Abraham Lincoln: A Brief Biography

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Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States of America and is regarded as one of the most courageous politicians of our time. Lincoln astonished the nation with his eloquence during his presidency, while emancipating slavery and being the savior of the nation while it was at war with itself. President Lincoln held presidency that all nations strive to achieve today. On February 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln was born in Hodgeville, Kentucky to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. In like manner, his parents were born into undistinguished families. By the same token, his father was able to provide a sensible living as a frontiersman for the Lincoln family. Abraham was the middle child of three children; Sarah and brother Thomas, …show more content…
In contrast, he was 31 and she was 21 when she accepted his proposal, despite her family objections to his background. However, a year later the engagement was called off for an unknown reason. They later met in the fall of 1842 and were married November 4, 1842. It is understood that she was an abolitionist and supported Lincolns political movements throughout his career. As a result, Todd was labeled as a traitor to her Kentucky roots for supporting Lincoln’s politics. During their marriage, Lincoln supported his wife through an illness that most likely caused by the death of their 11-year-old son Willie in 1862 (they would go on to have four children, only Robert would make it on to adulthood). During the wake of his son’s death, Lincoln had the weight of fighting the Confederacy. It is important to note the many hardships that occurred in Lincolns personal life during his presidency. Despite those difficulties, he is regarded as one of the most heroic presidents this nation has ever …show more content…
House of Representatives from 1847 to 1849 standing as a Whig. While serving in congress, he became unpopular by speaking out against the Mexican-American War and support for future president Zachary Taylor. The criticism Lincoln faced on his platform of slavery made him extremely unpopular back in Illinois, but a prominent figure in the national politics. Moreover, once his term was over, he decided to return back to Springfield to continue his law career.
When the Missouri Compromise was repealed in 1854, congress passed the Kansas- Nebraska act, which allowed states and territories to decide for themselves whether they allow slavery. Following its repeal, violent opposition throughout Kansas and Illinois caused the Republican party to be revived with Lincoln on its side.
Generally speaking, Lincoln did stand against slavery, but he didn’t believe on the level of morale. Instead, he believed that slavery was a bad economic development. In summary, Lincoln did not believe that slaves were equal to white men, but believed that the founding fathers meant that all men were created with certain inalienable rights. Thus Lincoln began his opposition to slavery after the 1857 Supreme Court Scott v. Stanford that declared African-Americans unlawful citizens with no inherent rights. Following this, Lincoln challenged the seat of U.S. Senator Stephen Douglass but was defeated. Although Lincoln lost the campaign, he gained nationwide recognition

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