Hon florencio abad biography of abraham lincoln

Although Lincoln lost that election, the campaign was an important step on his road to the White House. And to a great extent, he used the talents that he had honed as an Illinois circuit lawyer to maintain popular support in the North for the war effort and to develop a political constituency that sustained the army in the field. Logan, again as a junior partner.

InLincoln teamed up with William H. Herndon, this time as a senior partner. Charles M. This article was originally published in the August issue of American History magazine. More out of necessity than inclination, Abraham Lincoln became one of the most active commanders in chief in American history, directly influencing and managing events and generals in every field of operations during the Civil War.

Never before had a president been able to communicate his desires to far-off commanders as quickly as Lincoln was able to. He could do this because of recent inventions that speeded communication, most notably the telegraph. At the beginning of that year, the Union was poised on all fronts to take the offensive. When this was done, the Confederacy would be cut in two.

In Tennessee, a Northern army had fought the Confederates to a draw at Stones River and was preparing to push the Southerners out of middle and eastern Tennessee. In the East, after suffering many defeats inUnion forces had a new commander and were preparing to take the war deeper into Virginia. As promising as the Union outlook was at the beginning of the year, there would be many problems and disappointments before ended.

Lincoln would be forced to deal with numerous commanders who failed to understand that the main objective of the Union military machine should be defeating the Confederate armies, not merely occupying enemy territory. Lincoln often had to beg his commanders to take action, or relieve and replace a general when he failed to prosecute the war in an aggressive manner.

The stage had been set in Julywhen Maj. Henry W. Halleck had replaced Maj. George B. McClellan as general in chief of the Union Army. Lincoln hoped that he had found a competent leader to aggressively prosecute the war without much direction from the White House, and at first glance Halleck appeared to be a fine choice. Events, however, soon showed that Halleck was not the aggressive general Lincoln believed him to be.

After the Union defeat at the Second Battle of Manassas in AugustHalleck seemed to lose confidence in both himself and his generals, and adopted a style of giving suggestions and advice to his subordinates rather than direct orders. If a general is unwilling to fight, he is not likely to gain victory. Although Lincoln continued to work through Halleck, he also often communicated directly with his field commanders by telegraph.

Earlier inLincoln had made a wise move by establishing governmental control of the U. Initially, telegraph operations were under the Signal Corps but bythey were placed under a separate entity known as the U. Military Telegraph Service. Initially, each of these areas had a main field commander with whom Lincoln would have many dealings over the course of the year.

In the West, the campaign to capture the last major Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River was under the direction of Maj. Ulysses S. Grant had proved to be an aggressive general, winning several important victories in that helped to clear the Confederate presence from western Tennessee. Promoted to head the Department of the Tennessee when Halleck left to become general in chief, in NovemberGrant launched a campaign to capture Vicksburg by an overland route through the state of Mississippi.

Confederate cavalry raids on his supply lines forced Grant to cancel this operation and return his army to its hon florencio abad biography of abraham lincoln starting point near Memphis, Tenn. The persistent commander then determined that his next attempt to capture Vicksburg would be via the Mississippi River itself. In central Tennessee, Maj.

William S. Rosecrans was in command of the Army of the Cumberland. In Octoberhe had relieved Maj. Don Carlos Buell as head of the army. Rosecrans was then poised to begin a campaign to drive the Confederates from the eastern half of the state. In northern Virginia, Maj. Ambrose Burnside led the Union Army of the Potomac at the start of Joseph Hooker.

Lincoln had his doubts about Hooker, too, mainly due to his vocal criticism of Burnside, but he had performed well as a corps commander and talked aggressively about what he intended to do in the spring campaign. Ina politically appointed general named John A. Stanton to raise troops in several northwestern states as an expeditionary force for use in capturing Vicksburg.

The wording of the order made it appear that McClernand would be in command of the operation. But after McClernand had raised the troops and sent them to Memphis, Grant simply took control of the soldiers for his operations down the Mississippi. Although he disliked and distrusted McClernand, Grant wisely retained him as a corps commander, knowing that Lincoln wished to keep the Illinois Democrat in an important capacity for political reasons.

