Lincoln's death; like his life; was an event of epic proportions. When the president was struck down at his moment of triumph; writes Merrill Peterson; "sorrow--indescribable sorrow" swept the nation. After lying in state in Washington; Lincoln's body was carried by a special funeral train to Springfield; Illinois; stopping in major cities along the way; perhaps a million people viewed the remains as memorial orations rang out and the world chorused its sincere condolences. It was the apotheosis of the martyred President--the beginning of the transformation of a man into a mythic hero. In Lincoln in American Memory; historian Merrill Peterson provides a fascinating history of Lincoln's place in the American imagination from the hour of his death to the present. In tracing the changing image of Lincoln through time; this wide-ranging account offers insight into the evolution and struggles of American politics and society--and into the character of Lincoln himself. Westerners; Easterners; even Southerners were caught up in the idealization of the late President; reshaping his memory and laying claim to his mantle; as his widow; son; memorial builders; and memorabilia collectors fought over his visible legacy. Peterson also looks at the complex responses of blacks to the memory of Lincoln; as they moved from exultation at the end of slavery to the harsh reality of free life amid deep poverty and segregation; at more than one memorial event for the great emancipator; the author notes; blacks were excluded. He makes an engaging examination of the flood of reminiscences and biographies; from Lincoln's old law partner William H. Herndon to Carl Sandburg and beyond. Serious historians were late in coming to the topic; for decades the myth-makers sought to shape the image of the hero President to suit their own agendas. He was made a voice of prohibition; a saloon-keeper; an infidel; a devout Christian; the first Bull Moose Progressive; a military blunderer and (after the First World War) a military genius; a white supremacist (according to D.W. Griffith and other Southern admirers); and a touchstone for the civil rights movement. Through it all; Peterson traces five principal images of Lincoln: the savior of the Union; the great emancipator; man of the people; first American; and self-made man. In identifying these archetypes; he tells us much not only of Lincoln but of our own identity as a people.
#764427 in Books William W Freehling 1992-10-29Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 5.50 x .60 x 8.19l; .58 #File Name: 0195079450192 pagesSecession Debated Georgia s Showdown in 1860
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Undistilled historyBy John S. ReidThis collection of debates in the Georgia state legislature during the "crisis period" - i.e.; after the election of Lincoln and before the actual outbreak of war - provides a valuable insight into the minds of Southern statesmen (at least in Georgia) regarding the possibility of secession. These are records of the actual debates; and are not tainted by a historian's interpretation. They are very readable; notwithstanding being over 150 years old.For a comparative history of events during the "crisis period"; and particularly regarding crystallization in the mind of the North to justify going to war; see "And the War Came" by Kenneth Stamp. These two books together cover the mindsets of the North and South during that important period. Interestingly; the North and South seemed to have had completely different reasons for going to war - the North to preserve the Union for economic and political purposes; and the South to preserve their existing institutions (slavery being high on the list). One cannot but wonder what might have been the outcome had there been a proper attempt by each side to address the concerns of the other. International statesmanship was a well--developed art by 1850; but domestic statesmanship seemed to be lacking.For anyone interested in the casus belli of the American Civil War; this short tome (only 160 pages) is a must-read.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Required ReadingBy Kindle CustomerSecession Debated should be rquired reading for everyone; starting in high school. The book is a collection of seven speeches and public letters given or published during the Georgia secession debates in November; 1860. Like Virginia; Georgia was a pivotal state. South Carolina; Alabama; Mississippi; Florida and Loiusiana were pretty much givens when it came to secession. Had Georgia not seceded; the Deep South states would have been divided geographically; making the ultimate success of the secessionists much less viable. The speeches are approximations of the actual speeches; since there were no verbatim transcripts; often relying on newspaper accounts. Some participants preferred not to speak; but instead submitted letters. The final letter was actually printed a month later after the legislative debates had ended. The content of the secessionists arguments is enlightening. Ninety percent of the arguments are justifications for the Southern way of life -- slavery. States rights are of course part of the argument; but what is the state right that they are seeking to uphold -- the then constitutional right to own human chattel. Tariffs and the maritime laws get a brief mention; but are clearly secondary to slavery as the issue that brought about the need to secede. The secessionists argued for immediate secession by legislative vote. The cons to this argument strongly affirmed the right of southerners to own slaves in perpetuity and the right of secession; but argued that such an extreme step was premature and/or needed to be put to a vote of the people. There was no argument that slavery was archaic or immoral. Perhaps the most prescient argument comes in the final chapter; a letter written by Joseph E. Brown; later governor of Georgia. Brown pretty much accurately describes the sharecropping and tenant farming system that grew up in the South after the war. The notes by the editors provide a prelude that provides the background of each speaker and a postscript that describes the subsequent life of the speaker; a number of whom died or suffered significant wounds in the coming war. I highly recommend this book as a primary source for anyone who wants to understand the background of the war as opposed to the myth of the Lost Cause.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great book. Love that it is written by a ...By CustomerGreat book. Love that it is written by a person from the South. Awesome perspective as he examines all that he was taught to find the flaws.
