoln received the position of surveyor. Having agreed to this work, he spent six weeks intensively studying Gibson's Theory and Practice of Surveying and Flint's Course in Geometry, Trigonometry and Topography.
During his years living in New Salem, Lincoln often had to borrow money. With his habit of repaying his debts in full, he earned one of his most famous nicknames - “ Honest Abe».
Beginning of a career as a politician and lawyer
In 1835 (at age 26), Lincoln was elected to the Illinois State Legislature, where he joined the Whigs. When Lincoln entered the political arena, Andrew Jackson was President of the United States. Lincoln welcomed his reliance on the people in political actions, but did not approve of the policy of the federal center refusing to regulate the economic life of the states. After the session of the Assembly, he took up the study of law even more decisively than before. Having studied on his own, Lincoln passed the bar exam in 1836. That same year, in the Legislative Assembly, Lincoln managed to achieve the transfer of the state capital from Vandaleia to Springfield, where he moved in 1837. There, together with William Butler, he united in the firm “Stuart and Lincoln”. The young legislator and lawyer quickly gained authority thanks to his oratorical abilities and impeccable reputation. He often refused to take fees from insolvent citizens whom he defended in court; traveled to different parts of the state to help people resolve litigation. After the assassination of an abolitionist newspaper publisher in 1837, Lincoln gave his first principled speech to the Young Men's Lyceum in Springfield, emphasizing the values of democracy, the Constitution, and the legacy of the Founding Fathers.
Family
In 1840, Lincoln met Mary Todd, a girl from Kentucky (English Mary Todd, 1818-1882) and on November 4, 1842 they married. Mary gave birth to four sons, three of whom died in childhood before reaching adulthood:
- Robert Todd Lincoln (1843-1926). Lincoln's eldest son. American lawyer and Secretary of War. He was married to Mary Harlan Lincoln, with whom he had three children.
- Edward Lincoln was born March 10, 1846 and died February 1, 1850 in Springfield.
- William Lincoln was born December 21, 1850 and died February 20, 1862 in Washington, during his father's presidency.
- Thomas Lincoln was born April 4, 1853, died July 16, 1871 in Chicago.
Political career before presidency
In 1846, Lincoln was elected to the House of Representatives (1847-1849) from the Whig Party. In Washington, not being a particularly influential figure, he, however, actively opposed the actions of President Polk in the Mexican-American War, considering it unjustified aggression on the part of the United States. Nevertheless, Lincoln voted for Congress to allocate funds for the army, for the material support of disabled soldiers, wives, and lost husbands, and also supported the demand for women's voting rights. Lincoln sympathized with the abolitionists and was an opponent of slavery, but did not recognize extreme measures and advocated the gradual emancipation of slaves, since he put the integrity of the Union above their freedom.
Popular opposition to the Mexican-American War damaged Lincoln's reputation in his home state, and he decided to forgo re-election to the House of Representatives. In 1849, Lincoln was notified that he had been appointed secretary of the then Oregon Territory. Accepting the offer would have meant the end of his career at booming Illinois, so he declined the assignment. Lincoln left political activity and in subsequent years he practiced law, became one of the leading lawyers in the state, and was a legal adviser railway Illinois Central. During his 23-year legal career, Lincoln was involved in 5,100 cases (excluding unreported cases), and he and his partners appeared before the State Supreme Court more than 400 times.
In 1856, like many former Whigs, he joined the anti-slavery Republican Party created in 1854, and in 1858 he was nominated as a candidate for a seat in the US Senate. His opponent in the election was Democrat Stephen Douglas. The debate between Lincoln and Douglas, during which the issue of slavery was discussed, became widely known (some called this debate a dispute between the “little giant” (S. Douglas) and the “big sucker” (A. Lincoln)). Lincoln was not an abolitionist, but opposed slavery on moral grounds. He saw slavery as a necessary evil in the agrarian economy of the South. Trying to challenge the arguments of Douglas, who accused his opponent of radicalism, Lincoln assured that he was not in favor of granting political and civil rights to blacks and interracial marriages, because in his opinion physical difference between the white and black races and the superiority of the former will never allow “them to coexist in conditions of social and political equality.” The issue of slavery, in his opinion, was within the competence of individual states and the federal government had no constitutional right to interfere in this problem. At the same time, Lincoln firmly opposed the spread of slavery to new territories, which undermined the foundations of slavery, because its extensive nature required expansion into the undeveloped lands of the West. Stephen Douglas won the election, but Lincoln’s anti-slavery speech “A House Divided,” in which he substantiated the impossibility of the country’s continued existence in a state of “half-slavery and half-freedom,” spread widely in the United States, creating its author’s reputation as an anti-slavery fighter.
In October 1859, John Brown's rebellion broke out in the South, seizing the government arsenal and planning to start a slave rebellion in the South. The detachment was blocked by troops and destroyed. Lincoln condemned Brown's actions as an attempt to forcefully resolve the issue of slavery.
Presidential elections and inauguration
Elections
Presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln, 1860.