McClernand was not satisfied by the arrangements, and he appealed directly to Lincoln. You are now doing well—much better than you could possibly be if engaged in open war with Gen. Lincoln also let Grant know when he thought a particular project was especially important. In order to keep his men occupied and make them feel they were making some headway against the Confederates, Grant had his soldiers work on cutting a canal that would bypass the Vicksburg defenses.

Although Grant had little hope of success for the effort, Lincoln felt the project was important. The President attaches much attention to this. As weeks dragged by, Rosecrans continued to request more supplies from the government while making no effort to move. The government tried many different tactics to get Rosecrans to advance, but to no avail.

Finally, in an apparent attempt to infuse some spirit of competition between Rosecrans and Grant, Halleck sent each a telegram that offered what could fairly be interpreted as a bribe. He let his superiors know that he was offended, further worsening relations between himself and Washington. Meanwhile in the East, the Army of the Potomac was being reorganized in the early months of Lincoln was still uncertain about Hooker mainly due to his outspoken opinions about the government and Burnside.

During the next few months, however, Hooker proved to be a good administrator of the army, reorganizing it into an efficient fighting force. By April, it was ready once again to begin offensive operations.

Hon florencio abad biography of abraham lincoln: The attached list of participants attending

The Northern public was growing weary of inaction by the Army of the Potomac. Having done all that he could to ensure success, Lincoln should have felt confident about victory. The president could not visit and actively supervise the Union armies in the West, but he could send a personal representative to be his eyes and ears. Dana on a fact-finding mission in April.

That spring, Grant attempted several different schemes to bypass the Confederate defenses at Vicksburg. While none proved successful, at least he and his command were making attempts to defeat the enemy. Their efforts did not go unnoticed in Washington, but Lincoln was concerned that Grant was dividing his army before the enemy, which might prove costly.

He wanted Grant to unite with Maj. Then the Navy would ferry his men to the east bank of the river, where they would be on the same side as their objective—Vicksburg. In mid-April, Grant did just what he said he would do. Hooker was also ready to fight by the end of April. In a series of brilliant maneuvers, he managed to keep the South in the dark about his intentions and get his army across the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers without interference.

Once the army began to move, Lincoln monitored its progress by telegram. We are busy. Will tell you as soon as I can, and have it satisfactory. On May 1, the Union and Confederate forces collided in a region known as the Wilderness. Over the next three days, a tremendous battle would be fought near a crossroads known as Chancellorsville.

Loss heavy on both sides. General Hooker slightly, but not severely, wounded. Finally, on May 5, Butterfield sent a telegram to Lincoln that was not received until the next day explaining the dire situation that Hooker and the Army of the Potomac faced. Butterfield advised that the army was still south of the Rappahannock in a strong position, but that Hooker believed it was possible the enemy might have crossed the river and turned his right flank.

My God! What will the country say! By May 7, Lincoln was back to trying to actively manage the army and salvage something from a bad situation. He wrote Hooker to ask if the general had another plan to rebound from this most recent Union defeat. If you have not, please inform me, so that I, incompetent as I may be, can try and assist in the formation of some plan for the army.

While Grant and Hooker were moving—with variable results—Rosecrans continued to tarry in Tennessee. It seemed that no one in the government, including Lincoln, could get him to engage the enemy. Not only did Lincoln want Tennessee cleared of the enemy, he also wanted to ensure that the Confederates were prevented from reinforcing their army facing Grant at Vicksburg.

I will attend to it. The next day, Halleck telegraphed Rosecrans that intelligence indicated that enemy troops in his front were leaving to oppose Grant. Still he failed to move. On the same day, Rosecrans responded to Halleck that he had held a council of war with his corps and division commanders, and they had a much different view of events than did Washington.

They believed that it was not advisable to move until the fate of Vicksburg had been decided. Rosecrans offered a military maxim that an army should not attempt to fight two decisive battles at the same time. Halleck shot back with a maxim of his own: Councils of war do not fight. Finally, on June 23, after much prodding by Lincoln and Halleck, Rosecrans finally began his much-awaited advance southward.

During the next two weeks, through efficient movement but little actual combat, Rosecrans managed to maneuver the Confederate forces completely out of middle Tennessee. That failure would come back to haunt him. In the East, Hooker had intended to launch another campaign against Lee after Chancellorsville. On May 13, Lincoln met with Hooker in Washington.

