, 1897]] Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence (generally in the form of blood) of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person. inspiring such works as Varney the Vampire and eventually Dracula.

Etymology

The Oxford English Dictionary dates the first appearance of the word vampire in English from 1734, in a travelogue titled Travels of Three English Gentlemen published in the Harleian Miscellany in 1745. After Austria gained control of northern Serbia and Oltenia with the Treaty of Passarowitz in 1718, officials noted the local practice of exhuming bodies and "killing vampires". These reports, prepared between 1725 and 1732, received widespread publicity.

Description and common attributes

It is difficult to make a single, definitive description of the folkloric vampire, though there are several elements common to many European legends. Vampires were usually reported as bloated in appearance, and ruddy, purplish, or dark in color; these characteristics were often attributed to the recent drinking of blood. Indeed, blood was often seen seeping from the mouth and nose when one was seen in its shroud or coffin and its left eye was often open. Generally a black horse was required, though in Albania it should be white. Though folkloric vampires were believed to be more active at night, they were not generally considered vulnerable to sunlight.

Methods of destruction

Methods of destroying suspected vampires varied, with staking the most commonly cited method, particularly in southern Slavic cultures. This act was seen as a way of hastening the departure of the soul, which in some cultures, was said to linger in the corpse. The vampire's head, body, or clothes could also be spiked and pinned to the earth to prevent rising. synonymous with and giving rise to Lilith (Hebrew לילית) and her daughters the Lilu from Hebrew demonology. Lilitu was considered a demon and was often depicted as subsisting on the blood of babies. The Lamia preyed on young children in their beds at night, sucking their blood, as did the gelloudes or Gello. Like the Lamia, the striges feasted on children, but also preyed on young men. They were described as having the bodies of crows or birds in general, and were later incorporated into Roman mythology as strix, a kind of nocturnal bird that fed on human flesh and blood. Despite being called the Age of Enlightenment, during which most folkloric legends were quelled, the belief in vampires increased dramatically, resulting in a mass hysteria throughout most of Europe. The panic began with an outbreak of alleged vampire attacks in East Prussia in 1721 and in the Habsburg Monarchy from 1725 to 1734, which spread to other localities. Two famous vampire cases, the first to be officially recorded, involved the corpses of Peter Plogojowitz and Arnold Paole from Serbia. Plogojowitz was reported to have died at the age of 62, but allegedly returned after his death asking his son for food. When the son refused, he was found dead the following day. Plogojowitz supposedly returned and attacked some neighbours who died from loss of blood. Another famous Serbian legend involving vampires concentrates around a certain Sava Savanović living in a watermill and killing and drinking blood from millers. The character was later used in a story written by Serbian writer Milovan Glišić and in the Serbian 1973 horror film Leptirica inspired by the story.

The two incidents were well-documented: government officials examined the bodies, wrote case reports, and published books throughout Europe. In his Philosophical Dictionary, Voltaire wrote:

The Americas

The Loogaroo is an example of how a vampire belief can result from a combination of beliefs, here a mixture of French and African Vodu or voodoo. The term Loogaroo possibly comes from the French loup-garou (meaning "werewolf") and is common in the culture of Mauritius. However, the stories of the Loogaroo are widespread through the Caribbean Islands and Louisiana in the United States. Aztec mythology described tales of the Cihuateteo, skeletal-faced spirits of those who died in childbirth who stole children and entered into sexual liaisons with the living, driving them mad.

