Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was a Whig and later Republican politician, congressman, and president of the United States.
Contents
History
Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in the state of Kentucky.
He served in the Illinois militia during the Black Hawk War.
He ran for a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives in 1834 as a Whig representing Sangamon county; he went on to serve four terms.
In 1842, he lost the Whig nomination for the IL-7 seat to Hardin. He did succeed in 1846, and won the subsequent election; he had however promised to serve only one term. During his term, he supported Taylor's candidacy for the Whig presidential nomination in 1848.
Lincoln returned to the state House in 1854, again running as a Whig for Sangamon county; he however declines the seat he won to remain eligible for Shields' senatorial seat. His supporters in the legislature held a plurality, but he was not able to build a majority. Eventually he stepped aside in favor of Trumbull, to ensure Matteson did not win.
Leading into the 1856 presidential election, he joined the Republicans and founded the Illinois chapter of the party. He delivered the closing speech at the party's convention. He supported the Frémont-Dayton ticket (which would not win) and Bissell for the Illinoisan governorship (who did win), establishing him as a party insider.
Lincoln aimed to contest Douglas' senate seat in 1858; he won the Republican nomination and participated in the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Ultimately the state legislature remained Democrat-controlled and Douglas was re-elected to the seat.
Running with Hamlin, he received the Republican nomination in 1860. Other notable candidates were Seward and Chase. In the context of a split Democratic nomination, and a third party spoiler in Constitutional Union, Lincoln won the election despite receiving zero votes in 10 slave states.
Lincoln's presidency is entirely characterized by the Civil War. Several states, including South Carolina, had signed onto a Ordinance of Secession ahead of his inauguration and began a siege of Ft. Sumter. The Battle of Ft. Sumter occurred on April 12 following the inauguration.
Lincoln was assassinated by Booth on April 14, 1865 at Ford's Theatre.
Policies
Even before the Civil War, Lincoln had a clear history of opposing slavery. He began to support free soil policy as early as his terms in the Illinois House of Representatives. He expressed a personal opinion of opposing slavery in his 1854 Peoria Speech. He crossed party lines to support abolitionist Democrats and himself changed parties to join the generally anti-slavery Republicans.
Lincoln did not have a significant military career, but became a definitive war president. He micromanaged the U.S. Army officer corps throughout the Civil War.