Philippe le guay biography of abraham lincoln

InLincoln declared the final Thursday in November of that year to be a day of Thanksgiving. In June Lincoln approved the Yosemite Grant enacted by Congress, which provided unprecedented federal protection for the area now known as Yosemite National Park. Lincoln's philosophy on court nominations was that "we cannot ask a man what he will do, and if we should, and he should answer us, we should despise him for it.

Therefore we must take a man whose opinions are known. Noah Haynes Swayne was an anti-slavery lawyer who was committed to the Union. Samuel Freeman Miller supported Lincoln in the election and was an avowed abolitionist. David Davis was Lincoln's campaign manager in and had served as a judge in the Illinois court circuit where Lincoln practiced.

Democrat Stephen Johnson Fielda previous California Supreme Court justice, provided geographic and political balance. Chase, became Chief Justice. Lincoln believed Chase was an able jurist, would support Reconstruction legislation, and that his appointment united the Republican Party. Lincoln named his main political rival, William H. Seward, as Secretary of State and left most diplomatic issues in Seward's portfolio.

However, Lincoln did select some top diplomats as part of his patronage policy. He was successful philippe le guay biography of abraham lincoln indicating to Britain and France that the Union would declare war on them if they supported the South. John Wilkes Booth was a well-known actor and a Confederate spy from Maryland; though he never joined the Confederate army, he had contacts with the Confederate secret service.

At the last minute, Grant decided to go to New Jersey to visit his children instead of attending the play. At in the evening, Booth entered the back of Lincoln's theater box, crept up from behind, and fired at the back of Lincoln's head, mortally wounding him. Lincoln's guest, Major Henry Rathbonemomentarily grappled with Booth, but Booth stabbed him and escaped.

After remaining in a coma for nine hours, Lincoln died at in the morning on April Two weeks later, Booth, refusing to surrender, was tracked to a farm in Virginia. He was mortally shot by Sergeant Boston Corbett and died on April Secretary of War Stanton had issued orders that Booth be taken alive, so Corbett was initially arrested to be court martialed.

After a brief interview, Stanton declared him a patriot and dismissed the charge. The caskets containing Lincoln's body and the body of his third son Willie then traveled for three weeks on the Lincoln Special funeral train. Many others gathered along the tracks as the train passed with bands, bonfires, and hymn singing [ ] or in silent grief. As a young man Lincoln was a religious skeptic.

In the s Lincoln subscribed to the Doctrine of Necessitya belief that the human mind was controlled by a higher power. In the s Lincoln asserted his belief in "providence" in a general way and rarely used the language or imagery of the evangelicals; instead, he regarded the republicanism of the Founding Fathers with an almost religious reverence.

He wrote at this time 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. Lincoln believed in an all-powerful God who shaped events and by was expressing that belief in major speeches. I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me.

Now, at the end of three philippe le guay biographies of abraham lincoln struggle the nation's condition is not what either party, or any man devised, or expected. God alone can claim it. Whither it is tending seems plain. If God now wills the removal of a great wrong, and wills also that we of the North as well as you of the South, shall pay fairly for our complicity in that wrong, impartial history will find therein new cause to attest and revere the justice and goodness of God.

This spirituality can best be seen in his second inaugural address, considered by some scholars [ ] as the greatest such address in American history, and by Lincoln himself as his own greatest speech, or one of them at the very least. Lincoln is believed to have had depression, smallpoxand malaria. Several claims have been made that Lincoln's health was declining before the assassination.

These are often based on photographs of Lincoln appearing to show weight loss and muscle wasting. Lincoln's redefinition of republican values has been stressed by historians such as John Patrick DigginsHarry V. He did this at a time when the Constitutionwhich "tolerated slavery", was the focus of most political discourse. His position on war was founded on a legal argument regarding the Constitution as essentially a contract among the states, and all parties must agree to pull out of the contract.

Furthermore, it was a national duty to ensure the republic stands in every state. As a Whig activist Lincoln was a spokesman for business interests, favoring high tariffs, banks, infrastructure improvements, and railroads, in opposition to Jacksonian democrats. Just as the Republican Party of the s absorbed certain elements of Jacksonianism, so Lincoln, whose Whiggery had always been more egalitarian than that of other Whigs, found himself absorbing some of them as well.

And some of the Jacksonian spirit resided inside the Lincoln White House. William C. Harris found that Lincoln's "reverence for the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, the laws under it, and the preservation of the Republic and its institutions strengthened his conservatism. Randall emphasizes his tolerance and moderation "in his preference for orderly progress, his distrust of dangerous agitation, and his reluctance toward ill digested schemes of reform.