Moderate positions on the issue of slavery determined the election of Lincoln as a compromise presidential candidate from the Republican Party in the elections of 1860. The southern states threatened to secede from the Union if the Republicans won. Both parties, Democratic and Republican, fought over the values that the candidates represented. Americans associated Lincoln's personality with hard work, honesty, and social mobility. Coming from the people, he was a “self-made” man. On November 6, 1860, participation in elections exceeded 80% of the population for the first time. Lincoln, largely thanks to the split in the Democratic Party, which nominated two candidates, managed to get ahead of his rivals in the elections and become President of the United States and the first from his new party. Lincoln won the election mainly due to the support of the North. In nine southern states, Lincoln's name did not appear on the ballot at all, and he managed to win only 2 out of 996 counties.
Division of the Union and Lincoln's Inauguration
Lincoln opposed the spread of slavery, and his election victory further divided the American people. Even before his inauguration, 7 southern states, at the initiative of South Carolina, announced their secession from the United States. The Upper South (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas) initially rejected the secessionist appeal, but soon joined the rebellion. Incumbent President James Buchanan and President-elect Lincoln refused to recognize secession. In February 1861, the Constitutional Convention in Montgomery (Alabama) proclaimed the creation of the Confederate States of America, and Jefferson Davis was elected president, who took the oath of office that same month. Richmond became the capital of the state.
Lincoln evaded would-be assassins in Baltimore and arrived in Washington on February 23, 1861, on a special train. During his inauguration on March 4, the capital was filled with troops to ensure order. In his speech, Lincoln said:
I believe that, from the point of view of universal law and the Constitution, the union of these states is eternal. Eternity, even if not expressly expressed, is implied in the Fundamental Law of all state forms board. It is safe to say that no system of government as such has ever had in its Basic Law a provision for the termination of its own existence...
And again, if the United States is not a system of government in the proper sense of the word, but an association of States founded merely by compact, can it, as a compact, be peaceably dissolved by fewer parties than were at its creation? One party - a party to the agreement - can violate it, that is, break it, but isn’t everyone’s consent required to legally cancel it? Based on these general principles, we come to the statement that from a legal point of view the Union is eternal, and this is confirmed by the history of the Union itself... It follows from this that none of the states has the right to strictly own initiative secede from the Union, that the decisions and resolutions adopted for this purpose are null and void, and that acts of violence committed within any State (or States) directed against the Government of the United States shall assume, as the case may be, an insurrectionary or revolutionary character.
In his speech, Lincoln also stated that he had “no intention of interfering, directly or indirectly, with the institution of slavery in those States where it exists”: “I believe that I have no legal right to do that, and I’m not inclined to do that.” Lincoln called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and restoration of the unity of the United States. However, the exit had already been completed and the Confederation was intensively preparing for military action. The overwhelming majority of representatives of the southern states in the US Congress left it and went over to the side of the South.
After taking office, Lincoln used a protectionist system of distributing posts. Already in the spring of 1861, 80% of the posts controlled by Democrats were occupied by Republicans. When forming the government, Lincoln included his opponents in it: the post of US Secretary of State was William Seward, Secretary of Justice - Edward Bates, Secretary of the Treasury - Salmon Chase.
American Civil War
Beginning of the war (1861-1862)
The fighting began on April 12, 1861, with a Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in Charleston Bay, which was forced to surrender after 34 hours of shelling. In response, Lincoln declared the Southern states in a state of rebellion, ordered a naval blockade of the Confederacy, drafted 75,000 volunteers into the army, and later introduced conscription. Even before Lincoln’s inauguration, a lot of weapons and ammunition were brought to the south, and seizures of federal arsenals and warehouses were organized. The most combat-ready units were located here, which were replenished with hundreds of officers who left the federal army. The beginning of the Civil War was unsuccessful for the North. Southerners, prepared for combat, were in a hurry to defeat the Union forces before the North mobilized its superior military and economic potential. Heavily criticized for military defeats and economic difficulties, Lincoln, despite his lack of military experience, took decisive steps to form a combat-ready army, not even stopping at restricting civil liberties or spending funds not yet approved in the Congressional budget. In the first major battle in Virginia, railway station Manassas On July 21, 1861, the Federal army was defeated. On November 1, Lincoln appointed J.B. McLellan, who avoided active action, as commander in chief. On October 21, its units were defeated near Washington. On November 8, 1861, the British steamer Trent was captured, carrying southern ambassadors. This sparked the Affair of Trent and nearly led to war against Great Britain.
In February-March 1862, General Ulysses Grant managed to oust the southerners from Tennessee and Kentucky. By the summer, Missouri was liberated, and Grant's troops entered the northern regions of Mississippi and Alabama. As a result of the landing operation, New Orleans was captured on April 25, 1862. McClellan was removed from his post as commander-in-chief by Lincoln and placed at the head of one of the armies whose task was to capture Richmond. McLellan chose defensive action instead of offensive action. On August 29-30, the Northerners were defeated at the Second Battle of Bull Run, after which Lincoln called up 500,000 men. On September 7, at Antietam Creek, the South's 40,000-strong army was attacked by McClellan's 70,000-man army, which defeated the Confederates. The flooding of the Potomac River cut off Lee's route of retreat, but McClellan, despite Lincoln's orders, abandoned the offensive and missed the opportunity to complete the defeat of the southerners.
