Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) served as the 16th President o the
!nited "tates ro# $ar%h 1861 until his assassination in April 1865& 'e su%%essully led his %ountry
throu(h its (reatest internal %risis, the A#eri%an )ivil *ar, preservin( the !nion and endin( slavery&
+eore his ele%tion in 1860 as the irst ,epubli%an president, -in%oln had been a %ountry la.yer, an
/llinois state le(islator, a #e#ber o the !nited "tates 'ouse o ,epresentatives, and t.i%e an
unsu%%essul %andidate or ele%tion to the !&"& "enate& As an outspo0en opponent o the e1pansion o
slavery in the !nited "tates,
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-in%oln .on the ,epubli%an Party no#ination in 1860 and .as
ele%ted president later that year& 'is tenure in oi%e .as o%%upied pri#arily .ith the deeat o the
se%essionist )onederate "tates o A#eri%a in the A#eri%an )ivil *ar& 'e introdu%ed #easures that
resulted in the abolition o slavery, issuin( his 4#an%ipation Pro%la#ation in 1865 and pro#otin( the
passa(e o the 6hirteenth A#end#ent to the )onstitution& "i1 days ater the lar(e7s%ale surrender o
)onederate or%es under 8eneral ,obert 4& -ee, -in%oln be%a#e the irst A#eri%an president to be
assassinated&-in%oln %losely supervised the vi%torious .ar eort, espe%ially the sele%tion o top
(enerals, in%ludin( !lysses "& 8rant& 'istorians have %on%luded that he handled the a%tions o the
,epubli%an Party .ell, brin(in( leaders o ea%h a%tion into his %abinet and or%in( the# to
%ooperate& -in%oln su%%essully deused the Trent aair, a .ar s%are .ith +ritain late in 1861& !nder
his leadership, the !nion too0 %ontrol o the border slave states at the start o the .ar& Additionally,
he #ana(ed his o.n reele%tion in the 1869 presidential ele%tion&)opperheads and other opponents o
the .ar %riti%i:ed -in%oln or reusin( to %o#pro#ise on the slavery issue& )onversely, the ,adi%al
,epubli%ans, an abolitionist a%tion o the ,epubli%an Party, %riti%i:ed hi# or #ovin( too slo.ly in
abolishin( slavery& 4ven .ith these opponents, -in%oln su%%essully rallied publi% opinion throu(h
his rhetori% and spee%hes; his 8ettysbur( Address (1865) be%a#e an i%oni% sy#bol o the nation<s
duty& At the %lose o the .ar, -in%oln held a #oderate vie. o ,e%onstru%tion, see0in( to speedily
reunite the nation throu(h a poli%y o (enerous re%on%iliation& -in%oln has %onsistently been ran0ed
by s%holars as one o the (reatest o all !&"& Presidents&
Personal life
Childhood and education
Abraha# -in%oln .as born on February 12, 1809, to 6ho#as -in%oln and =an%y 'an0s, t.o
ar#ers, in a one7roo# lo( %abin on the 5987a%re (1&9 0#
2
) "in0in( "prin( Far#, in southeast 'ardin
)ounty, >entu%0y
253
(no. part o -a,ue )ounty), #a0in( hi# the irst president born in the .est&
-in%oln .as not (iven a #iddle na#e&
293
'is an%estor "a#uel -in%oln had arrived in 'in(ha#,
$assa%husetts ro# 4n(land in the 1?th %entury&
253
'is (randather, also na#ed Abraha# -in%oln,
had #oved to >entu%0y, .here he o.ned over 5,000 a%res (20 0#
2
), and .as a#bushed and 0illed by
an /ndian raid in 1?86&
263
6ho#as -in%oln .as a respe%ted %iti:en o rural >entu%0y& 'e o.ned
several ar#s, in%ludin( the "in0in( "prin( Far#, althou(h he .as not .ealthy& 6he a#ily belon(ed
to a "eparate +aptists %hur%h, .hi%h had hi(h #oral standards ro.nin( on al%ohol %onsu#ption and
dan%in(, and #any %hur%h #e#bers .ere opposed to slavery&
2?3
Abraha# hi#sel never @oined their
%hur%h, or any other %hur%h&
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/n 1816, the -in%oln a#ily let >entu%0y to avoid the e1pense o