In Lincoln's first inaugural address, he explored the nature of democracy. He denounced secession as anarchy, and he explained that majority rule had to be balanced by constitutional restraints. He said, "A majority held in restraint by constitutional checks and limitations, and always changing easily with deliberate changes of popular opinions and sentiments, is the only true sovereign of a free people.

The successful reunification of the states had consequences for how people viewed the country. The term "the United States" has historically been used sometimes in the plural "these United States" and other times in the singular. The Civil War was a significant force in the eventual dominance of the singular usage by the end of the 19th century. In his company, I was never reminded of my humble origin, or of my unpopular color.

In surveys of U. Kennedyand Ronald Reagan were the top-ranked presidents in eight public opinion surveys, according to Gallup. Lincoln's assassination left him a national martyr. He was viewed by abolitionists as a champion of human liberty. Republicans linked Lincoln's name to their party. Many, though not all, in the South considered Lincoln as a man of outstanding ability.

Allen C. Guelzo states that Lincoln was a "classical liberal democrat—an enemy of artificial hierarchy, a friend to trade and business as ennobling and enabling, and an American counterpart to MillCobdenand Bright whose portrait Lincoln hung in his White House office ". Sociologist Barry Schwartz argues that Lincoln's American reputation grew slowly from the late 19th century until the Progressive Era —swhen he emerged as one of America's most venerated heroes, even among white Southerners.

Schwartz argues that in the s and s the memory of Abraham Lincoln was practically sacred and provided the nation with "a moral symbol inspiring and guiding American life. Roosevelt, preparing America for war, used the words of the Civil War president to clarify the threat posed by Germany and Japan. Americans asked, "What would Lincoln do?

In the Cold War years Lincoln's image shifted to a symbol of freedom who brought hope to those oppressed by Communist regimes. Bennett argued that Lincoln opposed social equality and proposed that freed slaves voluntarily move to another country. The emphasis shifted away from Lincoln the emancipator to an argument that blacks had freed themselves from slavery, or at least were responsible for pressuring the government to emancipate them.

By the s Lincoln had become a hero to political conservatives [ ] —apart from neo-Confederates such as Mel Bradfordwho denounced his treatment of the white South—for his intense nationalism, his support for business, his insistence on stopping the spread of slavery, his acting on Lockean and Burkean principles on behalf of both liberty and tradition, and his devotion to the principles of the Founding Fathers.

Barry Schwartz wrote in that Lincoln's image suffered "erosion, fading prestige, benign ridicule" in the late 20th century. In the 21st century President Barack Obama named Lincoln his favorite president and insisted on using the Lincoln Bible for his inaugural ceremonies. Lincoln has often been portrayed by Hollywood, almost always in a flattering light.

Lincoln has also been admired by political figures outside the U. He appears on postage stamps across the world. He was the first of five presidents to do so. He has been memorialized in many town, city, and county names, [ ] including the capital of Nebraska. Contents move to sidebar hide. House of Representatives — Article Talk. Read View source View history.

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Further information: Lincoln—Douglas debates and Cooper Union speech. Main article: United States presidential election. The Rail Candidatea critical Currier and Ives illustration, which depictied Lincoln's platform in the presidential campaign as being held up by a slave and his party. In the presidential electionnorthern and western electoral votes shown in red put Lincoln into the White House.

Presidency — Main article: Presidency of Abraham Lincoln. Secession and inauguration. Main article: Presidential transition of Abraham Lincoln. Further information: Secession winter and Baltimore Plot. Lincoln's first inaugural at the United States Capitol on March 4, with the Capitol dome above the rotunda still under construction. On the left, Lincoln meeting with Union Army officers on October 3, following the Battle of Antietamincluding left to right: Col.

Delos Sackett ; 4. George W. Morell ; 5. Alexander S. WebbChief of Staff, V Corps; 6. Jonathan Letterman ; Lincoln; Henry J. Hunt ; Fitz John Porter ; Andrew A. Humphreys ; George Armstrong Custer. On right, Lincoln meeting with McClellan the same day. Emancipation Proclamation. Main articles: Abraham Lincoln and slavery and Emancipation Proclamation.

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Further information: Religious views of Abraham Lincoln.