During the late 18th and 19th centuries the belief in vampires was widespread in parts of New England, particularly in Rhode Island and Eastern Connecticut. There are many documented cases of families disinterring loved ones and removing their hearts in the belief that the deceased was a vampire who was responsible for sickness and death in the family, although the term "vampire" was never actually used to describe the deceased. The deadly disease tuberculosis, or "consumption" as it was known at the time, was believed to be caused by nightly visitations on the part of a dead family member who had died of consumption themselves. Despite the general disbelief in vampiric entities, occasional sightings of vampires are reported. Indeed, vampire hunting societies still exist, although they are largely formed for social reasons. Allegations of vampire attacks swept through the African country of Malawi during late 2002 and early 2003, with mobs stoning one individual to death and attacking at least four others, including Governor Eric Chiwaya, based on the belief that the government was colluding with vampires. Because of this, it was considered necessary to leave a window or door open in the house for the soul to pass through at its leisure. During this time the soul was believed to have the capability of re-entering the corpse of the deceased. Much like the spirits mentioned earlier, the passing soul could either bless or wreak havoc on its family and neighbors during its 40 days of passing. Upon an individual's death, much stress was placed on proper burial rites to ensure the soul's purity and peace as it separated from the body. The death of an unbaptized child, a violent or an untimely death, or the death of a grievous sinner (such as a sorcerer or murderer) were all grounds for a soul to become unclean after death. A soul could also be made unclean if its body were not given a proper burial. Alternatively, a body not given a proper burial could be susceptible to possession by other unclean souls and spirits. An unclean soul was so fearful to the Slavs because of its potential for vengeance. Darkening of the skin is also caused by decomposition.

Premature burial

It has also been hypothesized that vampire legends were influenced by individuals being buried alive because of shortcomings in the medical knowledge of the time. In some cases in which people reported sounds emanating from a specific coffin, it was later dug up and fingernail marks were discovered on the inside from the victim trying to escape. In other cases the person would hit their heads, noses or faces and it would appear that they had been "feeding." The epidemic allusion is obvious in the classical cases of Peter Plogojowitz and Arnold Paole, and even more so in the case of Mercy Brown and in the vampire beliefs of New England generally, where a specific disease, tuberculosis, was associated with outbreaks of vampirism. As with the pneumonic form of bubonic plague, it was associated with breakdown of lung tissue which would cause blood to appear at the lips.

The literary Dracula transforms into a bat several times in the novel, and vampire bats themselves are mentioned twice in it. The 1927 stage production of Dracula followed the novel in having Dracula turn into a bat, as did the film, where Béla Lugosi would transform into a bat. The bat transformation scene would again be used by Lon Chaney Jr. in 1943's Son of Dracula. Byron's own dominating personality, mediated by his lover Lady Caroline Lamb in her unflattering roman-a-clef, Glenarvon (a Gothic fantasia based on Byron's wild life), was used as a model for Polidori's undead protagonist Lord Ruthven. The Vampyre was highly successful and the most influential vampire work of the early 19th century. Another important addition to the genre was Sheridan Le Fanu's lesbian vampire story Carmilla (1871). Like Varney before her, the vampire Carmilla is portrayed in a somewhat sympathetic light as the compulsion of her condition is highlighted.

The pilot for the Dan Curtis 1972 television series revolved around reporter Carl Kolchak hunting a vampire on the Las Vegas strip. Later films showed more diversity in plotline, with some focusing on the vampire-hunter, such as Blade in the Marvel Comics' Blade films and the film Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy, released in 1992, foreshadowed a vampiric presence on television, with adaptation to a long-running hit TV series of the same name and its spin-off Angel. Still others showed the vampire as protagonist, such as 1983's The Hunger, 1994's and its indirect sequel of sorts Queen of the Damned, and the 2007 series Moonlight. Bram Stoker's Dracula was a noteworthy 1992 film which became the then-highest grossing vampire film ever. Another popular vampire-related show is CW's The Vampire Diaries. The continuing popularity of the vampire theme has been ascribed to a combination of two factors: the representation of sexuality and the perennial dread of mortality. Another "vampiric" series that has recently come out is the Twilight Saga, a series of films based on the book series of the same name.

Games

The role-playing game has been influential upon modern vampire fiction and elements of its terminology, such as embrace and sire, have become widely used. Popular video games about vampires include Castlevania, which is an extension of the original Bram Stoker Dracula novel, and Legacy of Kain. Vampires are also sporadically portrayed in other games, including , when a character can become afflicted with porphyric hemophilia. A different take on vampires came in Bethesda's other game Fallout 3 with "The Family". In it they're portrayed as people suffering from cannibal desires but have stopped at the blood to not sink into further sanity loss.