After the Battle of Antietam, Great Britain and France refused to enter the war and recognize the Confederacy. During the war, Russia maintained friendly relations with the United States. The Russian squadron visited San Francisco and New York in 1863-1864.
The year 1862 was also marked by the first battle of armored ships in history, which took place on March 9 off the coast of Virginia. The 1862 campaign ended with the defeat of the Northerners at Friedericksberg on December 13.
Political process
The difficult situation of the federal army caused discontent among the population. Lincoln was under pressure from the Republican Party, which included both supporters of the immediate abolition of slavery and those advocating the gradual emancipation of slaves. Lincoln adhered to a policy of compromise, thanks to which he was able to prevent a split in the party. He was convinced that even in wartime a political process must be carried out in the country. This made it possible to maintain freedom of speech throughout the Civil War, avoiding serious restrictions on civil liberties and a crisis in the two-party system. During Lincoln's presidency, elections were held and citizens participated in government. After the Southern attack on Fort Sumter, some members of the Democratic Party formed a “loyal opposition” that supported government policies. On August 22, 1862, in an interview with the New York Tribune, when asked why he was slow to free the slaves, Lincoln replied:
my supreme goal this fight is to preserve the union, not to preserve or destroy slavery. If I could save the union without freeing a single slave, I would do so, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do so, and if I could save it by freeing some slaves and not others. freed, I would do it. What I do in the matter of slavery and for the colored race, I do because I believe it will help preserve the union... By this I have explained here my intention, which I consider as an official duty. And I do not intend to change my often expressed personal desire that all people everywhere should be free.
Homestead
At the initiative of Abraham Lincoln, on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act was passed, according to which every citizen of the United States who had reached the age of 21 and had not fought on the side of the Confederacy could receive from the lands public fund a tract of land not exceeding 160 acres (65 hectares) after paying a $10 registration fee. The law came into force on January 1, 1863. A settler who began to cultivate the land and began to erect buildings on it received free ownership of this land after 5 years. The plot could be purchased ahead of schedule by paying $1.25 per acre. Under the Homestead Act, about 2 million homesteads were distributed in the United States, totaling about 285 million acres (115 million hectares). This law radically solved the agrarian problem, directing the development Agriculture along the farming route, led to the settlement of hitherto desert territories and provided Lincoln with the support of the broad masses of the population.
Freeing the Slaves
Failures in the war and its prolongation gradually changed Lincoln's attitude towards the issue of slavery. He came to the idea that the United States would either become completely free or completely slave-owning. It became clear that the main goal of the war - the restoration of the Union - was becoming unattainable without the abolition of slavery. Lincoln, who had always advocated the gradual emancipation of blacks on a compensatory basis, now believed that slavery must be abolished. Preparations for the abolition of the institute were carried out throughout 1862. On December 30, 1862, the President signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring blacks living in territories in rebellion against the United States “now and forever” free. The document gave impetus to the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment (1865) to the American Constitution, which completely abolished slavery in the United States. The Proclamation was rightfully criticized by Radical Republicans because it emancipated slaves in areas where the federal government did not extend, but it changed the nature of the Civil War, turning it into a war to abolish slavery. In addition, it forced foreign countries, including Great Britain, not to support the Confederacy. British Prime Minister Palmerston was unable to organize an intervention due to public resistance. The emancipation of the slaves made it possible to recruit black Americans into the army. By the end of the war, there were 180 thousand African Americans in the federal troops.
A turning point in the Civil War. Battle of Gettysburg
On March 3, 1863, conscription was introduced for the first time in the history of the United States. At the same time, the rich were allowed to hire other people in their place and buy off their service, which provoked unrest, during which many blacks died and became victims of lynchings.
In May 1863, a Union army of 130,000 was defeated by General Lee's 60,000-man army. The northerners retreated, and the Confederates, bypassing Washington from the north, entered Pennsylvania. In this situation great importance acquired the outcome of the three-day battle at Gettysburg, during which more than 50 thousand people died. Lee's army was defeated and retreated to Virginia. 4th of July on western front After a multi-day siege and two unsuccessful assaults, General Grant captured the Vicksburg fortress. On July 8, Port Hudson in Louisiana was captured. Thus, control over the Mississippi River valley was established, and the Confederacy was divided into two parts. On November 19, 1863, a ceremony was held to open the Gettysburg National Cemetery, where the fallen participants in the battle were buried. During the opening of the memorial, Lincoln delivered one of his most famous speeches, once again confirming his extraordinary oratorical talents. At the end of the short speech it was said:
“We must solemnly decree that these deaths will not be in vain, and our nation, under the protection of God, will have a new source of freedom, and this government of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not die on earth.”
In December 1863, Lincoln promised amnesty to all rebels (except Confederate leaders) conditional on taking an oath of allegiance to the United States and accepting the abolition of slavery. The year ended with the Northern victory at Chattanooga.