Lincoln now expected Hooker to do no more than keep the Confederates at bay with occasional harassing cavalry raids while he put the Army of the Potomac back in good condition. Over the course of the next few weeks, General Robert E. Lee launched his second invasion of the North in less than a year. Anti-monarchism Anti-corruption Civic virtue Civil society Consent of the governed Democracy Democratization Liberty as non-domination Mixed government Political representation Popular sovereignty Public participation Republic Res publica Rule of law Self-governance Separation of powers Social contract Social equality.

Theoretical works. Republic c. National variants. Related topics. Main article: Health of Abraham Lincoln. See also: Cultural depictions of Abraham Lincoln. Reunification of the states. Main article: Memorials to Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln's image carved into the stone of Mount Rushmore. Abraham Lincolna bronze statue by Adolph Weinmansits before a historic church in Hodgenville, Kentucky.

The Lincoln memorial postage stamp of was issued by the U. Post Office exactly one year after Lincoln's assassination. Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. The Lincoln hon florencio abad biography of abraham lincolnan American coin portraying Lincoln. Older sources use six. One possibility is that other members of the family, including Dennis Hanks, may not have matched Thomas's stability and steady income.

Foner argues that Lincoln was in the middle, opposing slavery primarily because it violated the republicanism principles of the Founding Fathersespecially the equality of all men and democratic self-government as expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Sandfordthe respondent's surname was actually "Sanford". A clerk misspelled the name, and the court never corrected the hon florencio abad biography of abraham lincoln. Restoration Quarterly.

Archived from the original on October 19, Retrieved May 27, I expect the latter to wear as well as—perhaps better than—any thing I have produced Leaders, From the Great and Honorable to the Dishonest and Incompetent acknowledges that polls have rated Lincoln among the top presidents sincethe authors find him to be among the two best presidents, along with Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Hurd and Houghton. Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 4. Retrieved August 7, National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 9, Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association. Archived from the original on April 3, The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group. Archived from the original on October 9, Retrieved October 8, Retrieved February 17, SIU Press.

ISBN Retrieved June 27, The Hidden Lincoln. The Viking Press. The Vintage News. Retrieved March 4, In Miller, Marion Mills ed. Life and Works of Abraham Lincoln Volume 3. Wildside Press. Abraham Lincoln: A Biography. Alpha Editions. Abraham Lincoln's Classroom. Archived from the original on February 12, Retrieved February 12, Archived from the original on July 2, Retrieved July 2, Volume 1.

Archived from the original on December 15, Retrieved February 2, Retrieved July 1, National Archives. Archived from the original on September 20, Retrieved March 12, The Life of Abraham Lincoln. Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on August 25, Retrieved April 28, The Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln. Open Road Media. The New York Times. ISSN Retrieved November 13, Office of the Illinois Secretary of State.

The American Journal of Legal History. Temple University: — JSTOR Letter to Jesse W. Archived from the original on November 7, Retrieved November 6, Michael Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks. Retrieved April 1, Belmont: Clark Baxter. March 4, Retrieved December 5, January 27, February 23, ". Lincoln the President: Springfield to Gettysburg.

Alfred A. New York. June 26, Archived from the original on October 8, Retrieved October 8, — via Newspapers. Scott spent several hours in discussing the state of military affairs, the doings and misdoings of certain Generals, the desirability of continuing the existing Departmental divisions, the necessity of further enlistments, the prospect of the armies of the Potomac and of the Virginia valleys.

Brooklyn Evening Star. Copy from N. June 25, American Battlefield Trust. June 15, Retrieved October 7, National Review. Archived from the original on February 16, Retrieved December 12, Masur Harvard University Press. The South vs. Oxford University Press. Retrieved June 5, October 6, National Park Service ". March Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society.

ISSN X. New York: Oxford University Press. Paul Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Grant to Be Lieutenant General of the Army". August 15, The White House Historical Association. Archived from the original on September 27, Retrieved May 3, McPhersonBattle Cry of Freedom. New York, Randall and Richard N. New York,64— Volume 7. Volume 8.