Notes

References

(Originally published as The Vampire: His Kith and Kin) (also published as The Vampire in Lore and Legend, ISBN 0-486-41942-8) (Originally published as Vampire and Vampirism; also published as The History of Vampires)

External links

Journal of Dracula Studies

Category:Corporeal undead Category:Shapeshifting Category:Slavic legendary creatures

Name	Heath Ledger
Alt	Close up of a man's face with brown eyes, tousled brown hair and scraggly beard growth. He is looking toward his left. He is wearing a grey jumper with an orange stripe near his left shoulder and upper left arm. The background is blue with out of focus writing.
Caption	Ledger at the 2006 Berlin International Film Festival.
Birth name	Heath Andrew Ledger
Birth date	April 04, 1979
Birth place	Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Death date	January 22, 2008
Death place	New York City, New York, United States
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1992–2008
Domesticpartner	Michelle Williams(2005–2007, 1 child)

Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career. His work encompassed nineteen films, including 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), The Patriot (2000), Monster's Ball (2001), A Knight's Tale (2001), Brokeback Mountain (2005), and The Dark Knight (2008). as well as the 2006 BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

He died at the age of 28, Ledger attended Mary's Mount Primary School, in Gooseberry Hill, His parents separated when he was 10 and divorced when he was 11. and he had a serious on-and-off-again long-term relationship with actress Naomi Watts, whom he met during the filming of Ned Kelly and with whom he lived at times from 2002 to 2004. With Trevor DiCarlo, his best friend since he was 3, Ledger drove across Australia from Perth to Sydney, returning to Perth to take a small role in Clowning Around (1992), the first part of a two-part television series, and to work on the TV series Sweat (1996), in which he played a gay cyclist. From 1993 to 1997, Ledger also had parts in the Perth television series Ship to Shore (1993); in the short-lived Fox Broadcasting Company fantasy-drama Roar (1997); in Home and Away (1997), one of Australia's most successful television shows; and in the Australian film Blackrock (1997), his feature film debut. In 1999, he starred in the teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You and in the acclaimed Australian crime film Two Hands, directed by Gregor Jordan.

2000s

From 2000 to 2005, he starred in supporting roles as Gabriel Martin, the eldest son of Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), in The Patriot (2000), and as Sonny Grotowski, the son of Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob Thornton), in Monster's Ball (2000); and in leading or title roles in A Knight's Tale (2001), The Four Feathers (2002), The Order (2003), Ned Kelly (2003), Casanova (2005), The Brothers Grimm (2005), and Lords of Dogtown (2005). In 2001, he won a ShoWest Award as "Male Star of Tomorrow".

In his next to last film performance, Ledger played the Joker in The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, first released, in Australia, on 16 July 2008, nearly six months after his death. While still working on the film, in London, Ledger told Sarah Lyall, in their interview published in the New York Times on 4 November 2007, that he viewed The Dark Knight's Joker as a "psychopathic, mass murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy."

At the time of his death, on 22 January 2008, Ledger had completed about half of the work for his final film performance as Tony in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. On 13 January 2006, "Several members of the paparazzi retaliated ... squirting Ledger and Williams with water pistols on the red carpet at the Sydney premiere of Brokeback Mountain."

Prior to his return to New York from his last film assignment, in London, in January 2008, while he was apparently suffering from some kind of respiratory illness, he reportedly complained to his co-star Christopher Plummer that he was continuing to have difficulty sleeping and taking pills to help with that problem: "Confirming earlier reports that Ledger hadn't been feeling well on set, Plummer says, 'we all caught colds because we were shooting outside on horrible, damp nights. But Heath's went on and I don't think he dealt with it immediately with the antibiotics.... I think what he did have was the walking pneumonia.' [...] On top of that, 'He was saying all the time, "dammit, I can't sleep"... and he was taking all these pills to help him.' "

In talking with Interview magazine after his death, Ledger's former fiancée Michelle Williams "also confirmed reports the actor had experienced trouble sleeping. "For as long as I'd known him, he had bouts with insomnia. He had too much energy. His mind was turning, turning turning — always turning."

According to the police, Wolozin, who had arrived early for a 3:00 p.m. appointment with Ledger, called Ledger's friend, actress Mary-Kate Olsen, for help. Olsen, who was in California, directed a New York City private security guard to go to the scene. At 3:26 p.m., "[fewer] than 15 minutes after Wolozin first saw him in bed and only a few moments" after first calling Olsen and then calling her a second time to express her fears that Ledger was dead, Wolozin telephoned 9-1-1 "to say that Mr. Ledger was not breathing." At the urging of the 9-1-1 operator, Wolozin administered CPR, which was unsuccessful in reviving him.

