ebooks Lincoln on Race and Slavery by From Brand: Princeton University Press in History

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Lincoln; Analyzed Through His Speeches and Etc!By DevDr. Gates did a very good job highlighting the major speeches of Abraham Lincoln. However; I don't think his speeches should be taken as is. Understanding the greater context of history and the time in which Lincoln lived; one must understand that he is a politician and therefore going to say things and do things that are political. You will get done reading his speeches and other writings and think that he is extremely Racist; which I think he was but evolved on his personal feelings over time. The great thing about being an historian is that you don't have to agree with what other historians have to say about history. Even facts and primary sources are ambiguous. Read this book and you can come away with your own interpretation.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy LamarDMPerfect book; exactly as described5 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Lincoln; Personal and FlawedBy Psycho DiverGates depiction of Abraham Lincoln is in many ways confusing and awkward. Most of this confusion however originates from my own personal views on Lincoln. Gates presents a Lincoln that most are familiar with; but at the same time; the book gives off undertones of a very flawed public figure. Gates presents Lincoln as a man that is going through constant transitions in his life. Gates depicts Lincoln's opinions and actions as evolving throughout the course of his presidency. Gates concludes that Lincoln adapted to the situations happening around him rather than going against them. Aside from all of the stuff we already know about Lincoln; the collection of A. Lincoln's letters to colleagues; old friends and others of the sort are simply marvelous. The letters in and of themselves are simplistic and kind of boring. However; if you look past the text; you can see the thought process of the great Lincoln. The letters gives the reader a unique insight that makes reading Gates book a successful treasure hunt filled with gold. The letters Lincoln writes are not to be hurried through in order to get to the meat of the work. The letters are the meat of the work. The reason why the letters are so important are for the simple reason that they are usually written for one other person to read rather than a written speech (also included throughout the text); which is intended towards a wider audience. In one of the letters Lincoln writes to Joshua F. Speed; an old friend of his; "I confess I hate to see the poor creatures hunted down; and caught; and carried back to their stripes; and unrewarded toils; but I bite my lip and keep quiet." It would appear that Lincoln was perhaps being racist; but in reality he was not. His references to Negro slaves as "creatures" when writing to an old friend of his; showcases his adaptability to the situations. Lincoln sympathizes with his friend in order to have him lower his guard. By applying this technique; Speed allows the rest of the letter to penetrate simply because Lincoln shares a common attitude towards slaves. The letters definitely provide a window into Lincoln's own psychology and thought process. The more letters one reads; the larger the window becomes. The illustrations provided also provide a look and feel for the era of Lincoln. These pieces of art make this particular viewing window a lot larger. Through these sometimes complex drawings; we can better pinpoint what Lincoln experienced throughout his time as president. There's a gory illustration titled "forcing slavery down the throat of a freesoiler;" which; literally shows a man's mouth being pried open; with a `then' slave jumping into it as if it were a swimming pool. In a way; Gates book recreates a Lincoln's time period in a straightforward manner. This is particularly important simply because it is nearly impossible to properly judge or criticize Lincoln from a 21st century perspective. Immersing oneself into the text gives the reader the opportunity to realize that Lincoln was human. Historians tend to glorify Lincoln as this god-like man. In actuality; this legend that has been passed on through generations is only partially true. While Lincoln did have a natural inclination to free the slaves from the cotton states; we can see that he was also simply doing his job. Fittingly so; he did not want to let himself or those around him down. Constantly struggling to mediate different opinions until it finally comes down to secede or not to secede. I particularly liked this book. I will say that it is better used as a personal reference guide to Lincoln and his psychology because of the various letters and speeches included. The reader can make formulate their own opinions on Lincoln rather than being influenced by the majority of Lincoln fanatics. Abraham Lincoln was a great man; but he was not free from the dents of his own personal life and struggles.