i(htin( or one o their properties in %ourt, and #ade a ne. start in Perry )ounty, /ndiana (no. in
"pen%er )ounty)& -in%oln later noted that this #ove .as Apartly on a%%ount o slaveryA, and partly
be%ause o dii%ulties .ith land deeds in >entu%0y& Abraha#<s ather disapproved o slavery on
reli(ious (rounds and be%ause it .as hard to %o#pete e%ono#i%ally .ith ar#s operated by slaves&
!nli0e land in the =orth.est 6erritory, >entu%0y never had a proper !&"& survey, and ar#ers oten
had dii%ulties provin( title to their property&
2103
*hen -in%oln .as nine, his #other, then 59 years
old, died o #il0 si%0ness& "oon ater.ards, his ather re#arried to "arah +ush Bohnston& -in%oln and
his step#other .ere %lose; he %alled her A$otherA or the rest o his lie, but he be%a#e in%reasin(ly
distant ro# his ather& Abraha# elt his ather .asn<t a su%%ess, and didn<t .ant to be li0e hi#& /n
later years, he .ould o%%asionally lend his ather #oney&
2113
/n 1850, earin( a #il0 si%0ness outbrea0,
the a#ily settled on publi% land in $a%on )ounty, /llinois&
2123
6he ne1t year, .hen his ather relo%ated
the a#ily to a ne. ho#estead in )oles )ounty, /llinois, 227year7old -in%oln stru%0 out on his o.n,
%anoein( do.n the "an(a#on ,iver to the villa(e o =e. "ale# in "an(a#on )ounty&
2153
-ater that
year, hired by =e. "ale# business#an Centon Dutt and a%%o#panied by riends, he too0 (oods
ro# =e. "ale# to =e. Drleans via latboat on the "an(a#on, /llinois and $ississippi rivers&
2193
-in%oln<s or#al edu%ation %onsisted o about 18 #onths o s%hoolin(, but he .as lar(ely sel7
edu%ated and an avid reader& 'e .as also s0illed .ith an a1e and a talented lo%al .restler, the latter
o .hi%h helped (ive hi# %oniden%e&
2153
-in%oln avoided huntin( and ishin( be%ause he did not li0e
0illin( ani#als, even or ood&
2
Assassination
Dri(inally, Bohn *il0es +ooth, a .ell70no.n a%tor and a )onederate spy ro# $aryland, had
or#ulated a plan to 0idnap -in%oln in e1%han(e or the release o )onederate prisoners& Ater
attendin( an April 11 spee%h in .hi%h -in%oln pro#oted votin( ri(hts or bla%0s, an in%ensed +ooth
%han(ed his plans and deter#ined to assassinate the president&
21863
-earnin( that the President and First
-ady .ould be attendin( Ford<s 6heatre, he laid his plans, assi(nin( his %o7%onspirators to
assassinate Ei%e President Andre. Bohnson and "e%retary o "tate *illia# '& "e.ard& *ithout his
#ain body(uard *ard 'ill -a#on, to .ho# he related his a#ous drea# re(ardin( his o.n
assassination, -in%oln let to attend the play Our American Cousin on April 19, 1865& As a lone
body(uard .andered, and -in%oln sat in his state bo1 (+o1 ?) in the bal%ony, +ooth %rept up behind
the President and .aited or .hat he thou(ht .ould be the unniest line o the play (AFou so%07
dolo(i:in( old #an7trapA), hopin( the lau(hter .ould #ule the noise o the (unshot& *hen the
lau(hter be(an, +ooth @u#ped into the bo1 and ai#ed a sin(le7shot, round7slu( 0&99 %aliber Cerin(er
at his head, irin( at point7blan0 ran(e& $a@or 'enry ,athbone #o#entarily (rappled .ith +ooth but
.as %ut by +ooth<s 0nie& +ooth then leaped to the sta(e and shouted ASic semper tyrannis!A (-atinG
Thus always to tyrants) and es%aped, despite a bro0en le( suered in the leap&
218?3
A t.elve7day
#anhunt ensued, in .hi%h +ooth .as %hased by Federal a(ents (under the dire%tion o "e%retary o
*ar 4d.in $& "tanton)&
21883
'e .as eventually %ornered in a Eir(inia barn house and shot, dyin( o
his .ounds soon ater&
21893
An ar#y sur(eon, Co%tor )harles -eale, initially assessed -in%oln<s .ound
