today we're looking at president abraham lincoln
hello welcome to the daily bell ringer please don't forget to subscribe and take a look at
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where you'll find more resources that go with many of the bellringer videos abraham lincoln
was the 16th president of the united states from 1861 to 1865 and was a member of the
republican party widely regarded as one of the greatest presidents of all time
lincoln led the nation through the civil war seeking to keep the union together and would
finally be the president to fight for and succeed in ending the institution of slavery in america
lincoln was born february 12 1809 near hodgenville kentucky one of three children born to thomas and
nancy hanks lincoln abraham had an older sister sarah and a younger brother thomas but thomas died
while he was in infancy his father thomas lincoln was a farmer and the family had to work hard
living on the frontier in 1816 the lincolns moved to southern indiana to another small farm it was
there in 1818 that lincoln's mother nancy hanks lincoln died abraham was only 9 years old at
the time as a child lincoln had very little formal education as far as attending school rather he was
basically self-taught and read every book he could get his hands on in 1830 the family again moved
this time to southern illinois shortly after the move abraham now almost 22 years old decided it
was time for him to strike out on his own he moved to new salem illinois where he lived for six years
while there he worked as a general store clerk riverboat pilot postmaster surveyor and other odd
jobs lincoln shortly served in the state militia in 1832 during the black hawk war but never saw
any fighting shortly thereafter he ran for his first political office in the illinois state
legislature lincoln lost that election but it would feed his desire to be involved in politics
and in 1834 he was successful in being elected to the illinois state legislature where he served
until 1842 also while in new salem lincoln began to study to become a lawyer he borrowed law books
from anyone that would lend them to him and by 1837 he had received his license to practice law
lincoln soon after relocated to springfield illinois where he saw more opportunities for his
law practice lincoln became a successful attorney writing the judicial circuit representing clients
throughout southern and central illinois in 1839 he met and began courting mary todd and the
two would be married in 1842 in 1843 together they purchased a home in springfield illinois
abraham and mary todd would go on to have four sons but three of their four children
died during childhood lincoln aligned himself with the whig party and admired whig leader
henry clay in 1846 lincoln was elected to the u.s house of representatives but only for one
term from 1847-1849 he returned to springfield and over the next few years built up his law practice
as the expansion of slavery to the west became a central issue in america lincoln clearly opposed
allowing slavery in new states after the passage of the kansas-nebraska act in 1854
lincoln decided he needed to throw his hat back into politics lincoln who by that point had
joined the republican party challenged democrat stephen douglas for his u.s senate seat in 1858 in
a series of seven debates across illinois abraham lincoln argued against douglas's stance of popular
sovereignty and allowing slavery to expand lincoln lost that election to douglas but the debates had
thrust lincoln into the national spotlight in 1860 he was nominated by the republican party
to run for president of the united states in the election of 1860 he faced off against
three other candidates northern democrat stephen douglas southern democrat john breckenridge and
constitutional union party candidate john bell lincoln won the election with only 40 percent
of the popular vote but with 180 electoral votes enough to win the electoral college
abraham lincoln was sworn in as president on march 4th 1861 and faced a challenge unlike
any previous president as already states were seceding or leaving the union after his election
soon after on april 12 1861 the first shot of the civil war was fired at fort sumter
lincoln committed himself to preserving the union at the outset of the war the primary focus of the
war was keeping the country together but as losses mounted for the union lincoln felt the war needed
to be given a a new purpose in september of 1862 lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation
which did not go in effect until january 1st of 1863 the emancipation proclamation freed
all enslaved people in rebelling states with this the war now had the goal of preserving the union
but also eliminating slavery shortly after the battle of gettysburg in 1863 lincoln delivered his
most famous speech the gettysburg address in which he said the war was about a new birth of freedom
and defending democracy for future generations in 1864 lincoln easily defeated democrat
and former union general george b mcclellan to win his second term in office in early april
1865 after four years of fighting and over 600 000 americans dying the war came to an end as lincoln
aided in pushing through the 13th amendment to the constitution banning the institution of slavery
in america only days later on april 14th 1865 lincoln was shot by assassin john wilkes booth
while attending a play in washington d.c abraham lincoln died the following morning on april 15
1865 at the age of 56. so with that hopefully you learned something and thanks for watching