Memorial tributes and services

, Manhattan, 23 January 2008|alt=Dark doorway and doorstep with section of footpath. On the lower part of the dark door is a partly obscured Australian flag with dark blue background; red and white crosses on top left, large white star underneath and three white stars at the right with others obscured. Obsuring the right side of the flag is a white sheet with light blue writing, "Love + Miss You Always Heath" with two red hearts nearby, other writing includes "I'll never quit you" in darker blue, more writing is indistinct. This sheet also has six photos of a man. Above the flag, on the door is a smaller sheet with a photo of a man and indistinct writing below. On the doorstep and section of footpath are some 14 groups of flowers wrapped in plastic or paper, together with nine or so cards, five or six lit candles, and more photos. On the right side is a straw hat.]] As the news of Ledger's death became public, throughout the night of 22 January 2008, and the next day, media crews, mourners, fans, and other onlookers began gathering outside his apartment building, with some leaving flowers or other memorial tributes. It states definitively: "We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications." The medications found in the toxicological analysis are commonly prescribed in the United States for insomnia, anxiety, depression, pain, and/or common cold symptoms. Although the Associated Press and other media reported that "police estimate Ledger's time of death between 1 p.m. and 2:45 p.m." (on 22 January 2008), and subsequent reports citing Ledger's father, which do not include his actual posthumous earnings, "his entire fortune, mostly held in Australian trusts, is likely to be worth up to [A]$20 million." and also both the production and marketing of Terry Gilliam's film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, with both directors intending to celebrate and pay tribute to his work in these films. he expressed determination to "salvage" it, perhaps using computer-generated imagery (CGI), and dedicated it to Ledger. All of Ledger's scenes appear as he completed them in the filming; in editing the film, Nolan added no "digital effects" to alter Ledger's actual performance posthumously.Nominated — Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role |- | 10 Things I Hate About You | Patrick Verona | Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Sequence |- | 2000 | The Patriot | Gabriel Martin | Blockbuster Entertainment Awards — Favorite Male — Newcomer |- | rowspan="2" |2001 | Monster's Ball | Sonny Grotowski | |- | A Knight's Tale | Sir William Thatcher / Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein of Gelderland | Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Musical Sequence |- | 2002 | The Four Feathers | Harry Faversham | |- | rowspan="2" | 2003 | The Order | Alex Bernier | |- | Ned Kelly | Ned Kelly | Nominated — Film Critics Circle Award for Best ActorNominated — Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role |- | rowspan="4" | 2005 | Casanova | Giacomo Casanova | |- | The Brothers Grimm | Jacob Grimm | |- |Lords of Dogtown | Skip Engblom | |- | Brokeback Mountain | Ennis Del Mar | Australian Film Institute International Award for Best ActorAustralian Film Institute Awards – Reader's Choice Best ActorCentral Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Lead PerformanceCentral Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Actor of the YearLas Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best ActorMTV Movie Award for Best Kiss New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best ActorPhoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best ActorSan Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best ActorSanta Barbara International Film Festival Performance of the Year AwardNominated — Academy Award for Best ActorNominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading RoleNominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best ActorNominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best ActorNominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best ActorNominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Male LeadNominated — Inside Film Award for Best ActorNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture DramaNominated — London Film Critics' Circle Award for Actor of the YearNominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best ActorNominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading RoleNominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureNominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture DramaNominated — Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor |- | 2006 | Candy | Dan |Nominated — Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading RoleNominated — Inside Film Award for Best ActorNominated — Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor |- |2007 | I'm Not There | Robbie Clark | 2007 Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award |- | 2008 | The Dark Knight | The Joker | Academy Award for Best Supporting ActorAustralian Film Institute International Award for Best ActorBoston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting ActorBAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting RoleBroadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActorCentral Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActorChicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActorDallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActorFlorida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting ActorGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion PictureGQ Australia Men of the Year Awards (Best Actor)Iowa Film Critics Award for Best Supporting ActorKansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting ActorLas Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting ActorLos Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActorMTV Movie Award for Best VillainOnline Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting ActorPeople's Choice Award for Best Ensemble CastPeople's Choice Award for Best On-Screen Match-Up Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting ActorSan Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting ActorSaturn Award for Best Supporting ActorScream Award for Best Fantasy ActorScream Award for Best VillainScream Award for Best Line Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting RoleSoutheastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActorToronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActorWashington DC Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best CastNominated — London Film Critics' Circle Award for Actor of the YearNominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion PictureNominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Fight |- | 2009 | The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus | Tony | |}