Re-election, end of the war
The idea of ending the war became increasingly popular among the people. Lincoln's task was to instill in Americans confidence in victory. The President abolished the transfer of those arrested to court, which allowed the imprisonment of deserters and the most ardent supporters of slavery and peace. In the 1863 elections to Congress, the Democrats managed to narrow the gap in the number of mandates, but the Republicans still managed to maintain a majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
In March 1864, Lincoln appointed Ulysses Grant as commander-in-chief, who, together with W. Sherman and F. Sheridan, carried out the plan developed by Lincoln - to weaken the southerners and defeat them by launching coordinated attacks. The main blow was dealt by Sherman's army, which launched an invasion of Georgia in May. Grant's army acted against General Lee.
Despite his own doubts and the objections of party leaders, Lincoln decided to run for a second term, although over the past four years he had made many enemies, was often criticized by newspapers and was hated by many people. The Democratic Party declared as its slogan the end of the war and negotiations. Her candidate was General J.B. McLellan, who was dismissed by Lincoln as commander in chief in 1862. In the Republican Party, Treasury Secretary Salmon Chase tried to become one of the contenders, but Lincoln was the only candidate nominated. Sherman's capture of Atlanta, the breadbasket of the Confederacy, on September 2, 1864, allowed Lincoln to defeat his rival, a supporter of peace, McClellan, in the presidential election and gain 212 of 233 electoral votes. At Lincoln's insistence, Congress passed the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution on January 31, 1865, prohibiting slavery in the country. At the beginning of 1865, the victory of the northerners was already a foregone conclusion. In his second inaugural speech, Lincoln called for a renunciation of vengeance and set the tasks of reconstructing the South and building a harmonious Union:
“Without malice towards any, full of mercy, firm in the truth, Americans must bind up the wounds of the country ... do everything possible to win and maintain a just and lasting peace in their home and with all the peoples of the world.”
Grant, who had an army of 115 thousand people in the spring of 1865, forced Lee, who had only 54 thousand people at his disposal, to leave Petersburg, and on April 2 - the capital of the confederation, Richmond. April 9, 1865 Lee signed the Surrender, resistance individual parts was suppressed by the end of May. After the arrest of Jefferson Davis and members of his government, the Confederacy ceased to exist.
Lincoln Assassination
The Civil War ended with the surrender of the Confederate States of America on April 9, 1865. The country was about to undergo Southern Reconstruction and begin the process of integrating blacks into American society. Five days after the end of the war, on the day Good Friday On April 14, 1865, at the performance of Our American Cousin (at Ford's Theatre), pro-Southern actor John Wilkes Booth entered the presidential box and shot Lincoln in the head. The next morning, Abraham Lincoln died without regaining consciousness. Millions of Americans, white and black, came to pay their last respects to their president during the two-and-a-half week journey of the funeral train from Washington to Springfield. The train was carrying two coffins: a large coffin containing the body of Abraham Lincoln and a small one containing the body of his son William, who had died three years earlier during Lincoln's presidency. Abraham and William Lincoln were buried in Springfield in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Tragic death Lincoln contributed to the creation around his name of an aura of a martyr who gave his life for the reunification of the country and the liberation of black slaves.
Results of the Presidency and Historical Significance of Abraham Lincoln
The Civil War was the bloodiest military conflict in the history of the United States and the most difficult test for American democracy. Abraham Lincoln became a central historical figure in the consciousness of the American people, a man who prevented the collapse of the United States and made a significant contribution to the formation of the American nation and the abolition of slavery as the main obstacle to the subsequent normal development of the country. Lincoln marked the beginning of the modernization of the South and the emancipation of slaves. He is the author of the formulation of the main goal of democracy: “A government created by the people, from the people and for the people.” During his presidency, a transcontinental railroad to the Pacific Ocean was also built, the infrastructure system was expanded, a new banking system was created, and the agrarian problem was solved. However, at the end of the war, the country faced many problems, including the unity of the nation and equalization of the rights of blacks and whites. In part, these problems still face American society. After Lincoln's assassination, the United States economy became its most dynamic for a long time. developing economy world, which allowed the country to become a world leader at the beginning of the 20th century. In many ways, his personal qualities made it possible to mobilize the forces of the state and reunite the country. Lincoln adhered to strict moral principles and had a sense of humor, but was also prone to strong melancholy. To this day, Abraham Lincoln is considered one of the most intellectual presidents of the United States. As a sign of the gratitude of the American people, a memorial was erected in Washington to the sixteenth President Abraham Lincoln as one of the four presidents who determined the historical development of the United States of America.
Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln is commemorated in a memorial located on the Esplanade in downtown Washington from 1914 to 1922, symbolizing the president's belief that all men should be free. The building symbolizes the United States; it is supported by 36 columns (the number of states during Lincoln's presidency). Inside this white marble structure, sculptor Daniel French placed a six-meter statue of the president-liberator sitting in thought. On the interior walls of the memorial, under allegorical paintings, the texts of Lincoln's Gettysburg and Second Inaugural Addresses are reproduced.
In addition, many monuments have been erected in honor of Lincoln in the United States, a city, streets, a university, various centers, a brand of prestigious cars, and an aircraft carrier are named. The president's profile is carved into Mount Rushmore. Abraham Lincoln's birthday is a national holiday in some US states. Lincoln is also featured on the $5 bill.
