Abraham Lincoln

What did Abe Lincoln do after the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed in 1854?

--He spoke out against slavery, and joined the Republican Party in 1856.

Before Abe could move to the White House, what happened next in 1861?

-7 southern states seceded from the Union! -South Carolina rebels attacked Fort Sumpter on April 12, 1861!

What happened in 1834?

-Abe began his political career and was elected to the state legislature. -He taught himself the law, by reading law books.

What happened in 1837?

-Abe passed the bar exam and became a lawyer. -He moved to Springfield, IL, to practice law.

How did Abe Lincoln serve from 1847-1849?

-Abe served as a Congressman in the US House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. for one term. -He spoke out against the Mexican-American war, and was a member of the Whig party.

What happened in 1832?

-During the Black Hawk War with native Americans in Illinois, Abe was elected to be the Captain of his militia unit.

Who was William Herndon?

-He became Abe's law partner in 1844 in Springfield, IL. -Abe traveled the court circuit to each of the county court houses to practice law.

As Commander-in-Chief, what hard decisions did he make in order to win the war?

-He fired his generals, until he found good ones like Grant and Sherman to win battlefield victories. -But he also had to support harsh tactics, burning entire cities in the south.

How did Lincoln turn the tide in the war and win his 2nd Presidential election in 1864?

-He had dual victories at Gettysburg, PA and Vicksburg, MS on July 4th, 1863. -So the people rallied behind him and he won the election against McClellan, who he fired as a general.

How was Abe Lincoln involved in the election of 1860?

-He joined the Republican party as a presidential candidate. -He won the election, but with only 40% of the popular vote! -But he won the Electoral College vote with 180 of 303 electoral votes.

How did Lincoln use political strategy to his advantage after victory at Antietem?

-He made the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan 1, 1863, declaring all slaves to be free, but only in the rebellious states NOT border states.

-What did Abe Lincoln mean when he said, "A House Divided Cannot Stand."

-He means that our country cannot stay together as long as it is divided over slavery. It must have slavery either everywhere, or nowhere.

-How did Abe Lincoln become even more famous in 1858?

-He ran for US Senate against Stephen Douglas. -Even though he lost the election, he proved himself in a series of 7 debates called the "Lincoln-Douglas Debates."

What happened just 5 days later, after the Confederacy surrendered?

-He was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater on April 14th, 1865. -His funeral train returned him to Springfield, IL to be buried.

Describe his life when he first moved to Illinois?

-He worked on his Dad's farm until he was grown up. -At the age of 21, Abe left home and went off on his own. -He moved to New Salem, in Macon County, Illinois. -He worked manual labor, chopping wood, then later worked as a shopkeeper, postmaster, and store owner. -He became popular with the people because he was a good storyteller.

Describe his early family life in Kentucky up to 1817?

-His Dad was a pioneer who farmed, so they were a poor hard working family. He had a sister named Sarah, and a little brother named Thomas, but he died in infancy. Because of a land dispute, they had to move to Indiana when Abe was 8 years old.

Describe his family life in Perry County, Indiana?

-His family moved in as "squatters" and farmed until they could buy the land. -His Mom died when he was 9 from drinking contaminated milk on OCT 5, 1818. -He was devastated and became even more alienated from his father. -In DEC 1819, his father re-married to SARAH BUSH JOHNSTON, a widow who became his new step-mom. She was very affectionate and encouraged him to read. -Abe taught himself to read, often walking miles to borrow books.

How was the Civil War going for the first year and a half?

-Not well. The Union lost many battles, until their first major victory at the Battle of Antietem on SEP 22, 1862.

How did Abe practice law in the 1850's?

-Now that he is politically involved, he works as an attorney for the Raiload industry, as well as for Banks, Insurance Companies, and Manufacturing firms. -He also tried a few criminal trials.

Who was Mary Todd?

-She was a high spirited, well educated woman from Kentucky who he eventually married in 1842. -They had 4 children, but tragically 3 of them died and only Robert survived to adulthood.

Who was Ann Rutledge?

-She was a young woman he fell in love with, but she died of typhoid fever before they could get engaged.

What became his most famous speech on November 19, 1863?

-The "Gettysburg Address"

What was the South's strategy to win?

-To defeat the Union Army, to take the capital of Washington D.C. , to hold off as long as possible until allies like the French could get involved in the war, and to destroy northern morale by attacking in the north and causing lots of casualties, hoping that Lincoln would lose the 1864 election.

What did General Robert E. Lee decide to do on April 9, 1865?

-To surrender and end the Civil War.

What was the North's strategy to win?

-To use a naval blockade around the south, to go down the Mississippi river to cut the south in half, to take the southern capital of Richmond, VA, and to destroy the Confederate Army, to cut off supplies to the South, and destroy the morale of the southern people.

Where was Abe Lincoln born?

In a log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky to Thomas and Nancy Lincoln. (Hodgenville, KY). Knob Creek Farm.

When was Abe Lincoln born?

On, Feb 12, 1809