Music videos

(2006) "Cause an Effect" and "Seduction is Evil (She's Hot)", songs by N'fa, videos directed by Ledger.

(2006) "Morning Yearning," song by Ben Harper, video directed by Ledger.

(2007) "Black Eyed Dog," song written by Nick Drake (1948–1974), video directed by and featuring Ledger. (2009) "King Rat", song by Modest Mouse and conceived by Ledger.

See also

List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees

List of posthumous Academy Award winners and nominees

References

Additional resources

Adler, Shawn."Heath Ledger Said He Hoped to Evolve as an Actor and Person in 2005 Interview: Late Actor Was Intelligent, Self-Aware during 'Brokeback Mountain' Chat." MTV.com, 22 January 2008. Accessed 18 March 2008. (Excerpts from transcript of interview with Heath Ledger conducted by John Norris in 2005.)

Arango, Tim. "Esquire Publishes a Diary That Isn't". The New York Times, nytimes.com, 6 March 2008, Books. Accessed 25 July 2008. (Rev. of Taddeo.)

"Death of a Star: Unsolved Mysteries". Newsweek, 4 February 2008: 62, Newsmakers. Both Web and print versions. Accessed 5 August 2008.

The Joker vs. The Real Heath: Entertainment Tonight Looks Back at the Career of Heath Ledger, etonline.com (CBS Studios Inc.), July 2008. Accessed 8 August 2008. ("ET takes a look back at Heath Ledger's career amid the hugely successful launch of 'The Dark Knight,' which features the late actor portraying the Joker"; includes photo album.)

McShane John. . London: John Blake, 2008. ISBN 1844546330 (10). ISBN 978-1844546336 (13). (Excerpt listed below.)

–––. "Loves of Heath Ledger's Life". The Courier-Mail, news.com.au, 20 April 2008. Accessed 21 April 2008. (Book excerpt.)

Nolan, Christopher. "Transition: Charisma as Natural as Gravity: Heath Ledger, 28, Actor". Newsweek, 4 February 2008: 9, Periscope. Both Web (updated 26 January 2008) and print versions. Accessed 5 August 2008. (Eulogy.)

Norris, Chris. "(Untitled Heath Ledger Project): In Which the Protagonist Dies Mysteriously, and the Audience Analyzes His Final Days for Clues to His Real Character". New York, nymag.com, 18 February 2008. Accessed 21 April 2008.

Park, Michael Y. "Christian Bale on 'Kindred Spirit' Heath Ledger". Web. People, 25 June 2008. Accessed 5 August 2008. (See Wolf below.)

Robb, Brian J. Heath Ledger: Hollywood's Dark Star. London: Plexus Publishing Ltd, 2008. ISBN 0859654273 (10). ISBN 978-0859654272 (13).

Scott, A. O. "An Appraisal: Prince of Intensity with a Lightness of Touch". The New York Times, nytimes.com, 24 January 2008, Movies. Accessed 27 April 2008.

Sessums, Kevin, with photographs by Bruce Weber. "We're Having a Heath Wave". Vanity Fair, August 2000, vanityfair.com, August 2008. Web. (4 pages.) Accessed 21 April 2008. (Interview with Heath Ledger; illustrations in "Perth Album", by Bruce Weber.)

Taddeo, Lisa. "The Last Days of Heath Ledger". Esquire (April 2008), esquire.com, 5 March 2008. (Updated 21 July 2008.) Accessed 25 July 2008. (Fictional account; cf. rev. by Arango.)

Travers, Peter."Sundance: Shock". The Travers Take: News and Reviews from Rolling Stone's Movie Critic, Rolling Stone (Blog), rollingstone.com, 22 January 2008. Includes hyperlinked feature: Video Review: A Look at Heath Ledger's Best Performances (video by Jennifer Hsu, with audio commentary provided by Travers), 1 February 2008. Accessed 21 April 2008.

