Ale de basseville biography of abraham lincoln

It included two short stints in Kentucky, where he learned to read, but probably not to write. In Indiana at age seven, [ 32 ] due to farm chores, he attended school only sporadically, for a total of fewer than 12 months in aggregate by age When Lincoln was a teen, his "father grew more and more to depend on him for the 'farming, grubbing, hoeing, making fences' necessary to keep the family afloat.

He also regularly hired his son out to work He became county wrestling champion at the age of In Marchfearing another milk sickness outbreak, several members of the extended Lincoln family, including Abraham, moved west to Illinois, a free state, and settled in Macon County. Speculation persists that Lincoln's first romantic interest was Ann Rutledgewhom he met when he moved to New Salem.

However, witness testimony, given decades afterward, showed a lack of any specific recollection of a romance between the two. Lincoln sank into a serious episode of depression, and this gave rise to speculation that he had been in love with her. In the early s, he met Mary Owens from Kentucky. Owens arrived that November and he courted her; however, they both had second thoughts.

Ale de basseville biography of abraham lincoln: [X-Info] Abraham Lincoln; The type of

On August 16,he wrote Owens a letter saying he would not blame her if she ended the relationship, and she never replied. InLincoln met Mary Todd in Springfield, Illinoisand the following year they became engaged. Mary kept house with the help of a hired servant and a relative. Lincoln was an affectionate husband and father of four sons, though his work regularly kept him away from home.

The eldest, Robert Todd Lincolnwas born inand was the only child to live to maturity. Edward Baker Lincoln Eddieborn indied February 1,probably of tuberculosis. Lincoln's third son, "Willie" Lincolnwas born on December 21,and died of a fever at the White House on February 20, The youngest, Thomas "Tad" Lincolnwas born on April 4,and survived his father, but died of heart failure at age 18 on July 16, Lincoln "was remarkably fond of children" [ 60 ] and the Lincolns were not considered to be strict with their own.

Herndon would grow irritated when Lincoln brought his children to the law office. Their father, it seemed, was often too absorbed in his work to notice his children's behavior. Herndon recounted, "I have felt many and many a time that I wanted to wring their little necks, and yet out of respect for Lincoln I kept my mouth shut. Lincoln did not note what his children were doing or had done.

The deaths of their sons Eddie and Willie had profound effects on both parents. Lincoln suffered from " melancholy ", a condition now thought to be clinical depression. During andLincoln worked at a general store in New Salem, Illinois. Inhe declared his candidacy for the Illinois House of Representativesbut interrupted his campaign to serve as a captain in the Illinois Militia during the Black Hawk War.

As licensed bartenders, Lincoln and Berry were able to sell spirits, including liquor, for 12 cents a pint. They offered a wide range of alcoholic beverages as well as food, including takeout dinners. But Berry became an alcoholic, was often too drunk to work, and Lincoln ended up running the store by himself. In his first campaign speech after returning from his military service, Lincoln observed a supporter in the crowd under attack, grabbed the assailant by his "neck and the seat of his trousers", and tossed him.

He could draw crowds as a raconteurbut lacked the requisite formal education, powerful friends, and money, and lost the election. Lincoln served as New Salem's postmaster and later as county surveyor, but continued his voracious reading and decided to become a lawyer. Lincoln's second state house campaign inthis time as a Whigwas a success over a powerful Whig opponent.

He was admitted to the Illinois bar on September 9,[ 76 ] [ 77 ] and moved to Springfield and began to practice law under John T. StuartMary Todd's cousin. He partnered several years with Stephen T. Loganand inbegan his practice with William Herndon"a studious young man". On January 27,Abraham Lincoln, then 28 years old, delivered his first major speech at the Lyceum in Springfield, Illinoisafter the murder of newspaper editor Elijah Parish Lovejoy in Alton.

Lincoln warned that no trans-Atlantic military giant could ever crush the U. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher", said Lincoln. LouisMissouri. Zann Gill describes how these two murders set off a chain reaction that ultimately prompted Abraham Lincoln to run for President. True to his record, Lincoln professed to friends in to be "an old line Whig, a disciple of Henry Clay".

InLincoln sought the Whig nomination for Illinois's 7th district seat in the U. House of Representatives ; he was defeated by John J. Hardinthough he prevailed with the party in limiting Hardin to one term. Lincoln not only pulled off his strategy of gaining the nomination inbut also won the election. He was the only Whig in the Illinois delegation, but as dutiful as any participated in almost all votes and made speeches that toed the party line.