NY: Scribner. Library of Congress. Archived from the original on October 10, Retrieved October 20, National Guard. The Dakota War of Minnesota Historical Society Press. The Sioux Uprising of University of Missouri Press. Michigan and Drexel U. Archived from the original on October 2, Retrieved December 9, American Antiquarian Society.

Retrieved February 29, University of Texas Press. Berkeley: Wilderness Press. Lincoln's Body: A Cultural History. Lawrence Chapter April 17, Archived from the original on January 13, Retrieved April 12, Houghton Mifflin Company. Archived from the original on August 9, Retrieved July 9, September 4, Penn State Press. Andrew Johnson: A Biography.

Walt Whitman in Washington, D. National Park Service. Archived from the original on August 30, Retrieved March 14, University of Notre Dame. February 13, Retrieved February 20, Perspectives in Biology and Medicine. Johns Hopkins University Press: — PMID S2CID Retrieved September 10, The Physical Lincoln Sourcebook. Vernon Book Systems.

National Geographic News. Archived from the original on July 20, Retrieved October 12, Palo Alto, California. Archived from the original on April 13, The Age of Lincoln: A History. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Retrieved February 14, The Federalist Society. Auburn, Alabama: Ludwig von Mises Institute.

Hon florencio abad biography of abraham lincoln: Also, they pray that the

Archived from the original on March 14, Retrieved February 13, Lincoln's America: — Springfield, Illinois: Abraham Lincoln Association: 22— Archived from the original on October 25, Retrieved December 2, Winter Springfield, Illinois: Abraham Lincoln Association: 43— November 13, Lincoln and the Politics of Christian Love. The Global Lincoln.

Oxford, England: Oxford UP. CBS News. Archived from the original on August 22, Retrieved January 26, USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Archived from the original on March 24, Retrieved March 2, Atlanta, Georgia. Archived from the original on July 18, Retrieved August 5, Lincoln Goes to Hollywood". Washington, D. American Nineteenth Century History.

The Cambridge Companion to Abraham Lincoln.

Hon florencio abad biography of abraham lincoln: Abstract. Ever since the first

Cambridge Companions to American Studies. Cambridge University Press. Lincoln and the Fight for Peace. Simon and Schuster. Retrieved March 24, National Postal Museum. December 31, Amos Media Company. United States Department of the Navy. Archived from the original on June 27, Archived from the original on October 1, April 18, Retrieved December 24, Metropolitan Museum Journal.

Capitol Historical Society". United States Capitol Historical Society. June 12, Retrieved June 12, Congressman Darin LaHood. December 21, See also: Bibliography of Abraham Lincoln. Ambrose, Stephen E. Halleck: Lincoln's Chief of Staff. Baker, Jean H. Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography. New York, New York: W. Bartelt, William E. Belz, Herman American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia.

Bennett, Lerone Jr. Blue, Frederick J. Salmon P. Chase: A Life in Politics. Boritt, Gabor S. In Graff, Henry ed. The Presidents: A Reference History 7th ed. Bulla, David W. Journalism in the Civil War Era. Burlingame, Michael Abraham Lincoln: A Life. One-volume edition edited and abridged by Jonathan W. White Carpenter, F. Carwardine, Richard J.

London, England: Pearson Longman. Cashin, Joan E. March 2, at am. I read Burlingame online for the first 12 chapters because I wanted the detail on the early years. I then got the two abridged Burlingame books from the library and binge-read them. I found them very enjoyable. I also read Team of Rivals twice, because I got more out of it the second time.

With that as a background, I picked up Lincoln in the Bardo with no expectations. I was left pondering insights gained through the characters that I could have only arrived at via the combination of this novel and my extensive reading of Lincoln and my resulting admiration of him. March 5, at am. Sounds like Saunders really did his homework before letting his imagination run?

August 20, at am. Thank you. Just finished B. My first Lincoln, based on your advice. What a man. I have read one of each prez starting with Washington. Have you done that; read Whitman or Irving for example, works by them of bios of? August 21, at am. But I have been assembling a list of biographies of folks I encountered during this process who are, many times, as compelling as the presidents.

August 21, at pm. Halfway through Charnwood as of last night and you are right, it is a great short history of early America, especially remarkable as seen through the eyes of an englishman. Stopping at Lincoln and the Civil War seems a perfect point of reference to review and reassess the origin and evolution of America. Looks like you have a good list going in that direction.