The box at Ford's Theater that Lincoln was in when he was shot by Booth
Monument to Abraham Lincoln in London
Lincoln at Mount Rushmore
National hero of the American people.
Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, USA. When the boy was seven years old, his family moved to southwest Indiana. Abraham received his education at home and loved to read. From a young age he opposed slavery.
In 1830, Lincoln left his family and settled in the village of Salem, where he worked as a surveyor, postman, and merchant. Then he served in the army for some time, and in 1832 he announced his intention to run for election to the Illinois House of Representatives. But the young politician lost this election.
In new elections in 1834, Abraham was successful, and in 1836 he was elected to a second term. In the fall of that year, Lincoln began practicing law. Then he ran for the House of Congress, but lost the elections in 1843 and 1844. Two years later, he nevertheless became a member of Congress from the Whig Party and remained there until 1849.
In 1856, Abraham Lincoln joined the Republican Party, which insisted on banning slavery in the new US territories.
In 1860, the politician won the election and became the sixteenth president of the United States. After the election results became known, the leaders of the South decided to secede from the United States. A civil war began between North and South.
Lincoln issues a decree on September 22, 1862, that if the rebellious Southern states do not return to the Union by January 1, 1863, then all slaves in their territory will be declared free people. It was this decree that led to the creation of an amendment to the US Constitution, according to which slavery was eliminated in the country.
In 1864, the politician was re-elected President for new term. In March of the same year, a solemn ceremony of taking the oath took place.
The Civil War ended with the surrender of the Confederate States of America on April 9, 1865. The country was about to undergo Southern Reconstruction and begin the process of integrating blacks into American society. Five days after the end of the war, on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, at the performance of Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater, the pro-Confederate actor John Wilkes Booth entered the presidential box and shot Lincoln in the head.
The next morning, April 15, 1865, Abraham Lincoln died without regaining consciousness. He is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield.
Memory of Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln is commemorated in a memorial located on the Esplanade in downtown Washington from 1914 to 1922, symbolizing the president's belief that all men should be free. The building symbolizes the United States; it is supported by 36 columns (the number of states during Lincoln's presidency). Inside this white marble structure, sculptor Daniel French placed a six-meter statue of the president-liberator sitting in thought. On the interior walls of the memorial, under allegorical paintings, the texts of Lincoln's Gettysburg and Second Inaugural Addresses are reproduced.
In addition, many monuments have been erected in honor of Lincoln in the United States, a city, streets, a university, various centers, a brand of prestigious cars, and an aircraft carrier are named. The president's profile is carved into Mount Rushmore.
Abraham Lincoln's birthday is a national holiday in some US states.
Lincoln is also featured on the $5 bill.
Abraham Lincoln Family
In 1840, Lincoln met Mary Todd, a girl from Kentucky, and they married on November 4, 1842. Mary gave birth to four sons, three of whom died in childhood before reaching adulthood:
Robert Todd Lincoln (1843-1926). Lincoln's eldest son. American lawyer and Secretary of War. He was married to Mary Harlan Lincoln, with whom he had three children.
Edward Lincoln was born March 10, 1846 and died February 1, 1850 in Springfield.
William Lincoln was born December 21, 1850 and died February 20, 1862 in Washington, during his father's presidency.
Thomas Lincoln was born April 4, 1853, died July 16, 1871 in Chicago.
Abraham Lincoln was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky on February 12, 1809. His father was Thomas Lincoln, a respectable farmer, and his mother was Nancy Hanks, who moved to the state from West Virginia. Alas, young Abraham was not destined to grow up in a wealthy family: in 1816, his father lost most of his property during legal disputes, the cause of which was a fateful legal error in the documents on the farmer's property.
The bankrupt family moved to Indiana, hoping to try their luck in developing free new lands. Soon Nancy Hanks died, and her older sister Sarah took over a number of her duties in caring for Lincoln Jr. In 1819, Thomas Lincoln, recovering from his loss, married Sarah Bush Johnston, a widow who at that time had three children from her first marriage. The future president developed a very warm relationship with Sarah Bush, and gradually she became a second mother to him.
Young Abraham had to take on any part-time job to help his family make ends meet. The exception was fishing and hunting: young Lincoln never took on such work, since it did not correspond to his moral principles.
Abraham became the first in his family to learn to count and write, and also became extremely fond of reading. It is interesting that during all his young years the young man attended school for a total of no more than a year. He was forced to work to help his family, but his tireless thirst for knowledge helped him become a literate person.
When Abraham Lincoln turned 21, his large family decided to move. At the same time, a stately, intelligent young man, whose height was 193 cm, and whose level of erudition was not inferior to the knowledge of any peer who had undergone full-fledged schooling, decided to start an independent life. Until then, he worked regularly for the benefit of his family and gave all his income to his parents, but such activities did not suit him in the context of his life as a whole.
It is worth noting that the success story of Abraham Lincoln is a story not only of inspiring victories, but also of resounding slaps in the face from fate, which the politician always knew how to withstand with true dignity. So, in 1832, he tried to be elected to the Illinois Legislative Assembly, but failed. Then Lincoln began to study the sciences even more seriously than before (he was especially interested in law).