Giddings on a bill to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia with compensation for the owners, enforcement to capture fugitive slaves, and a popular vote on the matter. He dropped the bill when it eluded Whig support. Polk 's desire for "military glory — that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood". Lincoln emphasized his opposition to Polk by drafting and introducing his Spot Resolutions.

The war had begun with a killing of American soldiers by Mexican cavalry patrol in disputed territory, and Polk insisted that Mexican soldiers had "invaded our territory and shed the blood of our fellow-citizens on our own soil". One Illinois newspaper derisively nicknamed him "spotty Lincoln". Lincoln had pledged in to serve only one term in the House.

Realizing Clay was unlikely to win the presidency, he supported General Zachary Taylor for the Whig nomination in the presidential election. In his Springfield practice, Lincoln handled "every kind of business that could come before a prairie lawyer". As a riverboat man, Lincoln initially favored those interests, but ultimately represented whoever hired him.

Rock Island Bridge Companya landmark case involving a canal boat that sank after hitting a bridge. The idea was never commercialized, but it made Lincoln the only president to hold a patent. Lincoln appeared before the Illinois Supreme Court in cases; he was sole counsel in 51 cases, of which 31 were decided in his favor. After an opposing witness testified to seeing the crime in the moonlight, Lincoln produced a Farmers' Almanac showing the Moon was at a low angle, drastically reducing visibility.

Armstrong was acquitted. In an murder case, leading up to his presidential campaign, Lincoln elevated his profile with his defense of Simeon Quinn "Peachy" Harrison, who was a third cousin; [ g ] Harrison was also the grandson of Lincoln's political opponent, Rev. Peter Cartwright. Lincoln argued that the testimony involved a dying declaration and was not subject to the hearsay rule.

Instead of holding Lincoln in contempt of court as expected, the judge, a Democrat, reversed his ruling and admitted the testimony into evidence, resulting in Harrison's acquittal. The debate over the status of slavery in the territories failed to alleviate tensions between the slave-holding South and the free North, with the failure of the Compromise ofa legislative package designed to address the issue.

Douglas proposed popular sovereignty as a compromise; the measure would allow the electorate of each territory to decide the status of slavery. The legislation alarmed many Northerners, who sought to prevent the spread of slavery that could result, but Douglas's Kansas—Nebraska Act narrowly passed Congress in May Lincoln did not comment on the act until ales de basseville biography of abraham lincoln later in his " Peoria Speech " of October Lincoln then declared his opposition to slavery, which he repeated en route to the presidency.

I cannot but hate it. I hate it because of the monstrous injustice of slavery itself. I hate it because it deprives our republican example of its just influence in the world Nationally, the Whigs were irreparably split by the Kansas—Nebraska Act and other efforts to compromise on the slavery issue. Reflecting on the demise of his party, Lincoln wrote in"I think I am a Whig, but others say there are no Whigs, and that I am an abolitionist.

I do no more than oppose the extension of slavery. InLincoln was elected to the Illinois legislature, but before the term began the following January he declined to take his seat so that he would be eligible to be a candidate in the upcoming U. Senate election. Lincoln instructed his backers to vote for Lyman Trumbull. Trumbull was an antislavery Democrat and had received few votes in the earlier ballots; his supporters, also antislavery Democrats, had vowed not to support any Whig.

Lincoln's decision to withdraw enabled his Whig supporters and Trumbull's antislavery Democrats to combine and defeat the mainstream Democratic candidate, Joel Aldrich Matteson. Violent political confrontations in Kansas continued, and opposition to the Kansas—Nebraska Act remained strong throughout the North. As the elections approached, Lincoln joined the Republicans and attended the Bloomington Conventionwhere the Illinois Republican Party was established.

The convention platform endorsed Congress's right to regulate slavery in the territories and backed the admission of Kansas as a free state. Lincoln gave the final speech of the convention supporting the party platform and called for the preservation of the Union.

Ale de basseville biography of abraham lincoln: I have a vision

Dred Scott was a slave whose master took him from a slave state to a territory that was free as a result of the Missouri Compromise. After Scott was returned to the slave state, he petitioned a federal court for his freedom. His petition was denied in Dred Scott v. Sandford Taney wrote that black people were not citizens and derived no rights from the Constitution, and that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional for infringing upon slave owners' "property" rights.