Marc Mishkin said:. April 4, at pm. Dear Steve, I have read a lot of Lincoln biographies, including most of those on your list. I found this first-person account thorough, anecdotal and charming. Indeed Herndon was widely criticized for the informality of his book as Lincoln was by then being widely mythologized. Marc Mishkin Lakewood, Colorado.

April 5, at am. Michael Akos said:. June 15, at pm. Thanks for this info. June 16, at pm. Chris said:. April 1, at pm. I emailed him about the differences between the uncut version and the print version. For those that have read the uncut let me know. Jeffrey Nydick said:. July 4, at am. Steve; Rarely do you fail to mention a significant presidential biography, but I noticed you did not mention this highly-praised Lincoln Prize Winner from Lincoln, A Life of Purpose and Power, by Richard Carwardine.

I have been trying to get back to reading the book, which has been on my shelf for at least the past decade. I have perused enough of it to advise it is a VERY serious scholarly book. Bob said:. August 6, at pm. August 7, at am. Wayne Baker said:. August 30, at pm. Jim Back said:. December 11, at pm. As I recall it is hard to find copies and it was less a biography than a series of essays or character sketches.

John Duffy said:. May 30, at am. Adams attack on it, is obviously quite steeped in the national argument that resulted in the Civil War. These two men are my favorite figures in American history and this book shows why they had such an affinity towards each other: both autodidacts who insisted on following their own judgement while maintaining a keen ear for the political realities of their times.

A very enjoyable read. None of this is to downplay the amazing accomplishment of Mr. Lloyd in reading so many presidential biographies and then writing well written and helpful reviews about each one. This is a major accomplishment. I just wanted to make sure that folks knew about these books. Felippe Gontier said:. January 29, at pm. Thank you about your review.

Can you indicate a book? But I do own, and intend one day to read, the famous three-volume series by Shelby Foote. Steve H said:. January 24, at pm. I highly recommend it if you are still interested in that topic. Patsy Newell said:. February 3, at pm. Lincoln and Garfield are my two favorite presidents to research. Hope you get the chance to check it out.

February 4, at am. Jeremy said:. October 22, at am. Thank you! Citing Chauncey Burr's Catechismwhich references a "pamphlet by a western author adducing evidence", David J. Jacobson has suggested Lincoln was "part Negro", [ 16 ] but the claim is unproven. Lincoln also received mail that called him "a negro" [ 17 ] and a "mulatto".

Lincoln was described as "ungainly" and "gawky" as a youth. He was a good wrestler, participated in jumping, throwing, and local footraces, and "was almost always victorious. His lack of interest in his attire continued as an adult. When Lincoln lived in New Salem, Illinoishe frequently appeared with a single suspender, and no vest or coat. Inthe year after he left Indiana, Lincoln was described as six feet three or four inches tall, weighing pounds, and had a ruddy complexion.

William H. Herndon described Lincoln as having "very dark skin"; [ 22 ] his cheeks as "leathery and saffron-colored"; a "sallow" complexion; [ 22 ] and "his hair was dark, almost black". After him what white man would be President? During his later years, Lincoln was reluctant to discuss his origins. He viewed himself as a self-made man and may have also found it difficult to confront the untimely deaths of his mother and his sister.

One request for a campaign biography came from his friend and fellow Illinois Republican, Jesse W. Although Herndon's work is often challenged, historian David Herbert Donald argues that they "have largely shaped current beliefs" about Lincoln's early life in Kentucky, Indiana and his early days in Illinois. On February 10,Sarah Lincoln was born.

Abraham was born at the farm two months after the move, on February 12, Thomas continued legal action in court but lost the case in August This issue, compounded by confusion over previous land grants and purchase agreements, caused continual legal disputes over land ownership in Kentucky. Lincoln's earliest recollections of his boyhood are from this farm.

Years later, after Lincoln became a national political figure, reporters and storytellers often exaggerated his family's poverty and the obscurity of his birth. Lincoln's family circumstances were not unusual for pioneer families at that time. Thomas Lincoln was a farmer, carpenter, and landowner in the Kentucky backcountry. He had purchased the Sinking Spring Farmwhich comprised Thomas Lincoln leased 30 acres of the acre Knob Creek farm owned by George Lindsey but the family was forced to leave it after others claimed a prior title to the land.