At the same time, the young man and his friend tried to make money at a trading post, but the business of the young entrepreneurs was going very badly. Abraham, forced to count every penny, was saved only by reading a lot and constantly dreaming. Around the same time, Lincoln formed his negative attitude towards slavery.
Subsequently, young Abraham managed to get the position of postmaster in the town of New Salem, and after some time he took the post of surveyor. While living in New Salem, Lincoln acquired one of his most widely known nicknames: "Honest Abe."
Money was still tight for the politician, so he often had to borrow from his friends. But he always repaid his debts on time to the last penny, for which he received such a nickname.
Beginning of a political career
In 1835, Abraham Lincoln again tried to be elected to the Illinois State Legislature, and this time he was successful. In 1836, the politician successfully passed the examination for the official title of lawyer, having studied all areas of the law on his own. Subsequently, he worked in the legal field for quite a long time, including taking on complex cases and refusing to receive payment from low-income citizens who needed his help. In his speeches, Abraham always emphasized democratic values.
In 1846, Honest Abe entered the House of Representatives. As in the elections to the Illinois Legislature, he was elected from the Whig party. Lincoln condemned the aggressive actions of the United States in the Mexican-American War, supported the desire of women to gain suffrage, and spoke out for the gradual ridding of the country from the slave system.
After some time, Abraham had to step away from politics for a while, since his negative attitude towards the Mexican-American War, which was then very popular among the masses, became the reason for the politician’s rejection by his home state. Without covering his head with ashes because of this failure, Lincoln began to devote a lot of time to legal practice.
In 1854, the US Republican Party was created, advocating the abolition of slavery, and in 1856 the politician became part of a new political force. It is worth noting that at that time many former followers of the Whig Party joined the Republican Party.
A few years later, he, along with Democratic Representative Stephen Douglas, ran for the US Senate. During Lincoln's debates Once again expressed his negative attitude towards slavery, which allowed him to create good reputation, although he lost the elections.
President of the U.S.A
In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was nominated as the Republican Party candidate for President of the United States. He was known for his hard work, high moral principles, and had the reputation of “a man of the people.” Interesting Facts politics were read with interest from the pages of newspapers, and his photographs were invariably associated with honesty and valor. As a result, the politician won the elections, gaining more than 80% of the votes.
As President However, the newly elected president also had many opponents. His policy, which excluded the possibility of the spread of slavery, caused several states to declare secession from the United States. The president's statements that the abolition of slavery in those states where it already operates is not planned in the near future could not resolve the irreconcilable contradictions between supporters of the slave system and its opponents.
American Civil War
The war between 15 slave states and 20 states where slavery did not exist began in 1861 and lasted until 1865, becoming a serious test for the newly elected president. In this war, many more American citizens met their premature death than in any other armed conflict in which the United States participated.
The war included a lot of small and large battles and ended with the surrender of the Confederacy, which united the states that supported the legality of the slave system. The country had to undergo the difficult process of integrating the freed black population into American society.
During the war, the president's primary interest was democracy. He made every effort to ensure that, even during the Civil War, the two-party system functioned successfully in the country, elections were organized, freedom of speech and other civil liberties of US residents were preserved.
Second term and murder
During the war years, Abraham Lincoln made many enemies. However, the president was benefited by the abolition of the transfer of arrested citizens to the court, thanks to which all deserters, as well as the most ardent admirers of the slave system, could be immediately imprisoned.
The people also liked the Homestead Act, according to which a settler who began to cultivate the land on a certain plot and erected buildings on it became its full owner.
All this allowed Lincoln to be re-elected to a second term, but to govern home country he, alas, did not have long. On April 14, 1865, five days after the official end of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theater by actor John Wilkes Booth, who had fought for the Southern cause. It is noteworthy that many similarities were subsequently discovered between the circumstances of Lincoln's death and how he was assassinated about a century later.
Today, Lincoln is considered one of the most worthy US presidents, who prevented the collapse of the nation and made a lot of efforts for the liberation of African Americans. A statue of the president was erected in Washington as a sign of the gratitude of all the American people. Quotes from the 16th President of the United States became part of folk wisdom Americans.
Personal life
Honest Abe most likely suffered from a condition called Marfan syndrome. In addition, depression was a frequent companion of Abraham: they say that in his youth the young man even tried to commit suicide several times.
In 1840, the future president met Mary Todd, and in 1842 the couple married. The wife always supported her husband in all his endeavors, and soon after his death she lost her mind.
Four sons were born into the family, but, alas, many of the children of the Lincoln couple died in infancy or young age. The only child of Mary and Abraham who survived adolescence and died in old age was the eldest son, Robert Todd Lincoln.
- politician, writer, national hero, American statesman who left an unforgettable mark on the history of his country. Abraham Lincoln - 16th President of the United States (1861-1865).
The biography of Abraham Lincoln is amazing and varied.
Our hero was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky. Abraham Lincoln's date of birth is February 12, 1809. He lived only 56 years (the date of death of Abraham Lincoln is April 15, 1865).