as #ortal& 6he President .as ta0en a%ross the street ro# the theater to the Petersen 'ouse, .here he
lay in a %o#a or nine hours beore dyin(& "everal physi%ians attended -in%oln, in%ludin( !&"& Ar#y
"ur(eon 8eneral Boseph >& +arnes o the Ar#y $edi%al $useu#& !sin( a probe, +arnes lo%ated
so#e ra(#ents o -in%oln<s s0ull and the ball lod(ed 6 in%hes (15 %#) inside his brain& -in%oln
never re(ained %ons%iousness and .as pronoun%ed dead at ?G22G10 a&#& April 15, 1865& 'e .as the
irst president to be assassinated or to lie in state& -in%oln<s body .as %arried by train in a (rand
uneral pro%ession throu(h several states on its .ay ba%0 to /llinois&
21903
*hile #u%h o the nation
#ourned hi# as the savior o the !nited "tates, )opperheads %elebrated the death o a #an they
%onsidered a tyrant& 6he -in%oln 6o#b in Da0 ,id(e )e#etery in "prin(ield, is 1?? eet (59 #) tall
and, by 18?9, .as sur#ounted .ith several bron:e statues o -in%oln& 6o prevent repeated atte#pts
to steal -in%oln<s body and hold it or ranso#, ,obert 6odd -in%oln had it e1hu#ed and reinterred in
%on%rete several eet thi%0 in 1901&
Archibald Joseph Cronin (19 July 1896 – 6 January 1981) was a
Scottish novelist and writer of non-fction.
[1[!
"is #est-$nown wor$s are Hatter's
Castle% The Stars Look Down% The Citadel% The Keys of the Kingdom and The Green
Years% all of which were ada&ted to fl'. "e also created the (r. )inlay character% the
hero of a series of stories that served as the #asis for the &o&ular **+ television
and radio series entitled Dr. Finlay's Casebook.
Early life
)ronin .as born at ,oseban0 )otta(e in )ardross, Cunbartonshire, the only %hild o a Protestant
#other, Bessie )ronin, and a )atholi% ather, Patri%0 )ronin, and .ould later .rite o youn( #en
ro# si#ilarly #i1ed ba%0(rounds& 'is paternal (randparents .ere the proprietors o a publi%
house in Ale1andria& 'is #aternal (randather, Ar%hibald $ont(o#erie, .as a hatter .ho o.ned
a shop in Cu#barton& Ater their #arria(e, )ronin<s parents #oved to 'elensbur(h, .here he
attended 8rant "treet "%hool& *hen he .as seven years old, his ather, an insuran%e a(ent and
%o##er%ial traveller, died ro# tuber%ulosis& 'e and his #other #oved to her parentsH ho#e in
Cu#barton, and she soon be%a#e the irst e#ale publi% health inspe%tor in "%otland&
)ronin .as not only a pre%o%ious student at Cu#barton A%ade#y .ho .on #any pri:es and
.ritin( %o#petitions, but an e1%ellent athlete and ootballer& Fro# an early a(e, he .as an avid
(oler, a sport he en@oyed throu(hout his lie, and he loved sal#on ishin( as .ell& 6he a#ily
later #oved to For0hill, 8las(o., .here he attended "t& Aloysius< )olle(e in the 8arnethill area
o the %ity& 'e played ootball or the First I/ there, an e1perien%e .hi%h he in%luded in one o
his last novels, The Minstrel Boy, also published as Desmonde in the !"A& Cue to his
e1%eptional abilities, he .as a.arded a s%holarship to study #edi%ine at the !niversity o
8las(o. in 1919& 'e .as absent durin( the 19167191? session or naval servi%e and (raduated
.ith hi(hest honours in 1919, bein( a.arded an $&+& and a )h&+&& )ronin .ent on to earn
additional de(rees, in%ludin( a Ciplo#a in Publi% 'ealth (1925) and his $,)P (1929)& /n 1925,
he .as a.arded an $&C& ro# the !niversity o 8las(o. or his dissertation, entitled A6he
'istory o Aneurys#A&
Medical career
)ronin served as a ,oyal =avy sur(eon durin( *orld *ar / beore (raduatin( ro# #edi%al
s%hool& Ater the .ar, he trained at various hospitals in%ludin( +ellahouston and -i(htburn