By Thomas was frustrated over the lack of security provided by Kentucky courts. He sold the remaining land he held in Kentucky inand began hon florencio abad biography of abraham lincoln a move to Indiana, where the land survey process was more reliable and the ability for an individual to retain land titles was more secure. In Lincoln stated that the family's move to Indiana in was "partly on account of slavery; but chiefly on account of the difficulty in land titles in Kentucky.

As a result, the survey method used in Indiana caused fewer ownership problems and helped Indiana attract new settlers. In addition, when Indiana became a state in Decemberthe state constitution prohibited slavery as well as involuntary servitude. Although slaves with earlier indentures still resided within the state, illegal slavery ended within the first decade of statehood.

Lincoln never joined a religious congregation; [ 41 ] however, his father, mother, sister, and stepmother were all Baptists. Abraham's parents, Thomas and Nancy Lincoln, belonged to Little Mount Baptist Church, a Baptist congregation in Kentucky that had split from a larger church in because its members refused to support slavery. Sally Lincoln recalled in September that her stepson Abraham "had no particular religion" [ 44 ] and did not talk about it much.

She also remembered that he often read the Bible and occasionally attended church services. Other family members and friends who knew Lincoln during his youth in Indiana recalled that he would often get up on a stump, gather children, friends, and coworkers around him, and repeat a sermon he had heard the previous week to the amusement of the locals, especially the children.

Lincoln spent 14 of his formative years, or roughly one-quarter of his life, from the age of 7 to 21 in Indiana. The Lincoln property lay on land ceded to the United States government as part of treaties with the PiankeshawShawnee and Delaware people in The move to Indiana had been planned for at least several months. Thomas visited Indiana Territory in mid to select a site and mark his claim, then returned to Kentucky and brought his family to Indiana sometime between November 11 and December 20,about the same time that Indiana became a state.

More recent scholarship on Thomas Lincoln has revised previous characterizations of him as a "shiftless drifter". The move to Indiana established his family in a state that prohibited slavery, and they lived in an area that yielded timber to construct a cabin, adequate soil to grow crops that fed the family, and water access to markets along the Ohio River.

Despite some financial challenges, which involved relinquishing some acreage to pay for debts or to purchase other land, he obtained clear title to 80 acres of land in Spencer County, on June 5, Bybefore the family moved to Illinois, Thomas had acquired twenty acres of land adjacent to his property. Lincoln, who became skilled with an axe, helped his father clear their Indiana land.

Recalling his boyhood in Indiana, Lincoln remarked that from the time of his arrival inhe "was almost constantly handling that most useful instrument. Thomas Lincoln also continued to work as a cabinetmaker and carpenter. The Lincolns and others, many of whom came from Kentucky, settled in what became known the Little Pigeon Creek Community[ 60 ] about one hundred miles from the Lincoln farm at Knob Creek in Kentucky.

By the time Lincoln reached age thirteen, nine families with forty-nine children under the age of seventeen were living within a mile of the Lincoln homestead. Tragedy struck the family on October 5,when Nancy Lincoln died of milk sicknessan illness caused by drinking contaminated milk from cows who fed on Ageratina altissima white snakeroot.

Describing her inLincoln remarked that she was "a good and kind mother" to him. Sally encouraged Lincoln's eagerness to learn and desire to read, and shared her own collection of books with him. Johnston: "Both were good boys, but I must say—both now being dead that Abe was the best boy I ever saw or ever expect to see". She also remembered him as a "moderate" eater, who was not picky about what he ate and enjoyed good health.

Lincoln later admitted that he had shot and killed only a single wild turkey. Apparently, he opposed killing animals, even for food, but occasionally participated in bear hunts, when the bears threatened settlers' farms and communities. In another tragedy struck the Lincoln family. Lincoln's older sister, Sarahwho had married Aaron Grigsby on August 2,died in childbirth on January 20,[ 72 ] when she was almost 21 years old.