He was born into a wealthy farming family. They owned pastures, hundreds of head of cattle, several stone houses in the city, but his father Thomas Lincoln got something wrong in the ownership documents.
Because of this legal error, the family lost everything and was forced to move from their home to develop new lands in Indiana. Then Abraham was seven years old. Further childhood of the future President Abraham Lincoln passed in poverty.
In 1818, two years later, Abraham's mother Nancy Hanks died. The father marries the widow Sarah Bush Johnston, who already had children of her own. The relationship with my stepmother was quite warm. Relations with my father gradually deteriorated.
Lincoln's father couldn't read and wanted his son to grow up to be a hardworking guy like himself. The will to knowledge pulled Abe (as he was called then) in the other direction. However, he only went to school for one year. Abraham Lincoln acquired all further knowledge through self-education, which he was always proud of. He worked during the day and read at night. This often happened to the detriment of work. But neighbors often asked him for help - he wrote letters and drafted documents, acquiring new skills and experience.
In his youth, Abe traveled down the Mississippi River, where he became an opponent of slavery. Here, in the village of New Salem, he continued his self-education.
In 1832, Abraham Lincoln ran for a seat in the Illinois Legislature. That time he was defeated.
In 1832, an uprising of Indians broke out in Illinois, who did not want to leave their native places and move west, beyond the Mississippi. Lincoln took part in the militia against the Indians and was even promoted to captain.
In 1833, Abe was appointed postmaster in the town where he lived, New Salem. Here he had a lot of free time for self-education and the opportunity to read newspapers and keep abreast of the political affairs of the country.
At the end of 1833, Lincoln received the position of surveyor and again used this chance to deeply study highly specialized knowledge in topography, geometry, and trigonometry. He worked hard on self-education.
When Lincoln lived in New Salem, he often had to borrow money. He always repaid debts meticulously and honestly, which earned him the nickname “Honest Abe.”
In 1835, at age 26, he became a member of the Illinois Legislature, becoming an opponent of the Democratic President.
In 1836, Lincoln passed the bar exam after studying the law on his own. Many kilometers away, Abraham went to the city to the courts to listen and gain practice in legal matters.
An amazing thirst for development, moving forward! Just rare person, truly, the likes of which you won’t find these days!!!
He has a good reputation and excellent oratory skills. He strengthens his impeccable reputation by providing free legal assistance to the poor.
In the same 1836, in the Legislative Assembly, Lincoln managed to achieve the transfer of the state capital from Vandaleia to Springfield.
In 1837, Lincoln moved to the state capital of Springfield.
In 1842, Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd. She bore him four sons, three of whom died in childhood. Only the eldest, Robert Todd Lincoln, survived. Years of life: 1843 -1926. He was known as a lawyer and minister of war. Had three children.
In 1846, Abraham Lincoln was elected to the House of Representatives from the Whig Party. The Mexican-American War began. Lincoln opposes US aggression because... this will lead to aggravation of internal relations in the country, in which at this time the problem of Negro slavery is worsening.
Abraham Lincoln advocated the gradual emancipation of slaves. In his opinion, this
In 1849, Abraham retired from politics and entered the practice of law, becoming one of the leading lawyers in the state. He accepts an offer to become a lawyer for the Illinois Central railroad.
Lincoln's legal career spans 23 years.
1854 marked the founding of the Republican Party, which included former Whigs, including Abraham Lincoln. He initiated the creation of this party. He is nominated for a seat in the US Senate.
In a debate with Democratic challenger Stephen Douglas, he denounced slavery on moral grounds.
Today one could call Lincoln a racist and even a fascist, because... he considered blacks to be an inferior race. He was convinced of the impossibility of equal coexistence between blacks and whites. He also opposed the expansion of plantations into undeveloped territories, which, of course, aroused the anger of slave owners.
In 1858, Lincoln became a candidate for US Senator. Then he lost the election.
Now his name is "Uncle Abe."
In 1860, Abraham Lincoln, the Republican Party candidate, won the election for President of the United States of America.
In 1861, the US Civil War began and lasted until 1865. The election of Abraham Lincoln as president signaled the start of this war, and the southern states seceded from the northern. First, without waiting for the inauguration, seven states, led by South Carolina, announced their withdrawal from the United States. Then eight more states join them.
In February 1861, in the city of Montgomery (Alabama), secessionists proclaimed the Confederate States of America, led by Jefferson Davis. The capital of the Confederacy was the city of Richmond.
Lincoln called for the reunification of the country in his inaugural address, but the conflict had already flared up. Confederates, confident in their moral and military superiority, are preparing for active hostilities.
The South had military superiority over the North because... The army of the south was led by talented generals, combat-ready units and well-motivated officers. Arsenals of weapons were replenished long before the start of the conflict. Finally, the very real hope that Great Britain would support - all this generally contributed to the victories of the southerners in the first months of the confrontation.
President Abraham Lincoln competently leads the civil war, forms a combat-ready army, and blocks the enemy from the sea. Military conscription is introduced and civil liberties are limited.
Already in February-March 1861, the scales tipped to the side of the federates. The army of the North ousts the army of the southerners, first from Kentucky and Tennessee, then from Mississippi.