Philippe le guay biography of abraham lincoln: In , our French literature

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National variants. Related topics. Main article: Health of Abraham Lincoln. See also: Cultural depictions of Abraham Lincoln. Reunification of the states. Main article: Memorials to Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln's image carved into the stone of Mount Rushmore. Abraham Lincolna bronze statue by Adolph Weinmansits before a historic church in Hodgenville, Kentucky.

The Lincoln memorial postage stamp of was issued by the U. Post Office exactly one year after Lincoln's assassination. Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. The Lincoln centan American coin portraying Lincoln. Older sources use six. One possibility is that other members of the family, including Dennis Hanks, may not have matched Thomas's stability and steady income.

Foner argues that Lincoln was in the middle, opposing slavery primarily because it violated the republicanism principles of the Founding Fathersespecially the equality of all men and democratic self-government as expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Sandfordthe respondent's surname was actually "Sanford". A clerk misspelled the name, and the court never corrected the error.

Restoration Quarterly. Archived from the original on October 19, Retrieved May 27, I expect the latter to wear as well as—perhaps better than—any thing I have produced Leaders, From the Great and Honorable to the Dishonest and Incompetent acknowledges that polls have rated Lincoln among the top presidents sincethe authors find him to be among the two best presidents, along with Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Hurd and Houghton. Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 4. Retrieved August 7, National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 9, Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association. Archived from the original on April 3, The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group. Archived from the original on October 9, Retrieved October 8, Retrieved February 17, SIU Press.

ISBN Retrieved June 27, The Hidden Lincoln. The Viking Press. The Vintage News. Retrieved March 4, In Miller, Marion Mills ed. Life and Works of Abraham Lincoln Volume 3. Wildside Press. Abraham Lincoln: A Biography. Alpha Editions. Abraham Lincoln's Classroom. Archived from the original on February 12, Retrieved February 12, Archived from the original on July 2, Retrieved July 2, Volume 1.

Archived from the original on December 15, Retrieved February 2, Retrieved July 1, National Archives. Archived from the original on September 20, Retrieved March 12, The Life of Abraham Lincoln. Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on August 25, Retrieved April 28, The Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln. Open Road Media. The New York Times.

ISSN Retrieved November 13, Office of the Illinois Secretary of State. The American Journal of Legal History. Temple University: — JSTOR Letter to Jesse W. Archived from the original on November 7, Retrieved November 6, Michael Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks. Retrieved April 1, Belmont: Clark Baxter. March 4, Retrieved December 5, January 27, February 23, ".

Lincoln the President: Springfield to Gettysburg. Alfred A. New York. June 26, Archived from the original on October 8, Retrieved October 8, — via Newspapers. Scott spent several hours in discussing the state of military affairs, the doings and misdoings of certain Generals, the desirability of continuing the existing Departmental divisions, the necessity of further enlistments, the prospect of the armies of the Potomac and of the Virginia valleys.

In the most troubled of times, here was a man who led the country out of slavery and preserved a shattered Union — in short, one of the greatest presidents this country has ever seen. On May 18,William H. Seward, Salmon P. When Lincoln emerged as the victor, his rivals were dismayed and angry. Throughout the turbulent s, each had energetically sought the presidency as the conflict over slavery was leading inexorably to secession and civil war.

That Lincoln succeeded, Goodwin demonstrates, was the result of a character that had been forged by experiences that raised him above his more privileged and accomplished rivals. He won because he possessed an extraordinary ability to put himself in the place of other men, to experience what they were feeling, to understand their motives and desires.

It was this capacity that enabled Lincoln as president to bring his disgruntled opponents together, create the most unusual cabinet in history, and marshal their talents to the task of preserving the Union and winning the war. We view the long, horrifying struggle from the vantage of the White House as Lincoln copes with incompetent generals, hostile congressmen, and his raucous cabinet.

He overcomes these obstacles by winning the respect of his former competitors, and in the case of Seward, finds a loyal and crucial friend to see him through. The power of words has rarely been given a more compelling demonstration than in the Gettysburg Address. Early in his presidency, Hay and Nicolay requested and received permission from Lincoln to write his biography.

Further, the permission of Robert Lincolnwho controlled his father's papers, would have to be gained. Lincoln's former secretaries decided to wait until they had sufficient time and money. The often-dormant proposal to write the biography was given new impetus as they came to believe Lincoln's historical image was being distorted. Ward Hill Lamon in published a biography of Lincoln based on research by William HerndonLincoln's law partner.