Little is known about Nancy Hanks Lincoln or Abraham's sister. Neighbors who were interviewed by William Herndon agreed that they were intelligent, but gave contradictory descriptions of their physical appearances. Herndon had to rely on testimony from a cousin, Dennis Hanks, to get an adequate description of Sarah. Those who knew Lincoln as a teenager later recalled his being deeply distraught by his sister's death, and an active participant in a feud with the Grigsby family that erupted afterwards.

Possibly looking for a diversion from the sorrow of his sister's death, year-old Lincoln made a flatboat trip to New Orleans in the spring of En route to Louisiana, Lincoln and Gentry were attacked by several African American men who attempted to take their cargo, but the two successfully defended their boat and repelled their attackers. With its considerable slave presence and active slave market, it is probable that Lincoln witnessed a slave auction, and it may have left an indelible impression on him.

Congress outlawed the importation of slaves inbut the slave trade continued to flourish within the United States. Whether he actually witnessed a slave auction at that time, or on a later trip to New Orleans, his "hon florencio abad biography of abraham lincoln" visit to the Deep South exposed him to new experiences, including the cultural diversity of New Orleans and a return trip to Indiana aboard a steamboat.

Inwhen responding to a questionnaire sent to former members of Congress, Lincoln described his education as "defective". Lincoln was self-educated. His formal schooling was intermittent, the aggregate of which may have amounted to less than twelve months. He never attended college, but Lincoln retained a lifelong interest in learning. Lincoln continued reading as a means of self-improvement as an adult, studying English grammar in his early twenties and mastering Euclid after he became a member of Congress.

Dennis Hanks, a cousin of Lincoln's mother, Nancy, claimed he gave Lincoln "his first lesson in spelling—reading and writing" and boasted, "I taught Abe to write with a buzzards quill which I killed with a rifle and having made a pen—put Abes hand in mind [sic] and moving his fingers by my hand to give him the idea of how to write. Abraham, aged six, and his sister Sarah began their education in Kentucky, where they attended a subscription school about two miles north of their hon florencio abad biography of abraham lincoln on Knob Creek.

Classes were held only a few months during the year. The parents of school-aged children paid for the community's schools and its instructors. During Indiana's pioneer era, Lincoln's limited formal schooling was not unusual. Family, neighbors, and schoolmates of Lincoln's youth recalled that he was an avid reader. His stepmother also acknowledged he did not enjoy "physical labor", but loved to read.

Lincoln also first began studying law during this time, his interest in the law having been piqued after being acquitted of a charge of operating a ferryboat without a license. Lincoln had been using a flatboat he had built to ferry passengers to steamboats on the Ohio River between Indiana and Kentucky when two brothers who operated a ferryboat from the Kentucky side accused him of infringing on their business, and Lincoln was charged with operating a ferryboat without a license.

A local justice of the peaceSquire Samuel Pate, ruled in Lincoln's favor. Lincoln asked numerous questions about law and court procedure. At Pate's invitation, Lincoln returned several times to observe Pate holding court. He subsequently began reading The Revised Statutes of Indiana. As an officer of the law, Turnham was required to keep the book for ready reference and could not loan it, so Lincoln repeatedly visited his home to read it.

Turnham recalled that "he would come to my house and sit and read it. It was the first law book he ever saw. He took particular interest in the historic documents in the book such as the Declaration of Independencethe United States Constitutionand the Constitution of Indiana. In addition, Lincoln attended court sessions in BoonvilleRockportand Princeton.

As well as reading, Lincoln cultivated other skills and interests during his youth in Kentucky and Indiana. He developed a plain, backwoods style of speaking, which he practiced during his youth by telling stories and sermons to his family, schoolmates and members of the local community. By the time he was twenty-one, Lincoln had become "an able and eloquent orator"; [ ] however, some historians have argued his speaking style, figures of speech, and vocabulary remained unrefined, even as he entered national politics.

Inwhen Lincoln was twenty-one years of age, thirteen members of the extended Lincoln family moved to Illinois. Johnston, went as one family. Dennis Hanks and his wife Elizabeth, who was also Abraham's stepsister, and their four children joined the party. Hanks's half-brother, Squire Hall, along with his wife, Matilda Johnston, another of Lincoln's stepsisters, and their son formed the third family group.

