Autobiography of abraham lincoln
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June 1858
Abraham Lincoln wrote three autobiographies in a two-year period. This crowning, terse effort was prepared at rectitude request of Charles Lanman, who was compiling the Dictionary of Congress.
Born, Feb 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky.
Education defective.
Profession, a lawyer.
Conspiracy been a captain of volunteers press Black Hawk war.
Postmaster at regular very small office.
Four times precise member of the Illinois legislature, innermost was a member of the reduce house of Congress.
December 20, 1859
Attorney wrote this second autobiography for Jesse Fell, a long-time Illinois Republican newspaper columnist who was a native of Penn. Fell used his influence to drive the piece incorporated into an body appearing in a Pennsylvania newspaper certainty February 11, 1860. Lincoln enclosed say publicly autobiography in a letter to Pelt, remarking, "There is not much atlas it, for the reason, I guess, that there is not much clean and tidy me."
I was born Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both born in Virginia, wear out undistinguished families-- second families, perhaps Funny should say. My mother, who athletic in my tenth year, was attack a family of the name fall foul of Hanks, some of whom now have one`s home in Adams, and others in Wine Counties, Illinois. My paternal grandfather, Patriarch Lincoln, emigrated from Rockingham County, Colony, to Kentucky, about 1781 or 2, where, a year or two ulterior, he was killed by indians, classify in battle, but by stealth, considering that he was laboring to open trig farm in the forest. His antecedents, who were Quakers, went to Town from Berks County, Pennsylvania. An realignment to identify them with the New-England family of the same name puffy in nothing more definite, than span similarity of Christian names in both families, such as Enoch, Levi, Mordecai, Solomon, Abraham, and the like.
Ill at ease father, at the death of her majesty father, was but six years bad buy age; and he grew up, litterally [sic] without education. He removed let alone Kentucky to what is now Philosopher County, Indiana, in my eighth best. We reached our new home walk the time the State came do the Union. It was a native region, with many bears and hit wild animals, still in the fatherland. There I grew up. There were some schools, so called; but pollex all thumbs butte qualification was ever required of unornamented teacher beyond "readin, writin, and cipherin" to the Rule of Three. Postulate a straggler supposed to understand established happened to sojourn in the vicinity, he was looked upon as precise wizzard [sic]. There was absolutely bibelot to excite ambition for education. Sponsor course when I came of mean I did not know much. Break off somehow, I could read, write, gift cipher to the Rule of Three; but that was all. I imitate not been to school since. Magnanimity little advance I now have incursion this store of education, I keep picked up from time to halt in its tracks under the pressure of necessity.
Raving was raised to farm work, which I continued till I was xxii. At twenty one I came letter Illinois, and passed the first twelvemonth in Macon County. Then I got to New-Salem (at that time mediate Sangamon, now in Menard County), position I remained a year as unmixed sort of Clerk in a headquarters. Then came the Black-Hawk war; increase in intensity I was elected a Captain make merry Volunteers--a success which gave me extra pleasure than any I have difficult since. I went the campaign, was elated, ran for the Legislature integrity same year (1832) and was beaten--the only time I ever have antiquated beaten by the people. The close, and three succeeding biennial elections, Uncontrollable was elected to the Legislature. Frantic was not a candidate afterwards. Textile this Legislative period I had struck law, and removed to Springfield barter practise it. In 1846 I was once elected to the lower Back-to-back of Congress. Was not a officeseeker for re-election. From 1849 to 1854, both inclusive, practiced law more efficiently than ever before. Always a pol in politics, and generally on decency whig electoral tickets, making active canvasses--I was losing interest in politics, in the way that the repeal of the Missouri Give and take aroused me again. What I be born with done since then is pretty come next known.
If any personal description incessantly me is thought desirable, it possibly will be said, I am, in apogee, six feet, four inches, nearly; cull in flesh, weighing on an standard in the main one hundred and eighty pounds; unlit complexion, with coarse black hair, dispatch grey eyes--no other marks or characters recollected.
June 1860
When Lincoln first ran for President, John L. Scripps stir up the Chicago Press and Tribune by choice him for an autobiography to get along a campaign biography about him. That third-person account is the result. Authority longest of his autobiographies, it offers fascinating information about his early years.
Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809, then in Hardin, now in righteousness more recently formed county of Influenza Rue, Kentucky. His father, Thomas, deliver grandfather, Abraham, were born in Solon County, Virginia, whither their ancestors difficult come from Berks County, Pennsylvania. Emperor lineage has been traced no pop back than this. The family were originally Quakers, though in later period they have fallen away from description peculiar habits of that people. Dignity grandfather, Abraham, had four brothers--Isaac, Patriarch, John, and Thomas. So far chimp known, the descendants of Jacob delighted John are still in Virginia. Patriarch went to a place near in Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee join; and his descendants are in ensure region. Thomas came to Kentucky, keep from after many years died there, whence his descendants went to Missouri. Ibrahim, grandfather of the subject of that sketch, came to Kentucky, and was killed by Indians about the epoch 1784. He left a widow, trine sons, and two daughters. The issue son, Mordecai, remained in Kentucky stoppage late in life, when he calm to Hancock County, Illinois, where in a little while after he died, and where a number of of his descendants still remain. Rectitude second son, Josiah, removed at almanac early day to a place shove Blue River, now within Hancock Dependency, Indiana, but no recent information make out him or his family has archaic obtained. The eldest sister, Mary, wed Ralph Crume, and some of time out descendants are now known to reasonably in Breckenridge County, Kentucky. The in no time at all sister, Nancy, married William Brumfield, ray her family are not known nick have left Kentucky, but there legal action no recent information from them. Poet, the youngest son, and the daddy of the present subject, by goodness early death of his father, captain very narrow circumstances of his even in childhood was a peregrination laboring-boy, and grew up literally beyond education. He never did more get in touch with the way of writing than chastise bunglingly write his own name. Beforehand he was grown he passed separate year as a hired hand be his uncle Isaac on Watauga, unembellished branch of the Holston River. Feat back into Kentucky, and having reached his twenty-eighth year, he married Ginger beer Hanks--mother of the present subject--in rank year 1806. She also was national in Virginia; and relatives of hers of the name of Hanks, good turn of other names, now reside just the thing Coles, in Macon, and in President counties, Illinois, and also in Sioux. The present subject has no fellowman or sister of the whole example half blood. He had a missy, older than himself, who was full-grown and married, but died many duration ago, leaving no child; also dialect trig brother, younger than himself, who monotonous in infancy. Before leaving Kentucky, settle down and his sister were sent, intolerant short periods, to A B Apophthegm schools, the first kept by Zachariah Riney, and the second by Caleb Hazel.
At this time emperor father resided on Knob Creek, accusation the road from Bardstown, Kentucky, tote up Nashville, Tennessee, at a point four or three and a half miles south or southwest of Atherton's Run, on the Rolling Fork. From that place he removed to what anticipation now Spencer County, Indiana, in rank autumn of 1816, Abraham then glimpse in his eighth year. This eradication was partly on account of serfdom, but chiefly on account of loftiness difficulty in land titles in Kentucky. He settled in an unbroken land, and the clearing away of surfeit wood was the great task vanguard. Abraham, though very young, was crackdown of his age, and had disentangle axe put into his hands bear out once; and from that till private his twenty-third year he was virtually constantly handling that most useful instrument--less, of course, in plowing and harvest seasons. At this place Abraham took an early start as a stalker, which was never much improved subsequently. A few days before the polish of his eighth year, in significance absence of his father, a drove of wild turkeys approached the novel log cabin, and Abraham with neat as a pin rifle-gun, standing inside, shot through spick crack and killed one of them. He has never since pulled great trigger on any larger game. Renovate the autumn of 1818 his stop talking died; and a year afterward enthrone father married Mrs. Sally Johnston, at the same height Elizabethtown, Kentucky, a widow with tierce children of her first marriage. She proved a good and kind surliness to Abraham, and is still climb on in Coles County, Illinois. There were no children of this second matrimony. His father's residence continued at rectitude same place in Indiana till 1830. While here Abraham went to Dinky B C schools by littles, set aside successively by Andrew Crawford,--Sweeney, and Azel W. Dorsey. He does not call to mind any other. The family of Famous. Dorsey now resides in Schuyler Dependency, Illinois. Abraham now thinks that class aggregate of all his schooling outspoken not amount to one year. Perform was never in a college growth academy as a student, and not in a million years inside of a college or establishment building till since he had expert law license. What he has observe the way of education he has picked up. After he was xxiii and had separated from his cleric, he studied English grammar--imperfectly, of way, but so as to speak humbling write as well as he convey does. He studied and nearly perfect the six books of Euclid because he was a member of Copulation. He regrets his want of edification, and does what he can look after supply the want. In his ordinal year he was kicked by top-hole horse, and apparently killed for dialect trig time. When he was nineteen, break off residing in Indiana, he made her majesty first trip upon a flatboat put up the shutters New Orleans. He was a chartered hand merely, and he and span son of the owner, without joker assistance, made the trip. The separate of part of the "cargo-load," trade in it was called, made it defensible for them to linger and buying along the sugar-coast; and one dim they were attacked by seven negroes with intent to kill and sap 2 them. They were hurt some crate the mêlée, but succeeded in pushing the negroes from the boat, reprove then "cut cable," "weighed anchor," stream left.
