Kanika saluja biography of abraham lincoln

Lincoln was also invited to give a notable address at Cooper Union in New York. The East Coast was relatively new territory for Lincoln; many in the audience thought his appearance awkward and even ugly, but his calls for moral clarity over the wrongness of slavery struck a chord with his East coast audience. The reputation he gained on the campaign trail and speeches on the East coast caused him to be put forward as a candidate for the Republican nominee for President in Lincoln was an outsider because he had much less experience than other leading candidates such as Steward, Bates and Chase, but after finishing second on the first ballot he went on to become unexpectedly nominated.

After a hard-fought, divisive campaign of , Lincoln was elected the first Republican President of the United States. The election of Lincoln as President in , sparked the South to secede from the North. Southern independence sentiment had been growing for many years, and the election of a president opposed to slavery was the final straw. However, Lincoln resolutely opposed the breakaway of the South, and this led to the American civil war with Lincoln committed to preserving the Union.

Lincoln surprised many by including in his cabinet the main rivals from the Republican campaign. This helped to keep the Republican party together. The Civil War was much more costly than many people anticipated and at times Lincoln appeared to be losing the support of the general population. Lincoln oversaw many of the military aspects of the war and promoted the general Ulysses S Grant to command the northern forces.

Initially, the war was primarily about the secession of southern states and the survival of the Union, but as the war progressed, Lincoln increasingly made the issue of ending slavery paramount. On September 22, , Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared the freedom of slaves within the Confederacy. The Proclamation came into force on January 1, Towards the end of the year, many black regiments were raised to help the Union army.

After a difficult opening two years, by , the tide of war started to swing towards the Union forces — helped by the victory at the Battle of Gettysburg in July Lincoln felt able to redefine the goals of the civil war to include the ending of slavery. Seward of New York and other powerful contenders in favor of the rangy Illinois lawyer with only one undistinguished congressional term under his belt.

In the general election, Lincoln again faced Douglas, who represented the northern Democrats; southern Democrats had nominated John C. He built an exceptionally strong cabinet composed of many of his political rivals, including Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates and Edwin M. After years of sectional tensions, the election of an antislavery northerner as the 16th president of the United States drove many southerners over the brink.

By the time Lincoln was inaugurated as 16th U. The Confederates fired on both the fort and the Union fleet, beginning the Civil War. Hopes for a quick Union victory were dashed by defeat in the Battle of Bull Run Manassas , and Lincoln called for , more troops as both sides prepared for a long conflict. While the Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate, Mexican War hero and former secretary of war, Lincoln had only a brief and undistinguished period of service in the Black Hawk War to his credit.

He surprised many when he proved to be a capable wartime leader, learning quickly about strategy and tactics in the early years of the Civil War, and about choosing the ablest commanders. General George McClellan , though beloved by his troops, continually frustrated Lincoln with his reluctance to advance, and when McClellan failed to pursue Robert E.

During the war, Lincoln drew criticism for suspending some civil liberties, including the right of habeas corpus , but he considered such measures necessary to win the war. Shortly after the Battle of Antietam Sharpsburg , Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation , which took effect on January 1, , and freed all of the enslaved people in the rebellious states not under federal control, but left those in the border states loyal to the Union in bondage.

It was while growing into manhood that Lincoln received his formal education—an estimated total of 18 months—a few days or weeks at a time. Reading material was in short supply in the Indiana wilderness. Neighbors recalled how Lincoln would walk for miles to borrow a book. In March , the family again migrated, this time to Macon County, Illinois.

When his father moved the family again to Coles County, year-old Lincoln struck out on his own, making a living in manual labor. Lincoln was 6 feet 4 inches tall, rawboned and lanky yet muscular and physically strong. He spoke with a backwoods twang and walked with a long-striding gait. He was known for his skill in wielding an ax and early on made a living splitting wood for fire and rail fencing.

Young Lincoln eventually migrated to the small community of New Salem, Illinois, where over a period of years he worked as a shopkeeper, postmaster, and eventually general store owner. It was through working with the public that Lincoln acquired social skills and honed a storytelling talent that made him popular with the locals. Not surprising given his imposing frame, Lincoln was an excellent wrestler and had only one recorded loss—to Hank Thompson in —over a span of 12 years.

A shopkeeper who employed Lincoln in New Salem, Illinois, reportedly arranged bouts for him as a way to promote the business. Lincoln notably beat a local champion named Jack Armstrong and became somewhat of a hero. When the Black Hawk War broke out in between the United States and Native Americans, the volunteers in the area elected Lincoln to be their captain.

As he was starting his political career in the early s, Lincoln decided to become a lawyer. After being admitted to the bar in , he moved to Springfield, Illinois, and began to practice in the John T. Stuart law firm. In , Lincoln partnered with William Herndon in the practice of law. Although the two had different jurisprudent styles, they developed a close professional and personal relationship.

So to supplement his income, he followed the court as it made its rounds on the circuit to the various county seats in Illinois. On November 4, , Lincoln wed Mary Todd , a high-spirited, well-educated woman from a distinguished Kentucky family. Mary and Lincoln met later at a social function and eventually did get married. Before marrying Todd, Lincoln was involved with other potential matches.

Around , he purportedly met and became romantically involved with Anne Rutledge. Before they had a chance to be engaged, a wave of typhoid fever came over New Salem, and Anne died at age Her death was said to have left Lincoln severely depressed. About a year after the death of Rutledge, Lincoln courted Mary Owens. The two saw each other for a few months, and marriage was considered.

But in time, Lincoln called off the match. In , Lincoln began his political career and was elected to the Illinois state legislature as a member of the Whig Party. More than a decade later, from to , he served a single term in the U. House of Representatives. September 26, at pm. First, I have been following most of your suggestions since Washington and now am spending a great amount on Lincoln.

I was really surprised how closely Goodwin followed Tarbell with the Lincoln portions of her work. September 27, at am. Going on my follow-up list! Joe said:. October 15, at pm. In a world of endless writings on the presidents, your site is an invaluable resource! I so appreciate your diligence and willingness to share! October 16, at am.

November 7, at pm. By accident, I have been reading presidential bios this year as well. Fortunately, I chose the one by Ron Chernow and that really got me hooked — his style was easy and his prose is wonderful. Quincy Adams, then Jackson by H. So, as you can see, I will be up to Lincoln and the Civil War soon. I have been using your reviews since Thomas Jefferson.

I am limited to audiobooks so not always your recommendations but your reviews nevertheless have been my guide. Or, should I read one bio focused primarily on Lincolns life and another about the Civil War? November 13, at am. Your audio adventure sounds great! I would also note that only after I read a great biography of Ulysses S. Grant did I really fully appreciate and understand the Civil War more completely.

November 15, at pm. Little did I know then that as I went on he would be a thorn in the side of presidents Jackson to Polk! Even with Jackson, from other books I know about different wars that Indians helped him with that made him famous, but not mentioned in his bio. That is, if you ever finish this project! Anyway, if you know of any books about Indians dealings with early presidents, please advise.

Jeff Collins New Orleans. November 17, at am. Definitely on my bucket list! Joan Plamp said:. February 24, at pm. Thank you so much for your insight into these books and your honest opinions about them. I am off to purchase two of them to read! February 25, at pm. Laura Martinez said:. 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.

Kanika saluja biography of abraham lincoln

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.