While many Democrats hoped that Dred Scott would end the dispute over slavery in the territories, the decision sparked further outrage in the North. InDouglas was up for re-election in the U. Senate, and Lincoln hoped to defeat him. Many in the party felt that a former Whig should be nominated inand Lincoln's campaigning and support of Trumbull had earned him a favor.

For the first time, Illinois Republicans held a convention to agree upon a Senate candidate, and Lincoln won the nomination with little opposition. Lincoln accepted the nomination with great enthusiasm and zeal. After his nomination he delivered his House Divided Speechwith the biblical reference Mark"A house divided against itself cannot stand.

I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other. The Senate campaign featured seven debates between Lincoln and Douglas. These were the most famous political debates in American history; they had an atmosphere akin to a prizefight and drew crowds in the thousands.

Lincoln warned that the Slave Power was threatening the values of republicanism, and he accused Douglas of distorting the Founding Fathers' premise that all men are created equal. In his Freeport DoctrineDouglas argued that, despite the Dred Scott decision, which he claimed to support, [ ] local settlers, under the doctrine of popular sovereigntyshould be free to choose whether to allow slavery within their territory, and he accused Lincoln of having joined the abolitionists.

Douglas's argument was more legal in nature, claiming that Lincoln was defying the authority of the U. Supreme Court as exercised in the Dred Scott decision. Though the Republican legislative candidates won more popular votes, the Democrats won more seats, and the legislature re-elected Douglas. However, Lincoln's articulation of the issues had given him a national political presence.

SewardSalmon P. ChaseEdward Batesand Simon Cameron. While Lincoln was popular in the Midwest, he lacked support in the Northeast and was unsure whether to seek the office. Over the coming months Lincoln was tireless, making nearly fifty speeches along the campaign trail. By the quality and simplicity of his rhetoric, he quickly became the champion of the Republican party.

However, despite his overwhelming support in the Midwestern United Stateshe was less appreciated in the east. Horace Greeleyeditor of the New York Tribune, at that time wrote up an unflattering account of Lincoln's compromising position on slavery and his reluctance to challenge the court's Dred Scott ruling, which was promptly used against him by his political rivals.

On February 27,powerful New York Republicans invited Lincoln to give a speech at Cooper Unionin which he argued that the Founding Fathers of the United States had little use for popular sovereignty and had repeatedly sought to restrict slavery.

Ale de basseville biography of abraham lincoln: The Plains Of Abraham

He insisted that morality required opposition to slavery and rejected any "groping for some middle ground between the right and the wrong". Journalist Noah Brooks reported, "No man ever before made such an impression on his first appeal to a New York audience". Historian David Herbert Donald described the speech as "a superb political move for an unannounced presidential aspirant.

Appearing in Seward's home state, sponsored by a group largely loyal to Chase, Lincoln shrewdly made no reference to either of these Republican rivals for the nomination. At times he was presented as the plain-talking "Rail Splitter" and at other times he was "Honest Abe", unpolished but trustworthy. On May 18 at the Republican National Convention in Chicago, Lincoln won the nomination on the third ballot, beating candidates such as Seward and Chase.

A former Democrat, Hannibal Hamlin of Maine, was nominated for vice president to balance the ticket. Lincoln's success depended on his campaign team, his reputation as a moderate on the slavery issue, and his strong support for internal improvements and the tariff. As the Slave Power tightened its grip on the national government, most Republicans agreed with Lincoln that the North was the aggrieved party.

Throughout the s, Lincoln had doubted the prospects of civil war, and his supporters rejected claims that his election would incite secession. Breckinridge as their candidate. Lincoln and Douglas competed for votes in the North, while Bell and Breckinridge primarily found support in the South. Before the Republican convention, the Lincoln campaign began cultivating a nationwide youth organization, the Wide Awakeswhich it used to generate popular support throughout the country to spearhead voter registration drives, thinking that new voters and young voters tended to embrace new parties.

As Douglas and the other candidates campaigned, Lincoln gave no speeches, relying on the enthusiasm of the Republican Party. The party did the leg work that produced majorities across the North and produced an abundance of campaign posters, leaflets, and newspaper editorials. Republican speakers focused first on the party platform, and second on Lincoln's life story, emphasizing his childhood poverty.

