Lincoln's America

Más información sobre el libro

To fully appreciate Abraham Lincoln’s legacy, it is essential to examine the society that shaped his life, character, and leadership. Editors Joseph R. Fornieri and Sara Vaughn Gabbard present a collection of essays by ten historians that situate Lincoln within his nineteenth-century cultural context. Key topics include religion, education, middle-class family life, the antislavery movement, politics, and law. Notably, the transition from Enlightenment to Romanticism and its impact on Lincoln's ideas is explored. The contributors analyze various aspects of Lincoln’s life, such as his personal piety compared to his contemporaries, his self-education amidst limited opportunities, his marriage and family life in Springfield, and his legal career. They also contextualize these elements within broader cultural themes, including the evolution of democracy, the rise of visual arts, the status of slaves as property, and Alexis de Tocqueville’s observations on America. Through this examination, the essays reveal a more nuanced understanding of Lincoln beyond the myths of folklore, highlighting his developing political mind and the transformative nature of the nation during his time. The sociopolitical culture of nineteenth-century America significantly influenced Lincoln’s character and leadership, providing a vivid portrayal of both the young nation and its sixteenth president, often regarded as its greatest leader.