Life of Abraham Lincohn

Lincoln began his political career in March 1832 at age 23 when he announced his candidacy for the Illinois General Assembly. He was esteemed by the residents of New Salem, but he did not have an education, powerful friends, or money. The centerpiece of his platform was the undertaking of navigational improvements on the Sangamon River. Before the election he served as a captain in a company of the Illinois militia during the Black Hawk War, although he never saw combat. Lincoln returned from the militia after a few months and was able to campaign throughout the county before the August 6 election. At 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m), he was tall and "strong enough to intimidate any rival." At his first political speech, he grabbed a man accosting a supporter by his "neck and the seat of his trousers" and threw him. When the votes were counted, Lincoln finished eighth out of thirteen candidates (only the top four were elected), but he did manage to secure 277 out of the 300 votes cast in the New Salem precinct.[36]

US Postage, 1959 issue, depicting the young Abe Lincoln.
In 1834, he won an election to the state legislature. He was labeled a Whig, but ran a bipartisan campaign.[37] He then decided to become a lawyer, and began teaching himself law by reading Commentaries on the Laws of England.[38] Admitted to the bar in 1837, he moved to Springfield, Illinois, that April,[39] and began to practice law with John T. Stuart, Mary Todd's cousin, who let Lincoln have the run of his law library while studying to be a lawyer.[40] With a reputation as a formidable adversary during cross-examinations and closing arguments, Lincoln became an able and successful lawyer. In 1841, Lincoln entered law practice with William Herndon, whom Lincoln thought "a studious young man."[41] He served four successive terms in the Illinois House of Representatives as a representative from Sangamon County, affiliated with the Whig party.[42] In 1837, he and another legislator declared that... [continues]

Read full essay