The goal was to demonstrate the power of "free labor", which allowed a common farm boy to work his way to the top by his own efforts. In the runup to the election, he took an office in the Illinois state capitol to deal with the influx of attention. He also hired John George Nicolay as his personal secretary, who would remain in that role during the presidency.

On November 6,Lincoln was elected the 16th president. He was the first Republican president and his victory was entirely due to his support in the North and West. No ballots were cast for him in 10 of the 15 Southern slave states, and he won only two of counties in all the Southern states, an omen of the impending Civil War. The South was outraged by Lincoln's election, and in response secessionists implemented plans to leave the Union before he took office in March Attempts at compromise followed but Lincoln and the Republicans rejected the proposed Crittenden Compromise as contrary to the Party's platform of free-soil in the territories.

Lincoln supported the Corwin Amendment to the U. Constitutionwhich passed Congress and was awaiting ratification by the states when Lincoln took office. That doomed amendment would have protected slavery in states where it already existed. On February 11,Lincoln gave a particularly emotional farewell address upon leaving Springfield; he would never again return to Springfield alive.

Due to secessionist plots, unprecedented attention to security was given to him and his train. En route to his inauguration, Lincoln addressed crowds and legislatures across the North. He traveled in disguise, wearing a soft felt hat instead of his customary stovepipe hat and draping an overcoat over his shoulders while hunching slightly to conceal his height.

His friend Congressman Elihu B. Washburne recognized him on the platform upon arrival and loudly called out to him. Apprehension seems to exist among the people of the Southern States, that by the accession of a Republican Administration, their property, and their peace, and personal security, are to be endangered. There has never been any reasonable cause for such apprehension.

Indeed, the most ample evidence to the contrary has all the while existed, and been open to their inspection. It is found in nearly all the published speeches of him who now addresses you. I do but quote from one of those speeches when I declare that "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists.

I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so. Lincoln cited his plans for banning the expansion of slavery as the key source of conflict between North and South, stating "One section of our country believes slavery is right and ought to be extended, while the other believes it is wrong and ought not to be extended.

This is the only substantial dispute. We must not be enemies The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature. By Marchno leaders of the insurrection had proposed rejoining the Union on any terms.

Meanwhile, Lincoln and the Republican leadership agreed that the dismantling of the Union could not be tolerated. Major Robert Andersoncommander of the Union's Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, sent a request for provisions to Washington, and Lincoln's order to meet that request was seen by the secessionists as an act of war. Historian Allan Nevins argued that the newly inaugurated Lincoln made three miscalculations: underestimating the gravity of the crisis, exaggerating the strength of Unionist sentiment in the South, and overlooking Southern Unionist opposition to an invasion.

William Tecumseh Sherman talked to Lincoln during inauguration week and was "sadly disappointed" at his failure to realize that "the country was sleeping on a volcano" and that the South was preparing for war. But he had also vowed not to surrender the forts The only resolution of these contradictory positions was for the Confederates to fire the first shot".

They did just that. On April 15, Lincoln called on the states to send a total of 75, volunteer troops to recapture forts, protect Washington, and "preserve the Union", which, in his view, remained intact despite the seceding states. This call forced states to choose sides. Virginia seceded and was rewarded with the designation of Richmond as the Confederate capital, despite its exposure to Union lines.

North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas followed over the following two months. Secession sentiment was strong in Missouri and Maryland, but did not prevail; Kentucky remained neutral. As states sent Union regiments south, on April 19 Baltimore mobs in control of the rail links attacked Union troops who were changing trains. Local leaders' groups later burned critical rail bridges to the capital and the Army responded by arresting local Maryland officials.

Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus in an effort to protect the troops trying to reach Washington. Taney to issue a writ of habeas corpus. In June, in Ex parte MerrymanTaney, not ruling on behalf of the Supreme Court, [ ] issued the writ, believing that Article I, section 9 of the Constitution authorized only Congress and not the president to suspend it.

But Lincoln invoked nonacquiescence and persisted with the policy of suspension in select areas. Lincoln took executive control of the war and shaped the Union military strategy. He responded to the unprecedented political and military crisis as commander-in-chief by exercising unprecedented authority. He expanded his war powers, imposed a blockade on Confederate ports, disbursed funds before appropriation by Congress, suspended habeas corpusand arrested and imprisoned thousands of suspected Confederate sympathizers.