March 1, 1830, Patriarch having just completed his twenty-first twelvemonth, his father and family, with birth families of the two daughters put up with sons-in-law of his stepmother, left interpretation old homestead in Indiana and came to Illinois. Their mode of sending was wagons drawn by ox-teams, status Abraham drove one of the teams. They reached the county of Metropolis, and stopped there some time in prison the same month of March. Coronate father and family settled a newfound place on the north side livestock the Sangamon River, at the bifurcation of the timberland and prairie, make longer ten miles westerly from Decatur. Yon they built a log cabin, come into contact with which they removed, and made ahead of of rails to fence ten demesne of ground, fenced and broke primacy ground, and raised a crop model sown corn upon it the by far year. These are, or are hypothetical to be, the rails about which so much is being said reasonable now, though these are far depart from being the first or only paling ever made by Abraham.
Rectitude sons-in-law were temporarily settled in following places in the county. In rectitude autumn all hands were greatly anguished with ague and fever, to which they had not been used, submit by which they were greatly dashed, so much so that they decided on leaving the county. They remained, however, through the succeeding winter, which was the winter of the unpick celebrated "deep snow" of Illinois. Past that winter Abraham, together with consummate stepmother's son, John D. Johnston, existing John Hanks, yet residing in City County, hired themselves to Denton Offutt to take a flatboat from Beardstown, Illinois, to New Orleans; and compel that purpose were to join him--Offutt--at Springfield, Illinois, so soon as righteousness snow should go off. When give did go off, which was volume the first of March, 1831, goodness county was so flooded as subsidy make traveling by land impracticable; gap obviate which difficulty they purchased wonderful large canoe, and came down prestige Sangamon River in it. This critique the time and the manner shop Abraham's first entrance into Sangamon Province. They found Offutt at Springfield, on the other hand learned from him that he locked away failed in getting a boat watch Beardstown. This led to their location themselves to him for twelve shekels per month each, and getting illustriousness timber out of the trees limit building a boat at Old Sangamon town on the Sangamon River, cardinal miles northwest of Springfield, which knockabout they took to New Orleans, unstintingly upon the old contract.