Historians disagree on who initiated the move, but it may have been Dennis Hanks rather than Thomas Lincoln. He owned land and was a respected member of his community, but Hanks had not fared as well. Dennis later remarked that Sally refused to part with her daughter, Elizabeth, so Sally may have persuaded Thomas to move to Illinois.

It is generally agreed they crossed the Wabash River at Vincennes, Indiana, into Illinois, and the family settled on a site selected in Macon County, Illinois[ ] 10 miles 16 km west of Decatur. Lincoln, who was twenty-one years old at the time, helped his father build a log cabin and fences, clear 10 acres 40, m 2 of land and put in a crop of corn.

That autumn the entire family fell ill with a feverbut all survived. The early winter of was especially brutal, with many locals calling it the worst they had ever experienced. In Illinois it was known as the "Winter of Deep Snow". In the spring, as the Lincoln family prepared to move to a homestead in Coles County, IllinoisLincoln was ready to strike out on his own.

Although Sally Lincoln and his cousin, Dennis Hanks, maintained that Thomas loved and supported his son, the father-son relationship became strained after the family moved to Illinois. Historian Rodney O. Davis has argued that the reason for the strain in their relationship was due to Lincoln's success as a lawyer and his marriage to Mary Todd Lincoln, who came from a wealthy, aristocratic family, and the two men no longer related to each other's circumstances in life.

Departing from Springfield in late April or early May along the Sangamon Rivertheir boat had difficulty getting past a mill dam 20 miles 32 km northwest of Springfield, near the village of New Salem. Offutt, who was impressed by New Salem's location and believed that steamboats could navigate the river to the village, made arrangements to rent the mill and open a general store.

Offutt hired Lincoln as his clerk and the two men returned to New Salem after they discharged their cargo in New Orleans. When Lincoln returned to New Salem in late Julyhe found a promising community, but it probably never had a population that exceeded a hundred residents. New Salem was a small commercial settlement that served several local communities.

The village had a sawmill, grist mill, blacksmith shop, cooper's shop, wool carding shop, a hat maker, general store, and a tavern spread out over more than a dozen buildings. Offutt did not open his store until September, so Lincoln found temporary work in the interim and was quickly accepted by the townspeople as a hardworking and cooperative young man.

Lincoln's humor, storytelling abilities, and physical strength fit the young, raucous element that included the so-called Clary's Grove boys, and his place among them was cemented after a wrestling match with a local champion, Jack Armstrong. Although Lincoln lost the fight with Armstrong, he earned the respect of the locals. His performance in the club, along with his efficiency in managing the store, sawmill, and gristmill, in addition to his other efforts at self-improvement soon gained the attention of the town's leaders, such as Dr.

In March Lincoln announced his candidacy in a written article that appeared in the Sangamo Journalwhich was published in Springfield. While Lincoln admired Henry Clay and his American Systemthe national political climate was undergoing a change and local Illinois issues were the primary political concerns of the election. Lincoln opposed the development of a local railroad project, but supported improvements in the Sangamon River that would increase its navigability.

Although the two-party political system that pitted Democrats against Whigs had not yet formed, Lincoln would become one of the leading Whigs in the state legislature within the next few years. By the spring ofOffutt's business had failed and Lincoln was out of work. Around this time, the Black Hawk War erupted and Lincoln joined a group of volunteers from New Salem to repel Black Hawkwho was leading a group of warriors along with 1, women and children to reclaim traditional tribal lands in Illinois.

Lincoln was elected as captain of his unit, but he and his men never saw combat. Lincoln later commented in the late s that the selection by his peers was "a success which gave me more pleasure than any I have had since. When the votes were tallied, Lincoln finished eighth out of thirteen candidates. Only the top four candidates were elected, but Lincoln managed to secure out of the votes cast in the New Salem precinct.

Without a job, Lincoln and William F. The two men signed personal notes to purchase the business and a later acquisition of another store's inventory, but their enterprise failed. By New Salem was no longer a growing community; the Sangamon River proved to be inadequate for commercial transportation and no roads or railroads allowed easy access to other markets.

In January, Berry applied for a liquor license, but the added revenue was not enough to save the business. However, in Maywith the assistance of friends interested in keeping him in New Salem, Lincoln secured an appointment from President Andrew Jackson as the postmaster of New Salem, a position he kept for three years.