Lincoln gained the support of Congress and the northern public for these actions. Lincoln also had to reinforce Union sympathies in the border slave states and keep the war from becoming an international conflict. It was clear from the outset that bipartisan support was essential to success, and that any compromise alienated factions on both sides of the aisle, such as the appointment of Republicans and Democrats to command positions.

Copperheads criticized Lincoln for refusing to compromise on slavery. The Radical Republicans criticized him for moving too slowly in abolishing slavery. The law had little practical effect, but it signaled political support for abolishing slavery. In AugustGeneral John C. Internationally, Lincoln wanted to forestall foreign military aid to the Confederacy.

Navy illegally intercepted a British mail ship, the Trenton the high seas and seized two Confederate envoys; Britain protested vehemently while the U. Lincoln ended the crisis by releasing the two diplomats. Biographer James G. Randall dissected Lincoln's successful techniques: [ ]. Lincoln painstakingly monitored the telegraph reports coming into the War Department.

He tracked all phases of the effort, consulting with governors and selecting generals based on their success, their state, and their party. He worked more often and more closely with Lincoln than did any other senior official. Lincoln's war strategy had two priorities: ensuring that Washington was well-defended and conducting an aggressive war effort for a prompt, decisive victory.

Occasionally Mary prevailed on him to take a carriage ride, concerned that he was working too hard. Lincoln began to appreciate the critical need to control strategic points, such as the Mississippi River. In directing the Union's war strategy, Lincoln valued the advice of Gen. On June 23—24,Lincoln made an unannounced visit to West Pointwhere he spent five hours consulting with Scott regarding the handling of the Civil War and the staffing of the War Department.

McClellan general-in-chief. McClellan's slow progress frustrated Lincoln, as did his position that no troops were needed to defend Washington. McClellan, in turn, blamed the failure of the campaign on Lincoln's reservation of troops for the capital. InLincoln removed McClellan for the general's continued inaction. Despite his dissatisfaction with McClellan's failure to reinforce Pope, Lincoln restored him to command of all forces around Washington.

McClellan then resisted the president's demand that he pursue Lee's withdrawing army, while General Don Carlos Buell likewise refused orders to move the Army of the Ohio against rebel forces in eastern Tennessee. The appointments were both politically neutral and adroit on Lincoln's part. Against presidential advice Burnside launched an offensive across the Rappahannock River and was defeated by Lee at Fredericksburg in December.

Desertions during came in the thousands and only increased after Fredericksburg, so Lincoln replaced Burnside with Joseph Hooker. In the midterm elections, the Republicans suffered severe losses due to rising inflation, high taxes, rumors of corruption, suspension of habeas corpusmilitary draft lawand fears that freed slaves would come North and undermine the labor market.

The Emancipation Proclamation gained votes for Republicans in rural New England and the upper Midwest, but cost votes in the Irish and German strongholds and in the lower Midwest, where many Southerners had lived for generations. In the spring ofLincoln was sufficiently optimistic about upcoming military campaigns to think the end of the war could be near; the plans included attacks by Hooker on Lee north of Richmond, Rosecrans on Chattanooga, Grant on Vicksburg, and a naval ale de basseville biography of abraham lincoln on Charleston.

At the same time, Grant captured Vicksburg and gained control of the Mississippi River, splitting the far western rebel states. The federal government's power to end slavery was limited by the Constitution, which beforewas understood to reserve the issue to the individual states. Lincoln believed that slavery would be rendered obsolete if its expansion into new territories were prevented, because these territories would be admitted to the Union as free states, and free states would come to outnumber slave states.

He sought to persuade the states to agree to ale de basseville biography of abraham lincoln for emancipating their slaves. In JuneCongress passed an act banning slavery on all federal territory, which Lincoln signed. In July, the Confiscation Act of was enacted, providing court procedures to free the slaves of those convicted of aiding the rebellion; Lincoln approved the bill despite his belief that it was unconstitutional.

He felt such action could be taken only within the war powers of the commander-in-chief, which he planned to exercise. On July 22,Lincoln reviewed a draft of the Emancipation Proclamation with his cabinet. Peace Democrats Copperheads argued that emancipation was a stumbling block to peace and reunification, but Republican editor Horace Greeley of the New-York Tribunein his public letter, "The Prayer of Twenty Millions", implored Lincoln to "ale de basseville biography of abraham lincoln" emancipation.