Lamon's book first made widely known many of the early accounts of Lincoln's life, such as those regarding Ann Rutledgewhom Lamon related Lincoln had loved and whose death devastated him. Without access to his papers, these early biographers focused on episodes told of the young Lincoln that fascinated the public. The Lincoln family believed that some of these were distorted or untrue, and in any event disrespectful.

ByHay was "convinced that we philippe le guay biography of abraham lincoln to be at work on our 'Lincoln. Hay and Nicolay enjoyed exclusive access to Lincoln's papers, which were not opened to other researchers until They gathered documents written by others, as well as many of the Civil War books already being published. On rare occasions they relied on memory, such as Nicolay's recollection of the moment at the Republican convention when Lincoln was nominated, but for the most part they relied on research.

Hay began his part of the writing in ; [ 7 ] the work was interrupted by illnesses of Hay, Nicolay, or family members, [ 5 ] or by Hay's writing of The Bread-Winners. Goodwin weaves a narrative which is entertaining and often masterful. Overall, this is a very good book for a new fan of Lincoln, but it is a great book for someone seeking an entertaining and informative narrative about his team of advisers.

Although included on my list of best biographies, it proves far less a biography of Lincoln than a treatise on his views of slavery. Although this is a topic well-covered in other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average focus and effort. His analysis is generally clear and articulate, although the text can be tedious rather than interesting at times.

For that reason, I declined to provide a rating for this book. And while McPherson claims no other Lincoln biography has ever focused adequately on his role as commander in chief, I find this argument less-than-convincing. Rather than seeing Lincoln from a new perspective, McPherson shows Lincoln from only one perspective. Through its earliest pages, and not infrequently throughout, it resembles a political and philosophical treatise rather than a biography.

The book seems geared to an academic, not a broad, audience. But for someone seeking an ideal introduction to Abraham Lincoln or a fluid narrative of his life from birth to death, I would look elsewhere. By far the most interesting and insightful portion of this book is its first sixty pages. These pages are worth reading by anyone interested in US history.

The remainder of the book is often beautifully written, but barely adequate as an introductory biography.

Philippe le guay biography of abraham lincoln: After a Jewish couple (Renier

I recently read David S. However, it pre-supposes a familiarity with Lincoln and his times, fails to humanize him, largely ignores his personal life though his wife receives significant attention and brushes past several significant historical events which would receive attention in a more traditional biography. Readers seeking a traditional biographical experience or even a cohesive introduction to the 16th president need to look elsewhere, and dedicated fans of Lincoln will the narrative interesting…but with an excess of conjecture and speculation.

Dan said:. June 29, at pm. Steve said:. June 30, at am. Both of these bios are pretty captivating so I imagine a high percentage of folks who start actually do get through them…. Peter said:. January 26, at pm. January 27, at am. March 14, at am. Richard said:. March 20, at am. I am a university student in England and am currently doing an essay on the cause s of the American Civil War.

I am fascinated with American history and politics, and this post is very helpful. My focus is on the Lincoln, Debates and historiography. March 24, at am. Oh my, you are really testing my memory! Good luck!

Philippe le guay biography of abraham lincoln: Philippe Le Guay was

January 18, at pm. Finally…finally I finished Lincoln: A Life. Interestingly, Steve expressed limited discussion about the Civil War, I feel there was too much discussion about the war and not enough about policy and legislation during his terms in office. I enjoy the policy discussions, for historical events like the war and the assination, I can read books specifically about them, the presidential biographies are seemingly the only place to find the wonky stuff.

I have Team of Rivals as well, but that is on hold until I am through the list. Onto Jeffy D. January 19, at am. What are you going to read on JD? January 23, at pm. Don said:. March 9, at am. That might be the single toughest question you could have asked me about presidential biographies, anyway. The first two are traditional, comprehensive biographies of Lincoln.

I liked them both equally well and if choosing between them I would almost tell you to flip a coin — or read whichever is easier for you to get a copy of. So while this one is slightly less about Lincoln than the others, it offers something extra in return. March 12, at pm. Thank you for your response! Kyle said:. April 18, at am. I wanted to find a good Lincoln biography and came across your blog.

Great list, thank you for such detailed descriptions of each book! April 19, at pm. Rick Garner said:. September 26, at pm. First, I have been following most of your suggestions since Washington and now am spending a great amount on Lincoln. I was really surprised how closely Goodwin followed Tarbell with the Lincoln portions of her work. September 27, at am.

Going on my follow-up list! Joe said:. October 15, at pm. 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?