Wolf, Jeanne. "Christian Bale: 'Life Should Never Be Boring' ". Parade, 29 June 2008: 8–9. Both Web and print formats. Accessed 3 August 2008. (See Park above.)

External links

Heath Ledger at BBC In Pictures

Heath Ledger at CNN Topics

Heath Ledger at The Huffington Post

Heath Ledger at MSN Movies

Heath Ledger at MTV Movies

Heath Ledger at New York Times Topics

Heath Ledger at The Daily Telegraph obituary

Ledger, Heath (1979-2008) National Library of Australia, Trove, People and Organisation record for Heath Ledger

Category:Accidental deaths in New York Category:Australian expatriate actors in the United States Category:Australian film actors Category:Australian music video directors Category:Australian television actors Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor Category:Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners Category:Burials at Karrakatta Cemetery Category:Drug-related deaths in New York Category:Former students of Guildford Grammar School Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Perth, Western Australia Category:Rock Eisteddfod Challenge participants Category:Actors from Western Australia Category:1979 births Category:2008 deaths

Name	Abraham Lincoln
Nationality	American
Alt	Iconic black and white photograph of Lincoln showing his head and shoulders.
Order	16th President of the United States
Term start	March 4, 1861
Term end	April 15, 1865
Predecessor	James Buchanan
Successor	Andrew Johnson
State2	Illinois
District2	7th
Term start2	March 4, 1847
Term end2	March 3, 1849
Predecessor2	John Henry
Successor2	Thomas L. Harris
Birth date	February 12, 1809
Birth place	Hardin County, Kentucky
Death date	April 15, 1865
Death place	Washington, D.C.
Restingplace	Oak Ridge CemeterySpringfield, Illinois
Spouse	Mary Todd Lincoln
Children	Robert Todd Lincoln Edward Lincoln Willie Lincoln Tad Lincoln
Profession	LawyerPolitician
Religion	See: Abraham Lincoln and religion
Party	Whig (1832–1854) Republican (1854–1865)
Vicepresident	Hannibal Hamlin (1861–1865)Andrew Johnson (1865)
Signature	Abraham Lincoln Signature.svg
Signature alt	Cursive signature in ink
Branch	Illinois Militia
Serviceyears	1832
Battles	Black Hawk War

Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led the country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserved the Union, and ended slavery. Reared in a poor family on the western frontier, he was mostly self-educated. He became a country lawyer, an Illinois state legislator, and a one-term member of the United States House of Representatives, but failed in two attempts at a seat in the United States Senate. He was an affectionate, though often absent, husband, and father of four children.

Lincoln was an outspoken opponent of the expansion of slavery in the United States, which he deftly articulated in his campaign debates and speeches.. The elder Abraham later moved his family from Rockingham County, Virginia to Jefferson County, Kentucky, where he was ambushed and killed by an Indian raid in 1786, with his children Mordecai, Josiah, and Thomas looking on. His older sister, Sarah (Grigsby), died while giving birth at a young age. Soon after, his father married Sarah Bush Johnston, with whom Lincoln became very close and whom he called "Mother." They later met at a party, and then married on November 4, 1842 in the Springfield mansion of Mary's married sister. Congress never enacted the resolution or even debated it, the national papers ignored it, and it resulted in a loss of political support for Lincoln in his district. One Illinois newspaper derisively nicknamed him "spotty Lincoln." Lincoln appeared before the Illinois Supreme Court 175 times, 51 times as sole counsel, of which 31 were decided in his favor. Lincoln rarely raised objections in the courtroom. However, in another celebrated case in 1859, where he defended Peachy Harrison, accused of stabbing another to death, Lincoln angrily protested the judge's decision to exclude evidence favorable to his client. Instead of Lincoln's being held in contempt of court as was expected, the judge, a Democrat, reversed his ruling, allowing the evidence and acquitting Harrison. Unbeknown to Lincoln, this client was a cousin, through Lincoln's father. and no leader of the insurrection proposed rejoining the Union on any terms; the Confederacy selected Jefferson Davis on February 9, 1861, as their provisional President.