Advancing with varying success, the north is pushing back the enemy.
On December 30, 1862, the President signed a piece of legislation, the Emancipation Proclamation.
Now all black slaves were declared free.
IN civil war a turning point occurred: a huge number of blacks joined the ranks of the army of the north. The war began to have a liberation character.
Lincoln achieved the neutrality of England and France. Russian Emperor Alexander II, sympathizing with the US President, sent a squadron to New York and San Francisco.
With a strong-willed effort, old Abe managed to gather the economic and military power of the North into a fist and crush the southern slaveholders.
Lincoln understood and loved his people very much, for which grateful American citizens responded to him with universal support.
In 1864, Lincoln was re-elected to a second term.
On April 9, 1865, Confederate Commander-in-Chief Lee signed a surrender. President Jefferson Davis was arrested. The south was given over to plunder by merchants and bankers. Wanting to humiliate whites, blacks were often specially appointed to government positions, because the abolition of slavery did not at all mean an expansion of freedom and opportunities for former slaves. On long years The South was doomed to humiliation and poverty.
Abraham Lincoln is credited with facts such as the fact that this man was able to keep the country from collapse, solved the agrarian problem, and created a new banking system. In addition, Lincoln saved the United States from the shame of slavery, although there was hypocrisy in society towards blacks. The abolition of slavery was one of Abraham Lincoln's major democratic reforms.
If you want to succeed, continue to believe in yourself even when no one believes in you anymore.
He remained one of America's best and most beloved presidents, a liberator of American slaves, a national hero of the American people, although he was subject to severe criticism during his presidency. The outstanding biography of Abraham Lincoln is proof of this.
You can read an article about Soviet fashion models Regina Zbarskaya and Marina Ivleva .
Abraham Lincoln's wife was a restless, fearful, and extravagant woman. Mary became the victim of a cruel set of circumstances: she lost loved ones four times, and her only surviving son declared his mother insane, and after the murder of her husband she spent the rest of her days in poverty.
Of Lincoln's four children, only the eldest, Robert (1843-1926), reached adulthood. Three-year-old Edward died of tuberculosis in 1850, William died presumably of typhoid at the age of eleven in 1862, and Thomas (Ted) died of pleurisy and subsequent heart complications at eighteen.
Even when Mary was first lady and her husband tried to limit her, Lincoln's wife did not keep track of her money. Upon learning that she had overspent some $20,000 refurbishing the White House, Lincoln declared that he would rather pay the bills out of his own pocket than let the people of America know that they were "paying for all sorts of crap for that damned old house, while how the soldiers can’t get blankets.”
Unable to find a place for herself after the death of her husband in 1865, Mary constantly traveled and became interested in spiritualism. The inheritance was divided between her, Robert and Ted, but she bitterly complained that her share ($1,700) was too small to provide for a decent life, and tried to secretly sell off her wardrobe and jewelry. In October 1867, Robert told his fiancée that "in some respects mother is mentally incompetent."
Upon returning to the United States in 1871 after three years in Europe, she was shocked by Tad's death. By this time, Congress had voted to grant her a pension of 3,000 pounds, but she continued to complain about poverty. At the same time, she began to experience auditory and visual hallucinations. After consulting with doctors, Robert turned to the Chicago court in 1875 with a request to consider the issue of her sanity. Stories about her unprecedented sprees, thousands of dollars hidden in her underwear, and a strange demeanor convinced the court to place her in a private hospital in the town of Batavia, PC. Illinois. That same evening, Mary tried to commit suicide by drinking what she believed was a tincture of opium. After four months of treatment, she was allowed to move to live with her sister in Springfield. Illinois, and in June 1876 a jury found that her sanity had returned.
Still at loggerheads with Robert, Mary once again went to Europe in 1879 and settled in the French resort town of Pau, near the border with Spain, where she began to lose excess weight. A diabetic, Mary was constantly thirsty and suffered from painful boils, blurred vision and back pain. Her spinal cord was damaged after she fell from a folding ladder while hanging a picture.
Lost to 100 pounds and half-blind from cataracts, Mary was returning to the United States on a ship in October 1880 when a high wave struck the ship and she rolled across the wet deck. Her traveling companion, actress Sarah Bernhardt, supported Mary and saved her from falling off the ramp. Bernard later wrote in her memoirs: “I did the only thing for this unfortunate woman that should not have been done - I saved her life.”
The President's widow has lived for the past year and a half with her sister's family in Springfield, dark room, surrounded by their chests and baskets. Mary always slept on one side of the bed, believing that Abraham was lying next to her. Twice she traveled to New York in the hope of being cured of partial paralysis. Congress increased her pension to $5,000 and paid a lump sum of $15,000. Towards the end of her life she reconciled with Robert. On July 15, 1882, Mary Lincoln suffered a stroke and fell into a coma. The next day she died.
Mary Lincoln's coffin was displayed in the hall in which she was married forty-one years ago, and friends came to say goodbye to her. At a service at Springfield Presbyterian Church, the Rev. James A. Reed said, “For one who led such a miserable existence, life became a protracted death... She died with Abraham Lincoln.”