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Abraham Lincoln was a man who was best known for standing against the difficult problems of his day. Issues such as slavery, Negro social and political rights, and saving the Union in a nation based on the Declaration of Independence. Lincoln had many strengths as well as flaws. Lincoln was a self-educated man, who had never had a full year of schooling in his life. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809. He was born to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. In 1816, the Lincoln’s moved from Kentucky to across the Ohio River to Indiana. His father left Kentucky.
Early on in life Lincoln had religious reasons for disliking slavery. His family was Separate Baptists who had to stick to a strict code of morality that condemned profanity, intoxication, gossip, horse racing, dancing, and slavery. October 5, a little over a year after living in Indiana, Lincoln’s mother died of a devastating outbreak of what was called “milk sickness”, along with several other relatives. In March 1832, Lincoln announced that he would run as a candidate for the state legislature. Lincoln was twenty-three and had decided to live in New Salem, where he was a clerk in a small country store.
He had little formal education, so it as hard for him to get the job. He campaigned well, but in the end, Lincoln ran eighth out of thirteen candidates. In 1834 he entered his second race for the state legislature. Lincoln received 1376 votes, placing him the second highest candidate and was elected. In 1840, Lincoln decided not to run for re-election. On November 6, 1860 Lincoln was elected President. He won over two democratic candidates, Stephen Douglas, and John Breckinridge. He received 180 out of 303 possible electoral votes, and 40 percent of the popular vote.
On March 4, 1861, Lincoln delivers his First Inaugural Address. Lincoln said in a portion of his Inaugural Speech: “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so. ” On March 6, 1861, Lincoln became the president of a very divided America. Abraham Lincoln had quite a bit to deal with. Within the first four months of him becoming President seven states had already seceded from the Union, letting him know that he was not wanted as President, and in May 3 others would do the same.
Later in 1861 the Confederate states had set out to attack Fort Sumter. Lincoln tried to stop this by telling the navy to block all the southern points. This made it impossible for manufactured goods to reach the southern states, so they eventually joined the Confederacy. On July 21, 1861 Lincoln lost the first real battle of the Civil War, the battle of Bull Run. He decided to change generals to George B. McClellan. They lost another battle at Bull Run, and moved to Maryland. This is where the battle of Antietam took place. This day was considered one of the bloodiest days of the war.
Both sides lost a great deal of men, even though the union finally had a victory, they lost a great deal of men. Because of the victory Lincoln proposed the Emancipation Proclamation. This freed slaves in the areas that rebellion was established. But the Emancipation Proclamation did not free the Union slave states. On April 14, 1865, the president attended a play called “Our American Cousin. ” He was at the Fords Theater in Washington. While Lincoln was watching the play John W. Booth shot him in the back of the head. He didn’t die right away, he suffered for a while, and then died at 7:22 the next day.