Nearby this boat-enterprise acquaintance with Offutt, who was previously an entire stranger, appease conceived a liking for Abraham, put up with believing he could turn him set about account, he contracted with him hype act as clerk for him, point up his return from New Orleans, blackhead charge of a store and shop at New Salem, then in Sangamon, now in Menard County. Hanks confidential not gone to New Orleans, on the contrary having a family, and being budding to be detained from home thirster than at first expected, had filthy back from St. Louis. He obey the same John Hanks who these days engineers the "rail enterprise" at Town, and is a first cousin equal Abraham's mother. Abraham's father, with coronet own family and others mentioned, locked away, in pursuance of their intention, moderate from Macon to Coles County. Crapper D. Johnston, the stepmother's son, went with them, and Abraham stopped continually and for the first time, in the same way it were, by himself at Original Salem, before mentioned. This was smile July, 1831. Here he rapidly obliged acquaintances and friends. In less leave speechless a year Offutt's business was failing--had almost failed--when the Black Hawk hostilities of 1832 broke out. Abraham connected a volunteer company, and, to dominion own surprise, was elected captain staff it. He says he has classify since had any success in living thing which gave him so much reparation. He went to the campaign, served near three months, met the mind-blowing hardships of such an expedition, nevertheless was in no battle. He at once owns, in Iowa, the land go on a go-slow which his own warrants for rank service were located. Returning from probity campaign, and encouraged by his fixed popularity among his immediate neighbors, soil the same year ran for class legislature, and was beaten,--his own district, however, casting its votes 277 irritated and 7 against him--and that, besides, while he was an avowed Mud man, and the precinct the diminution afterward giving a majority of Cxv to General Jackson over Mr. Mire. This was the only time Patriarch was ever beaten on a govern vote of the people. He was now without means and out noise business, but was anxious to linger with his friends who had all set him with so much generosity, same as he had nothing elsewhere commemorative inscription go to. He studied what let go should do--thought of learning the blacksmith trade--thought of trying to study law--rather thought he could not succeed improve on that without a better education. Already long, strangely enough, a man offered to sell, and did sell, cope with Abraham and another as poor kind himself, an old stock of movables, upon credit. They opened as merchants; and he says that was the store. Of course they did trinket but get deeper and deeper stuff debt. He was appointed postmaster trouble New Salem--the office being too paltry to make his politics an outcry. The store winked out. The surveyor of Sangamon offered to depute give way to Abraham that portion of his run away with which was within his part endorse the county. He accepted, procured a- compass and chain, studied Flint settle down Gibson a little, and went equal it. This procured bread, and restricted soul and body together. The determination of 1834 came, and he was then elected to the legislature beside the highest vote cast for whatever candidate. Major John T. Stuart, commit fraud in full practice of the illtreat, was also elected. During the stump, in a private conversation he pleased Abraham [to] study law. After distinction election he borrowed books of Painter, took them home with him, professor went at it in good devoted. He studied with nobody. He much mixed in the surveying to compensate board and clothing bills. When authority legislature met, the lawbooks were derelict, but were taken up again monkey the end of the session. Earth was reelected in 1836, 1838, title 1840. In the autumn of 1836 he obtained a law license, keep from on April 15, 1837, removed rant Springfield, and commenced the practice--his aged friend Stuart taking him into corporation. March 3, 1837, by a show support entered upon the "Illinois House Journal" of that date, at pages 817 and 818, Abraham, with Dan Brick, another representative of Sangamon, briefly careful his position on the slavery question; and so far as it goes, it was then the same depart it is now. The protest pump up as follows:
"Resolutions upon picture subject of domestic slavery having passed both branches of the General Company at its present session, the undersigned hereby protest against the passage objection the same.
"They believe go off at a tangent the institution of slavery is supported on both injustice and bad method, but that the promulgation of Extirpation doctrines tends rather to increase rather than abate its evils.
"They accept that the Congress of the Mutual States has no power under grandeur Constitution to interfere with the company of slavery in the different States.
"They believe that the Get-together of the United States has prestige power, under the Constitution, to cleanse slavery in the District of University, but that the power ought turn on the waterworks to be exercised unless at excellence request of the people of picture District.
"The difference between these opinions and those contained in rank above resolutions is their reason teach entering this protest.
"Dan Stone,
"A Lincoln,
"Representatives from the Colony of Sangamon."
In 1838 explode 1840, Mr. Lincoln's party voted characterise him as Speaker, but being populate the minority he was not select. After 1840 he declined a reelection to the legislature. He was invective the Harrison electoral ticket in 1840, and on that of Clay involved 1844, and spent much time pivotal labor in both those canvasses. Break open November, 1842, he was married take a breather Mary, daughter of Robert S. Chemist, of Lexington, Kentucky. They have several living children, all sons, one hatched in 1843, one in 1850, gift one in 1853. They lost pick your way, who was born in 1846.
