BIOGRAPHY
Abraham Lincoln, the finest president USA ever had, was born in a log cabin in the
backcountry of Hodgenville, Hardin, USA on 12th February, 1809. He did not have a great
relationship with his father Thomas Lincoln who was a carpenter and a farmer, but his mother
Nancy Hawks, who died in 1818, was very dear to him.
His stepmother, Sarah Bush Johnson was very affectionate and kind to him. Lincoln
had no formal schooling. His stepmother inspired him to educate and discipline himself. His
family first shifted to Indiana and then to Illinois in 1830.
Lincoln had amazing ambition from early childhood and had a strong penchant for learning law. He
made incredible efforts to gain knowledge of law. He worked in a farm, split rails used in the
fences, surveyed, managed a mill and worked in a store at New Salem, Illinois while he was
studying law.
He participated in the famous Black Hawk War in 1832.
Lincoln came to Illinois legislature in 1834 and was named the floor leader of the party. He
served the state legislature for four successive terms and gained prominence as a Whig. He left
the legislature in 1841.
Lincoln obtained his license to practice as an attorney in 1836 and shifted to
Springfield the next year where he joined John T. Stuart as a law partner. He practiced law for
20 years in Springfield displaying great oratory eloquence, a cogent argument capability, and
great understanding of law.Lincoln got married to Mary Todd of Springfield, in 1842. Lincoln’s
marriage was not happy due to prolonged instability of his wife.
He emerged in the national scene by joining the Congress for one term from 1847 to
1849. Lincoln denounced the Mexican War which made him unpopular at home. When he was not
offered the office of his choice after working hard for the election of Zachary Taylor in 1848,
Lincoln retired from politics and started practicing law again.
Lincoln got heavily involved in the burning issue of slavery and came back to
politics again in 1854. He vehemently opposed Stephen Arnold Douglas and targeted his criticism
mainly to the Kansas-Nebraska Act. He was a candidate for the senate in 1855 but lost and joined
the new Republican Party next year.
He gained his prominence in the party as an opponent to slavery. Lincoln stood
against Stephen Arnold Douglas for the post of Senator in 1858. Though he was defeated in the
election, he won a national accolade for his debate with Douglas which helped him win the
Republican nomination for the post of President in the year 1860.In the presidential election,
Lincoln won against John Cabell Breckinridge and Douglas from the Democratic Party, and John
Bell from Constitutional Union Party, and was elected as the President.
Immediately upon the election of Lincoln as the President of the America, the
belligerent South Carolina along with six southern states, who supported slavery, seceded from
the union. In February 1961, a new Southern government was formed when the Crittenden Compromise
failed.Though strongly condemning the secession, Lincoln decided not to use force. However when
he wanted to send provisions to the beleaguered garrison in Fort Sumter, the Southern
Confederate opposed it and on April 12, 1961 they opened fire to reduce the fort. This led to
the beginning of the Civil War and secession of Upper South.
With the outbreak of civil war, the inexperienced Lincoln proved himself as one of
the most extraordinary leaders of USA, both morally and politically. He displayed astute
political sense and maturity. He declared the war being fought primarily against secession and
not slavery. During this time the union army was formed. Lincoln made some brilliant moves to
contain the war in spite of several criticisms. He found a highly competent general in Ulysses
Simpson Grant. Lincoln found the right time to announce the Emancipation Proclamation in
September 1862 after the victory at Antietam. In 1865, the slavery was legally ended.
With his immortal Gettysburg Address in November 1863, Lincoln ably defined war as
a struggle for keeping the idea of democracy and his famous sentence ‘government of the
people, by the people, for the people’ moved the people of America.Lincoln was re-elected
as US President in 1864 defeating Gen. George B. McClellan. Abraham saw the victory of Union
forces in 1865 and while he started planning for liberal reconstruction policy, he was shot dead
by actor John Wilkes Booth, who was a southern fanatic, on 14th April, 1865, at Ford’s
Theater. Abraham Lincoln died the next morning.
Lincoln was buried in Springfield, IL. Known by various name as Father Abraham, Old Abe, Honest Abe, the Great Emancipator, the Rail-splitter, the nation of America still mourns the death of the most distinguished president they ever had.
