Page 364 - American Stories, A History of the United States

15 Secession and

the Civil War 1860–1865

The Emergence of Lincoln
T he man elected to the

White House in 1860 was
6 feet, 4 inches tall and seemed
even taller because of his dispropor-
tionately long legs and his habit of
wearing a high silk “stovepipe” hat. But Abraham
Lincoln’s previous career provided no guar-
antee he would tower over most of the other
presidents in more than height. When Lincoln
sketched the events of his life for a campaign
biographer in June 1860, he was modest almost
to the point of self-deprecation. Regretting his
“want of education,” he assured the biographer
that “he does what he can to supply the want.”
Born to poor and illiterate parents on the
Kentucky frontier in 1809, Lincoln received
only two years of formal schooling in Indiana
after the family moved there in 1816. But
mostly he educated himself, reading and
rereading treasured books by firelight. In
1831, when the family migrated to Illinois, he
left home to make a living in the struggling
settlement of New Salem, where he worked
as a surveyor, shopkeeper, and postmaster.
His brief career as a merchant was disastrous:

L E arning O B J e C t I v e S

15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4

What What How did How did the
developments challenges the Union outcome of
and events did “total war” finally attain the war affect
drew the bring for each victory, and America
Union toward side? p. 338 what role did socially and Matthew Brady’s LincoLn On February 27, 1860,
Abraham Lincoln gave a campaign speech at Cooper Union in front
Civil War? emancipation politically? of 1500 people that helped him win the Presidency. In this forceful,
p. 333 play in it? p. 349 hour-long speech, he proved that the Founders intended to regulate
p. 342 slavery. On his way there, he stopped at photographer Matthew
Brady’s studio. Brady’s “Cooper Union Portrait” became the iconic
image of President Lincoln.
Portrait of Abraham Lincoln, Matthew Brady, Library of Congress
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