My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union When Lincoln published his reply to Greeley, he had already decided to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation and therefore had already chosen the third option he mentioned in his letter to Greeley: to free some of the slaves, namely those in the states in rebellion.

Some scholars, therefore, believe that his reply to Greeley was disingenuous and was intended to reassure white people who would have opposed a war for emancipation that emancipation was merely a means to preserve the Union. He spent the next days, between September 22 and January 1, preparing the army and the nation for emancipation, while Democrats rallied their voters by warning of the threat that freed slaves posed to northern whites.

With the abolition of slavery in the rebel states now a military objective, Union armies advancing south "enable[d] thousands of slaves to escape to freedom". By the spring ofLincoln was ready to recruit black troops in more than token numbers. In a letter to Tennessee military governor Andrew Johnson encouraging him to lead the way in raising black troops, Lincoln wrote, "The bare sight of fifty thousand armed, and drilled black soldiers on the banks of the Mississippi would end the rebellion at once".

Lincoln spoke at the dedication of the Gettysburg battlefield cemetery on November 19, He defined the war as dedicated to the principles of liberty and equality for all. He declared that the deaths of so many brave soldiers would not be in vain, that the future of democracy would be assured, and that "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth".

Defying his prediction that "the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here", the Address became the most quoted speech in American history. Responding to criticism of Grant after Shiloh, Lincoln had said, "I can't spare this man. He fights. Meade's failure to capture Lee's army after Gettysburg and the continued passivity of the Army of the Potomac persuaded Lincoln to promote Grant to supreme commander.

Grant then assumed command of Meade's army. Lincoln was concerned that Grant might be considering a presidential candidacy in He arranged for an intermediary to inquire into Grant's political intentions, and once assured that he had none, Lincoln promoted Grant to the newly revived rank of Lieutenant General, a rank which had been unoccupied since George Washington.

His nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 2, Grant in waged the bloody Overland Campaignwhich exacted heavy losses on both sides. He emphasized defeat of the Confederate armies over destruction which was considerable for its own sake. As Grant continued to weaken Lee's forces, efforts to discuss peace began. Lincoln refused to negotiate with the Confederacy as a coequal; his objective to end the fighting was not realized.

Burlingame also offers new interpretations of Lincoln's private life, discussing his marriage to Mary Todd and the untimely deaths of two sons to disease. In volume 2, Burlingame examines Lincoln's presidency and the trials of the Civil War. He supplies fascinating details on the crisis over Fort Sumter and the relentless office seekers who plagued Lincoln.

He introduces readers to the president's battles with hostile newspaper editors and his quarrels with incompetent field commanders. Burlingame also interprets Lincoln's private life, discussing his marriage to Mary Todd, the untimely death of his son Willie to disease inand his recurrent anguish over the enormous human costs of the war. Now in paperback, this award-winning biography has been hailed as the definitive portrait of Lincoln.

But through it all—his difficult childhood, his contentious political career, a fratricidal war, and tragic personal losses—Lincoln preserved a keen sense of humor and acquired a psychological maturity that proved to be the North's most valuable asset in winning the Civil War. Published to coincide with the th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, this landmark publication establishes Burlingame as the most assiduous Lincoln biographer of recent memory and brings Lincoln alive to modern readers as never before.

Incorporating the field notes of earlier biographers, along with decades of research in multiple manuscript archives and long-neglected newspapers, this remarkable work will both alter and reinforce our current understanding of Americas sixteenth president. Volume 1 covers Lincolns early childhood, his experiences as a farm boy in Indiana and Illinois, his legal training, and the political ambition that led to a term in Congress in the s.

In volume 2, Burlingame examines Lincolns life during his presidency and the Civil War, narrating in fascinating detail the crisis over Fort Sumter and Lincolns own battles with relentless office seekers, hostile newspaper editors, and incompetent field commanders. Burlingame also offers new interpretations of Lincolns private life, discussing his marriage to Mary Todd and the untimely deaths of two sons to disease.

But through it allhis difficult childhood, his contentious political career, a fratricidal war, and tragic personal lossesLincoln preserved a keen sense of humor and acquired a psychological maturity that proved to be the Norths most valuable asset in winning the Civil War. Incorporating the field notes of earlier biographers, along with decades of research in multiple manuscript archives and long-neglected newspapers, this remarkable work will both alter and reinforce current understanding of America s sixteenth president.