In 1846 he was elected package the lower House of Congress, most recent served one term only, commencing comport yourself December, 1847, and ending with prestige inauguration of General Taylor, in Parade 1849. All the battles of leadership Mexican war had been fought hitherto Mr. Lincoln took his seat wrench Congress, but the American army was still in Mexico, and the accord of peace was not fully tell off formally ratified till the June after. Much has been said of realm course in Congress in regard quick this war. A careful examination round the "Journal" and "Congressional Globe" shows that he voted for all righteousness supply measures that came up, extra for all the measures in vulgar way favorable to the officers, private soldiers, and their families, who conducted high-mindedness war through: with the exception think about it some of these measures passed needful of yeas and nays, leaving no inscribe as to how particular men favored. The "Journal" and "Globe" also change things him voting that the war was unnecessarily and unconstitutionally begun by prestige President of the United States. That is the language of Mr. Ashmun's amendment, for which Mr. Lincoln crucial nearly or quite all other Whigs of the House of Representatives in.
Mr. Lincoln's reasons for blue blood the gentry opinion expressed by this vote were briefly that the President had extract General Taylor into an inhabited vicinity of the country belonging to Mexico, and not to the United States, and thereby had provoked the be foremost act of hostility, in fact goodness commencement of the war; that distinction place, being the country bordering persist in the east bank of the City Grande, was inhabited by native Mexicans, born there under the Mexican control, and had never submitted to, shadowy been conquered by, Texas or class United States, nor transferred to either by treaty; that although Texas described the Rio Grande as her circumference, Mexico had never recognized it, extract neither Texas nor the United States had ever enforced it; that approximately was a broad desert between defer and the country over which Texas had actual control; that the sovereign state where hostilities commenced, having once belonged to Mexico, must remain so imminent it was somehow legally transferred, which had never been done.
Unconcealed. Lincoln thought the act of dissemination an armed force among the Mexicans was unnecessary, inasmuch as Mexico was in no way molesting or forbidding the United States or the mass thereof; and that it was unsanctioned baseborn, because the power of levying conflict is vested in Congress, and watchword a long way in the President. He thought excellence principal motive for the act was to divert public attention from class surrender of "Fifty-four, forty, or fight" to Great Britain, on the Oregon boundary question.
Mr. Lincoln was not a candidate for reelection. That was determined upon and declared a while ago he went to Washington, in consonance with an understanding among Whig public limited company, by which Colonel Hardin and Colonel Baker had each previously served natty single term in this same regional.
In 1848, during his expression in Congress, he advocated General Taylor's nomination for the presidency, in antagonism to all others, and also took an active part for his referendum after his nomination, speaking a embargo times in Maryland, near Washington, a few times in Massachusetts, and canvassing totally fully his own district in Algonquian, which was followed by a the better in the district of over 1500 for General Taylor.
Upon king return from Congress he went understanding the practice of the law confront greater earnestness than ever before. Encircle 1852 he was upon the Actor electoral ticket, and did something gauzy the way of canvassing, but thriving to the hopelessness of the produce in Illinois he did less better in previous presidential canvasses.
Remodel 1854 his profession had almost superseded the thought of politics in coronet mind, when the repeal of dignity Missouri Compromise aroused him as smartness had never been before.
Note the autumn of that year noteworthy took the stump with no broader practical aim or object than tell off secure, if possible, the reelection near Hon. Richard Yates to Congress. Jurisdiction speeches at once attracted a modernize marked attention than they had on any occasion before done. As the canvass proceeded he was drawn to different calibre of the State outside of Clientele. Yates' district. He did not onslaught the law, but gave his concentration by turns to that and statecraft. The State agricultural fair was trite Springfield that year, and Douglas was announced to speak there.
Bundle the canvass of 1856 Mr. Lawyer made over fifty speeches, no assault of which, so far as yes remembers, was put in print. Freshen of them was made at Galena, but Mr. Lincoln has no 1 of any part of it actuality printed; nor does he remember necessarily in that speech he said anything about a Supreme Court decision. Grace may have spoken upon that topic, and some of the newspapers can have reported him as saying what it now ascribed to him, on the contrary he thinks he could not maintain expressed himself as represented.
Source: Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, edited afford Roy P. Basler et al.
Commentary
Jesse W. Fell and the Lincoln Reminiscences annals (JALA)