'ospitals in 8las(o. and ,otunda 'ospital in Cublin, beore ta0in( up his irst pra%ti%e in
6rede(ar, a #inin( to.n in "outh *ales& /n 1929, he .as appointed $edi%al /nspe%tor o $ines
or 8reat +ritain, and over the ne1t e. years, his survey o #edi%al re(ulations in %ollieries and
his reports on the %orrelation bet.een %oal dust inhalation and pul#onary disease .ere
published& )ronin dre. on his e1perien%es resear%hin( the o%%upational ha:ards o the #inin(
industry or his later novels The Citadel, set in *ales, and The Stars Look Down, set in
=orthu#berland& 'e subseJuently #oved to -ondon .here he pra%tised in 'arley "treet beore
openin( his o.n thrivin( #edi%al pra%ti%e in *estbourne 8rove, =ottin( 'ill& )ronin .as also
the #edi%al oi%er or *hiteleys at this ti#e and .as be%o#in( in%reasin(ly interested in
ophthal#olo(y&
Influence of The Citadel
The Citadel in%ited the establish#ent o the =ational 'ealth "ervi%e in the !nited >in(do# by
e1posin( the ineJuity and in%o#peten%e o #edi%al pra%ti%e at the ti#e& Cr& )ronin and Aneurin
+evan had both .or0ed at the 6rede(ar )otta(e 'ospital in *ales, .hi%h served as the basis or
the ='"& )ronin<s novel inor#ed the publi% o %orruption .ithin the #edi%al syste#, plantin( a
seed that eventually led to ne%essary reor#& =ot only .ere the author<s pioneerin( ideas
instru#ental in the %reation o the ='", but the popularity o his novels played a substantial role
in the -abour Party<s landslide 1995 vi%tory&
253
Family
/t .as at university that )ronin #et his uture .ie, A(nes $ary 8ibson, .ho .as also a #edi%al
student& $ay .as the dau(hter o ,obert 8ibson, a #aster ba0er, and A(nes 6ho#son 8ibson
(nKe 8il%hrist) o 'a#ilton, -anar0shire& 6he %ouple #arried on 51 Au(ust 1921& As a do%tor,
$ay helped her husband .ith resear%h and .or0ed in the dispensary .hile he .as e#ployed by
the 6rede(ar 8eneral 'ospital, and she also assisted hi# .ith his pra%ti%e in -ondon& *hen he
be%a#e an author, she .ould prooread his #anus%ripts& 6heir irst son, Ein%ent, .as born in
6rede(ar in 1929& 6heir se%ond son, Patri%0, .as born in -ondon in 1926& Andre., their
youn(est son, .as born in -ondon in 195?&
*ith his stories bein( adapted to 'olly.ood il#s, )ronin and his a#ily #oved to the !nited
"tates in 1959, livin( in +el7Air, )aliornia, =antu%0et, $assa%husetts, 8reen.i%h, )onne%ti%ut,
and +lue 'ill, $aine& /n 1995, the )ronins sailed ba%0 to 4n(land aboard the ,$" Queen Mary,
.here they stayed briely in 'ove and then in ,aheny, /reland beore returnin( to the !&"& the
ollo.in( year& 6hey subseJuently too0 up residen%e at the )arlyle 'otel in =e. For0 )ity and
then in Ceerield, $assa%husetts beore settlin( in =e. )anaan, )onne%ti%ut in 199?& 4ver the
no#ad, )ronin also reJuently travelled to his ho#es in +er#uda and )ap7d<Ail, Fran%e, .here
he su##ered&
Later years
!lti#ately, )ronin returned to 4urope, residin( in -u%erne and $ontreu1, ".it:erland or the
last t.enty7ive years o his lie and %ontinuin( to .rite into his ei(hties& 'e in%luded a#on( his
riends -ord Dlivier, "ir )harles )haplin and Audrey 'epburn, to .hose irst son he .as
(odather& 'e died on 6 Banuary 1981 in $ontreu1, and is interred at -a 6our7de7Peil:& $any o
)ronin<s .ritin(s, in%ludin( published and unpublished literary #anus%ripts, drats, letters,
s%hool e1er%ise boo0s and essays, laboratory boo0s, and his $&C& thesis, are held at the =ational
-ibrary o "%otland and the !niversity o 6e1as&
Honours
• A#eri%an +oo0sellers< A.ard, 195?, or The Citadel
• C&-itt& ro# +o.doin )olle(e and -aayette )olle(e