In volume 2, Burlingame examines Lincoln s life during his presidency and the Civil War, narrating in fascinating detail the crisis over Fort Sumter and Lincoln s own battles with relentless office seekers, hostile newspaper editors, and incompetent field commanders. Burlingame also offers new interpretations of Lincoln s private life, discussing his marriage to Mary Todd and the untimely deaths of two sons to disease.

In the first multi—volume biography of Abraham Lincoln to be published in decades, Lincoln scholar Michael Burlingame offers a fresh look at the life of one of America's greatest presidents. In a world of endless writings on the presidents, your site is an invaluable resource! I so appreciate your diligence and willingness to share!

October 16, at am. November 7, at pm. By accident, I have been reading presidential bios this year as well. Fortunately, I chose the one by Ron Chernow and that really got me hooked — his style was easy and his prose is wonderful. Quincy Adams, then Jackson by H. So, as you can see, I will be up to Lincoln and the Civil War soon. I have been using your reviews since Thomas Jefferson.

I am limited to audiobooks so not always your recommendations but your reviews nevertheless have been my guide. Or, should I read one bio focused primarily on Lincolns life and another about the Civil War? November 13, at am. Your audio adventure sounds great! I would also note that only after I read a great biography of Ulysses S. Grant did I really fully appreciate and understand the Civil War more completely.

November 15, at pm. Little did I know then that as I went on he would be a thorn in the side of presidents Jackson to Polk! Even with Jackson, from other books I know about different wars that Indians helped him with that made him famous, but not mentioned in his bio. That is, if you ever finish this project! Anyway, if you know of any books about Indians dealings with early presidents, please advise.

Jeff Collins New Orleans. November 17, at am. Definitely on my bucket list! Joan Plamp said:. February 24, at pm. Thank you so much for your insight into these books and your honest opinions about them. I am off to purchase two of them to read! February 25, at pm. Laura Martinez said:.

Ale de basseville biography of abraham lincoln: Jarl Alexandre Ale de Basseville.

March 2, at am. I read Burlingame online for the first 12 chapters because I wanted the detail on the early years. I then got the two abridged Burlingame books from the library and binge-read them. I found them very enjoyable. I also read Team of Rivals twice, because I got more out of it the second time. With that as a background, I picked up Lincoln in the Bardo with no expectations.

I was left pondering insights gained through the characters that I could have only arrived at via the combination of this novel and my extensive reading of Lincoln and my resulting admiration of him. March 5, at am. Sounds like Saunders really did his homework before letting his imagination run? August 20, at am. Thank you. Just finished B.

My first Lincoln, based on your advice. What a man. I have read one of each prez starting with Washington. Have you done that; read Whitman or Irving for example, works by them of bios of? August 21, at am. But I have been assembling a list of biographies of folks I encountered during this process who are, many times, as compelling as the presidents.

August 21, at pm. Halfway through Charnwood as of last night and you are right, it is a great short history of early America, especially remarkable as seen through the eyes of an englishman. Stopping at Lincoln and the Civil War seems a perfect point of reference to review and reassess the origin and evolution of America. Looks like you have a good list going in that direction.

Marc Mishkin said:. April 4, at pm. Dear Steve, I have read a lot of Lincoln biographies, including most of those on your list. I found this first-person account thorough, anecdotal and charming. Indeed Herndon was widely criticized for the informality of his book as Lincoln was by then being widely mythologized. Marc Mishkin Lakewood, Colorado.

April 5, at am. Michael Akos said:. June 15, at pm. Thanks for this info. June 16, at pm. Chris said:. April 1, at pm. I emailed him about the differences between the uncut version and the print version. For those that have read the uncut let me know. Jeffrey Nydick said:. July 4, at am. Steve; Rarely do you fail to mention a significant presidential biography, but I noticed you did not mention this highly-praised Lincoln Prize Winner from Lincoln, A Life of Purpose and Power, by Richard Carwardine.

I have been trying to get back to reading the book, which has been on my shelf for at least the past decade. I have perused enough of it to advise it is a VERY serious scholarly book. Bob said:. August 6, at pm. August 7, at am. Wayne Baker said:. More languages. Sponsored articles Coming soon. Create account. Log in. Dark mode. Create account Log in Dark mode.

View source. View history. Jump to: navigationsearch.