On April 15, Lincoln called on the states to send detachments totaling 75,000 troops but neither they nor the slave state of Delaware seceded.

Troops headed south towards Washington, D.C. to protect the capital in response to Lincoln's call. On April 19, angry secessionist mobs in Baltimore that controlled the rail links attacked Union troops traveling to the capital. George William Brown, the Mayor of Baltimore, and other suspect Maryland politicians were arrested and imprisoned as Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus. As a member of the Whig party, Lincoln would often use the Declaration of Independence as the expression of these two philosophies. After Willie's death, in the summer or early fall of 1862, Lincoln attempted to put on paper his private thoughts on why, from a divine standpoint, the severity of the war was necessary. He wrote that God "could have either saved or destroyed the Union without a human contest. Yet the contest began. And having begun He could give the final victory to either side any day. Yet the contest proceeds."

Legacy and memorials

in Washington]]

President Lincoln's assassination and death immediately made him a national martyr and myth. To abolitionists, Lincoln was viewed as a champion for "human liberty". Killed on Good Friday, Lincoln was identified as Christ-like. In 1971, Presidents Day became a national holiday, combining Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays and replacing most states' celebration of his birthday. As of 2005, Lincoln's Birthday is a legal holiday in 10 states. The oldest active commemorative body is the Abraham Lincoln Association, formed in 1908 to commemorate the centennial of Lincoln's birth.

In 2000, Congress established the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (ALBC) to commemorate his 200th birthday in February 2009. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is located in Springfield and is run by the State of Illinois. The United States Postal Service honored Lincoln with a Liberty Issue 4¢ postage stamp on November 19, 1954, and a Prominent Americans series (1965–1978) 4¢ postage stamp.

See also

Electoral history of Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln family tree

Lincoln-Kennedy coincidences urban legend

Lincoln Memorial University

List of Presidents of the United States

Poetry of Abraham Lincoln

US Presidents on US postage stamps

References

;Footnotes

;Bibliography ;Primary References

Neely, Mark E. The last best hope of earth: Abraham Lincoln and the promise of America (Harvard UP, 1995) online edition

;General References

Angle, Paul McClelland; Earl Schenck Miers, ed (1992) The Living Lincoln: the Man, his Mind, his Times, and the War He Fought, Reconstructed from his Own Writings, Barnes & Noble Publishing, ISBN 9781566190435

Burkhimer, Michael. (2003) One Hundred Essential Lincoln Books, Turner Publishing Co., ISBN 158182369X

Emerson, James ( 2007) The Madness of Mary Lincoln, Southern Illinois University Press, ISBN 9780809327713

Fehrenbacher, Don E. (1989) Lincoln: Speeches and Writings 1859–1865, Library of America, ISBN 0940450631

Holzer, Harold; Medford, Edna Greene; Williams, Frank J. (2006) The Emancipation Proclamation: Three Views (Social, Political, Iconographic), Louisiana State University Press, ISBN 9780807131442

McPherson, James M. (1992) Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution, Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780195076066

McPherson, James M. (2007) Drawn With the Sword: Reflections on the American Civil War, Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780195117967

McPherson, James M. (2008) Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief, Penguin Press, ISBN 9781594201912

Zarefsky, David S. (1993) Lincoln, Douglas, and Slavery: In the Crucible of Public Debate, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 9780226978765

External links

 – Speeches and writings

Abraham Lincoln | Quotes, Facts, Biography, Picture & Much More

The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln

Photographs of Abraham Lincoln

Mr. Lincoln's Virtual Library

Poetry written by Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln quotes collected by Roger Norton

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Springfield, Illinois

President Lincoln's Cottage

—Manner of Buoying Vessels—A. Lincoln—1849

National Park Service Abraham Lincoln birthplace (includes good early history)

National Endowment for the Humanities Spotlight – Abraham Lincoln

The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission

Lincoln/Net: Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project, Northern Illinois University Libraries

Abraham Lincoln: A Resource Guide from the Library of Congress

Essay on Abraham Lincoln and shorter essays on each member of his cabinet and First Lady from the Miller Center of Public Affairs

The Entire Writings of Lincoln including an introduction by Theodore Roosevelt

Abraham Lincoln--View Videos

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